West Bengal : Peoples’ agitation against UD Imperialism.

West Bengal has witnessed a massive protest against the imperialist strategy of making India the gateway of surrogating in the South-Asian countries. On 19th March people from all the cross section of society participated in the demonstration protesting US president Bill Clinton’s visit to India.

Students, farmers, youth, working class demonstrated in all the 18 district against the Imperialist attack and also against the Vajpayee Government’s strategy to surrender the country before imperialism. In Calcutta the central agitation was taken place infront of United State Information Centre and a crowded meeting protested against the globalisation and liberalisation agenda. As a programme of that campaign against US Imperialism several seminars, public meeting, rally were taken place. CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Anil Biswas while addressing the Central agitation meeting said, Mr. Clinton had arrived here with a difinite motive and that is imperialist conspiracy. Biswas also expressed his uncertainity that will India be united after Clinton’s visit? SFI, DYFI also organised rally and campaign program against imperialism and Clinton’s visit to India.

ANDHRA PRADESH

LEADERS and activists of nine Left parties, including the CPI(M) and CPI, were arrested by Hyderabad Police on March 21 when a protest rally was organised there, synchronising with the commencement of Clinton's official visit. The procession started from the Nehru Statue and culminated in a mass meeting at Nampally railway station.

The protestors were wearing T-shirts printed with the inscription "Clinton Go Back; India Is Not For Sale!"

The big rally against Clinton's visit was staged in Hyderabad on March 19 as part of the joint campaign by nine Left parties against US imperialism.

The protests all over the state were part of the nationwide campaign of the Left parties against Clinton's visit.

In the pilgrimage town of Tirupati, police resorted to a lathicharge on CPI(M) and CPI activists who were demonstrating peacefully. Protestors also courted arrest.

Reports of protest actions have come in from various parts of northern coastal Andhra. Clinton's effigy was burnt at Sompet in Srikakulam district. Protest actions were organised also in interior towns in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and other parts of the state.

SFI and DYFI activists burnt effigies of Clinton at Rajahmundry in East Godavari district. The effigies of Vajpayee and Chandrababu Naidu were also burnt at Prattipadu.

Reports of protest actions have also come from Khammam, Nalgonda, Warangal, Adilabad, Guntur, Visakhapatnam, West Godavari, Nellore, Krishna and Prakasam districts.

A large number of people organised Rasta Roko actions in several towns of Khammam district, joined by activists of the CPI(M), CPI and CPI(ML)-New Democracy.

During the course of the protest actions, the police arrested even cultural workers who were campaigning against Clinton's visit. This depicts the undemocratic attitude of our central and state governments.

MADHYA PRADESH

THE CPI(M), RJD and JD (Secular) organised a protest demonstration at Roshanpura Naka in Bhopal and burnt Clinton's effigy. The protestors were shouting slogans that the camp-followers of the US are traitors to the country.

The CPI(M) had called for observance of a Black Day all over Madhya Pradesh on March 21. A large number of people took part in these protest actions. They also condemned the ban on protest actions in Delhi, describing it as an attempt to strangulate democracy.

CITU workers burnt Bill Clinton's effigies in the BHEL premises, and in Mandidwip and Govindpura industrial areas in Bhopal. CITU units observed a Day Against Imperialism all over the state on March 22.

At Gadarwada in Narsinghpur district, AIKS and DYFI activists burnt Clinton's effigies.

At Bhilai, CPI(M) activists organised a demonstration and effigy-burning at Jayaprakash Narayan Chowk in Supela.

Court arrests took place at several places in the state.

Kerala ; Protest against Clinton’s Visit

Thiruvananthapuram : The state of Kerala has witnessed a vibrant protest against the imperialist designs that the United States on India, and the Vajpayee government’s strategy to surrender the country before USA by making it the US surrogate in the region. On 21st March lakhs of people including students, farmers, youth, government servants & industrial and agricultural labourers participated in the demonstrations protesting against US President Bill Clinton’s visit to India.

CPI(M) has observed an ‘anti-imperialist day’ by holding public meetings and demonstrations statewide to voice a protest against the US presidents attempt to foist the globalisation and liberalisation agenda. As the part of the campaign seminars and public meetings were organised. Mass rallies, public meetings and many other kinds of protests took place. In the capital city Thiruvananthapuram, CPI(M) district committee, DYFI, SFI and Kerala NGO union organised separate rallies. With anti-imperialist slogans and songs the protesters announced their reluctance to receive the head of a state which always tries to destroy the democratic and socialist ideals with unfair methods and coercive tactics. As the token of their hatred to imperialism, the people bunt the US president in effigy. They chanted slogans like "Killer Clinton go back" and "we don’t want a third umpire". The CPI(M) march in Thiruvananthapuram started from Palayam Martyr square. At every district head quarters including Ernakulam, Kottayam, Palakkad, Kannur, Alappuzha and Kollam the huge rallies in which thousands of demonstrators carried placards proclaiming Clinton + Vajapyee = total destruction. CPI(M) Polit Bureau member V S Achuthananthan who addressed a red volunteer march at Kilimanoor, Thiruvananthapuram district told that Mr. Clinton had come to India only to seal the deals struck with multinationals under the aegis of World Bank, IMF and World Trade Orgnisation.