Volume 1, No. 2, April 2000

It was reminiscent of the old colonial days. Only, the kings and queens of Britain were now replaced by the chief global predator; the servile rajas and maharajas of yesteryear were replaced by the Vajpayees and Advanis of today. While the foreign lords virtually took over parts of the country for five days, bossing and bullying all and sundry; the Indian elite grovelled in this American excreta, savouring even the insults and abuses to their self-respect.

Every small detail of the visit was dictated by the American thugs, who marched into this country in their hi-tech fascist boots. They took over the airports, they took over the roads, they took over the hotels, they even took control of parts of the sewage system of Delhi. It is they who dictated the details of Big Chief’s visit; it is they (and not the hosts) who decided on the lists of guests to be invited to the President’s/ Prime Minister’s banquets and other functions; and it is their security force that ordered the Indian police around, as though they owned the country.

The arrogance of the visitors, was equally matched by the extreme servility of the Indian compradors. The politicians and business community virtually signed on the dotted line all the agreements put before them by their American bosses. They spent crores of people’s money on decorating and renovating the roads, hotels, paths where the Americans would tread. They meekly handed over the entire security for the visit to the US intelligence and Marines. They brutally removed beggars, ‘encroachments’, hutments of the poor, so that poverty would be banished from the eyes of the intruder. The media whipped up a Clinton mania in competitive flattery of the President and his daughter. Thousands and thousands of police, bureaucrats, officials, etc., were made available to serve on the huge American entourage. And, the entire Cabinet and ministry were at the beck-and-call of Uncle Sam. Ofcourse, for this outright capitulation, the Indian rulers were rewarded by, defacto, granting its role of regional hegemony in South Asia .... no doubt, as an extension of America’s own geo-political strategy in the region.

Yet, while the elite grovelled before these foreign monsters, the masses of the Indian people from all corners of the country voiced their protest against the capitulation. Inspite of the ban orders, it became a veritable movement of protests. Holi (March 19), the festival of colour, was brightened by a spontaneous movement of effigy (Clinton’s) burning. Quite appropriately, at the peak of the visit, Bhagat Singh’s martyrdom day (March 23), became the rallying point for the protest movements. It was a broad widespread movement, involving the revolutionaries, some nationalities, trade unions, peasant organisations, intellectuals and academicians, environmentalists and women’s and dalit organisations. Ofcourse, the ‘Swadeshiwallas’ were conspicuous by their absence, more pre-occupied in whipping up Sikh-Muslim hatred, after the mysterious massacre of 36 Sikhs.

Uncle Sam’s Plot against the Country

It was a plot hatched by the US imperialists and Indian compradors behind the backs of the Indian people, to push our country deep into the clutches of the US imperialist demon. It was nothing but a culmination of the secret Jaswant-Talbott talks taking place in foreign lands. This visit has resulted in the Indian ruling classes taking a quantum leap into the arms of the US octopus. The ‘Vision Statement’ clearly sets the path for total enslavement to US conspiracies. March 21st will go down as a black day for our country and its people.

What was particularly dangerous in this entire episode, was that many parts of the country were thrown open to the US intelligence. Under the pretext of preparing for the Clinton visit, hundreds of FBI, CIA agents have been snooping around the country for the last six months. They have been liaisoning with the Indian security forces and surreptitiously building up their network. This particularly picked up momentum in the fortnight prior to the visit. The extent of their involvement can be understood from the fact that, for the mere 110 minute visit to Agra, the US secret service met UP government officials seventeen times. Besides, they have taken a number of joint operations, ostensibly rehearsals for the defence of Clinton.

