Left parties to stage protests

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, OCT. 8. The Left parties today reiterated the demand that the BJP-led Government should not take part in the U.S.- sponsored war against Afghanistan.

The parties also decided to hold nationwide protests on October 12 demanding the war be stopped and that a struggle be waged against terrorism in accordance with international laws.

Through a joint statement the parties - CPI-M, CPI, AIFB and the RSP - warned that joining the America-led war would have dangerous consequences for South Asia and also for national sovereignty.

Reiterating that those responsible for the terrorist attacks in U.S. on September 11 should be brought to justice through the United Nations and on the basis of international law, these parties said by launching a full-scale war against Afghanistan, the main sufferers would be the people since the missiles and bombs rained on the country would kill innocent people.

``All democratic and peace-loving people in South Asia are deeply concerned about the casualties of war and the consequences for the region'', the statement said.

The Left parties also called for a joint campaign in protest against ``this unilateral war launched by America and its NATO allies'' and decided to hold nationwide demonstration on Friday.

The signatories to the joint statement included, the general secretaries of four Left parties, Mr. Harkishan Singh Surjeet (CPI-M), Mr. A.B. Bardhan (CPI), Mr. Debabrata Biswas (AIFB) and Mr. K. Pankajakshan (RSP).

Meanwhile, the CPI(ML) took the lead in organising `an anti-war protests' today at different places in the country including Delhi, Patna, Kolkata and Lucknow. The party activists criticised the bombings on Afghanistan and killing of innocent civilians. The party also warned the Vajpayee Government to desist from giving support and legitimacy to the unilateral war launched by the U.S. and Britain.

The Revolutionary Socialists Party (RSP), at its two- day central committee meeting which concluded today, also adopted a resolution on the post-September 11 situation and condemned the stand of the Vajpayee Government on it.

The party observed that the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, had offered all assistance to the U.S.-war designs without even being asked for and ``exposed the nation to the ominous designs of imperialist forces without caring for religious demography of India.''

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