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Sunday, Mar 30, 2008
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Military pact with U.S. must go: Karat

K.V. Prasad

“The struggle to disentangle India from the ‘strategic embrace’ of the U.S. must continue”

“If it were not for the Left, the nuclear deal would have been wrapped up by now”
Call to neighbouring countries to join the Left in fighting “imperialist penetration”

COIMBATORE: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) and other Left parties had prevented the signing of the nuclear deal with the United States, but the task of undoing the military collaboration agreement with the U.S. remained, CPI (M) general-secretary Prakash Karat said here on Saturday.

“If it were not for the CPI(M) and the Left, the nuclear deal would by now have been wrapped up after the adoption of the 123 agreement in the U.S. Congress. But, the task was not over yet. We have to undo the military collaboration agreement. The struggle to disentangle India from the ‘strategic embrace’ of the U.S. must continue,” he said in his opening address at the inaugural of the party’s 19th Congress.

Mr. Karat called upon progressive and democratic forces in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka to join the CPI(M) and other Left parties in fighting back the “growing imperialist penetration” in the South Asian region.

“Proud of our record”

“The CPI(M) has been attacked and maligned for its opposition to the strategic alliance with the U.S. and for its opposition to neo-liberal economic policies. We plead guilty to both charges,” he declared. “In fact, we are proud of our record in these matters.”

Strongly denouncing a strategic alliance with the U.S., he criticised the United Progressive Alliance government for pursuing what was begun by the government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

“The only difference is that the brash natural ally of the U.S. has now been converted into a demure strategic partner. The defence framework and the nuclear co-operation agreements are parts of an overarching alliance,” he said.

“Ever since the joint statement of July 2005 to announce the strategic partnership, the CPI (M) understood that what was being touted was nothing but a wholesale shift in our foreign policy and strategic perspective,” he said.

Flawed outlook

Regretting that many in the ruling establishment believed that the U.S. would help India become a major world power, he said this flawed outlook led to the ruling classes hankering for the alliance with the U.S.

These issues were the challenge before the CPI(M) soon after its previous Congress. And, the party could take legitimate credit for bringing foreign policy and strategic matters to centre stage of Indian politics.

Targeting the U.S. for its imperialist actions, Mr. Karat observed that it was hated across the world for the aggression on Iraq. The last time it was hated this much was for its actions in Vietnam.

Palestine issue

Mr. Karat also criticised U.S. protection to Israel that had resorted to a “brutal occupation” of Gaza. Terming it a colonial land grab, he said the CPI (M) expressed solidarity with the people of Palestine.

“Strategic partnership”

Extending his greetings to the Congress, Communist Party of India general secretary A.B. Bardhan contended that the nuclear deal was not just an “innocent attempt” to gain access to energy but to cement a strategic partnership with the U.S.

“We have watched with concern the government policies which, step by step, had been leading to a close strategic partnership between India and the U.S. We have strongly opposed each of these steps,” he said.

Mr. Bardhan, re-elected CPI general secretary at its recently concluded Hyderabad Congress, was a special invitee at the CPI(M) Congress.

“The text of the nuclear deal negotiated with the International Atomic Energy Agency is now before the UPA-Left panel. We have yet to come to grips with it. But, the stand of the Left parties remains unchanged: to oppose the deal,” he asserted.

Claiming that it was the U.S. that hoped to derive the greatest benefits — diplomatic, political, strategic, business — Mr. Bardhan cited the repeated pressure brought to bear on the India by top U.S. officials to go ahead with the nuclear deal.

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