To make sure that capitulation would be complete during the visit, the US administration began a high-pitched campaign in Washington a month earlier. From mid-February they began blowing hot and cold, issuing threats, and playing on the Indo-Pak discord. This continued right upto the very date of his arrival. Once the ‘Vision Statement’ was signed, overnight Clinton changed his tune. The new tone was apparent the very next day. In his speech to parliament on March 22, he said, that there must be respect for the LoC and an end to violence; on the Sikh massacre, he said the finger clearly points to Pakistan; he made it a point to meet Rachna Katyal, the wife of the person killed in the hijacked plane; in an interview to TV, for the first time he stated Pakistan’s official complicity in the "violence" in Kashmir; in a major reversal of standpoint, he said that events on the sub-continent have overtaken the 1948 US resolution on Kashmir and rejected the idea of a referendum; he defacto denied the right of self-determination for Kashmir saying that the US should not take the position "that an ethnically diverse country like India can’t exist any more." More so, on the eve of his departure to Pakistan, his National Security Advisor, Sandy Berger, warned Pakistan not to clash with India, threatening "acute economic hardship". Finally, in Pakistan itself he stated "we cannot and will not mediate .... the dispute in Kashmir."

What then was the magic for this overnight transformation ? Obviously it was a quid-pro-quo — India to capitulate fully to the US’s economic and political demands; the US to reciprocate and accept India’s role of regional hegemony. The BJP’s anti-islamic tone helped hasten the fusion. The backdrop of China’s increasing conflict with Taiwan, and potential threat to US interests in Asia, also necessitated a counter-balance in the region. Besides, in the Indo-Pak conflict, Pakistan is no longer needed as a counter-weight to what was once Soviet influence in the region, and its islamic elements have made it an unreliable ally. In contrast, India has a huge market for American products and the massive Indian army can act as good cannon fodder to protect US interests in the region in the future.

So, to achieve these goals, Clinton entered this country with a massive show of force. He was accompanied by National Security Advisor, Sandy Berger; White House Chief of Staff, John Podestan; Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright and her deputy Strobe Talbott; Commerce Secretary, William Daley; the state departments coordinator for counter-terrorism, Michael Stephan; and hundreds of businessmen and journalists.

His visit saw the arrival of 1000 US security personnel; 50 transport planes with all kinds of equipment pertaining to surveillance and communications; two US army trucks with generators; thirty bullet-proof vehicles; four CH-53 Chinook helicopters to ferry equipment wherever he goes; five electronically-equipped helicopters to maintain a birds-eye vigil; and a cavalcade of 17 armoured vehicles that would occupy both carriageways of the road as he moved from one place to another. He was to be guarded by four rings of security, only the last being that of Indians. The first ring comprised his personal body guards, the second US marines, the third FBI agents and the fourth Indian security personnel.

The arrogant US officials rejected the normal hospitality of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, at which all heads of state normally stay, and instead took over a 5-Star Hotel and turned it into a virtual American fortress (with India to foot the bill). The staff were subjected to humiliating security checks, yet he was served only by Americans, with even the furniture, sheets, bedspreads, mineral water and foodstuff being flown in from the US.

All this fuss, was not mere security, but the pose and arrogance of a world monarch .... to cow down the local infidels !! It had the desired effect.

Servile Ruling Elite

It was a shame to see the media continuously gushing appreciation about the most "powerful man in the world". It was pathetic to see Vajpayee giggling like a buffoon before the pompous Clinton. It was amazing to see the country’s foreign minister escorting the President’s 20-year-old daughter to play holi. It was ludicrous to see India’s 700 VVIPs, specially invited to the Ambassador’s reception, wait four hours in the hot sun for the boss to arrive, and then queue up like scavengers to shake his hands. It was ironical to find that in Hyderabad (which had been spruced clean of beggars, encroachments and stray animals at a cost of Rs. 10 crores), even the motorcade of the Governor and Chief Minister was stopped outside the airport terminal building by US security forces, during Clinton’s arrival; and to see once again the Governor being prevented from going near the President’s aircraft during the departure ceremony. It was amusing to see top government officials in Mumbai complain that "we have been reduced to a rubber stamp.... the only thing we are expected to do is to endorse what the US team says about the President’s visit". It was therefore not surprising to find in Rajasthan, the US secret service openly humiliating the Environment minister by physically stopping him from seeing off the President. And it was the ultimate in vulgar display of servility to see the MPs scrambling over each other in the parliament, to shake the hands of the President.

