India is spoiling its deep-rooted trade and commercial relationship with Iran influenced by the pressure tactics of American imperialists, Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Prakash Karat has said. He was opening a seminar on ‘War on terrorism: a U.S. agenda on the Arab world’, organised by the Keluettan Study and Research Centre, here, on Saturday.
Mr. Karat criticised that the gas pipeline project for the cost-effective supply of gas from Iran to India was scuttled as India succumbed to the U.S. pressure. Though the country had earlier depended on Iran to meet around 12 per cent of its total oil resources requirement, things witnessed a change recently following the mounting pressure of the US, he blamed.
“For the past six months, the bank transactions between India and Iran too have been remaining blocked under the strategy of the American imperialists,” he said, adding that “Our country was yet to make any payment for the oil resources it purchased from Iran for the last six months.”
The CPI (M) leader also accused that India was sacrificing its own interest for endorsing the strategic movement of imperialists to invade into the Arab world for plundering oil resources. “All the Arabian countries are now facing threats against their nationalism as fundamentalists -- sponsored by the imperialist forces -- make inroads into their regime to hijack Arab democratic aspirations,” he said.
Referring to the call of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to support the U.S. for their “humanitarian interventions” in Syria, Mr. Karat said “India, as per the U.S. ploy, would never be able to challenge the dictate sacrificing its long-pending aspiration to be a permanent member in the United Nations Security Council.” According to Mr. Karat, the term ‘humanitarian intervention’ was the latest ploy of the United States after its anti-terror campaigns for imperial agendas.
The CPI (M) leader also said the anti-terror movements of the U.S. in Arabian countries largely resulted in demonizing the Islam community and creating sectarian warfare. He called upon the civic community of India to extend moral support to the Arab citizens in their fight to thwart western attempts of hijacking national awakening.
CPI (M) district secretary T.P. Ramakrishnan presided over the inaugural function.