Finally, not to be left out of the Clinton mania of the ruling classes, the supposed hard-line swadeshi-man, and new RSS chief, Sudarshan, said that "Clinton’s visit was the need of the hour". Not surprisingly, for all their talk of swadeshi, nationalism, national interest etc, etc., nowhere were these RSS elements to be found in the vast protest movement.

‘Vision’ to Strangulate the Country

It has been a systematic process of capitulation by the BJP-led government, that finally resulted in the ‘Vision Statement’; which is, itself, the starting point for the ‘second generation’ sell-out.

In early February itself, the US and India set up a joint working group to fight terrorism. The extent of cooperation planned is unprecedented, in the sense that, for the first time ever, different functional agencies dealing with counter-terrorism, of the two sides are getting together to chalk out future cooperation, training, sharing of experience and even exchange of intelligence.

Also, just prior to the Clinton trip, with the visit to India of the US commander-in-chief of the Pacific Fleet, Dennis Blair, the two sides are set to revive their "executive steering groups" which gives direction to the inter-services contacts of the defence forces. Specifically, the three steering groups — one each for the Army, Navy and the Air Force — have in the past identified the "menu" of future inter-services activities. The list of planned activities include joint military exercises, exchange of military personnel, etc.

And after these agreements, comes the humiliating ‘Vision Statement (VS)’ which seeks to totally tie our country, both economically and politically, to US interests.

The VS, first and foremost, attempts to tie India into US imperialism’s geo-political military strategy. Like the Soviets earlier, the US too is now willing to accept India as a regional hegemon, in return for tying itself totally to US imperialist designs. So the VS document envisages a "new century in which India and the US will be partners in peace, with a common interest in, and complimentary responsibility for, ensuring regional and international security .... and strategic stability in Asia and beyond." With this, India obviously hopes for an Israel-like role in South Asia. There is also a tacit acceptance of India’s nuclear programme and its need for minimum deterrence. Also there is a direct US commitment to "bolster joint efforts to counter terrorism." In other words, an invitation to the US to directly intervene in the country, in counter-insurgency operations. Probably, the present visit was a good opportunity for a dress rehearsal for the US and Indian security forces.

Having thus set the grounds for this politico-military alliance, the US then proceeded to tie the knot tighter in all spheres of the polity and economics of the country. It says that the "architecture" (of the VS) institutionalises the dialogue at the highest levels of foreign policy, international security, economics and finance, and clean energy and environment. In other words, the VS defacto raises the level of Indo-US relationship to that of a strategic partnership.

In the realm of polity the VS says :

(i) The Prime Minister of India and the President of the US will hold regular yearly "summits" (as is done with Israel). They will also remain in frequent touch on the phone and through letters. In other words, the Indian PM is to get regular instructions from the US headquarters.

(ii) The two countries will hold bi-annual "summits", and also a foreign policy dialogue at the level of external affairs minister of India and the secretary of state of the US. The foreign policy dialogue will encompass not merely bilateral foreign policy matters, but will also institutionalise the on-going Jaswant-Talbott dialogue on security and non-proliferation. On the one hand, India’s aspirations to be a regional power found ready reflection in the institution of an Indo-US dialogue on Asian security. On the other hand, the Indian government has defacto accepted the CTBT and America’s stand on non-proliferation, when the VS says "both countries will not conduct more nuclear explosive tests and work together for a treaty to end production of fissile materials and nuclear weapons."

In other words not only is the PM and foreign ministry being drawn into the vortex of US policy-making, but the BJP-led government has, in effect, accepted the CTBT through the back door!!

In the economic sphere the ‘Vision’ has been even more all-encompassing. Here too both countries have agreed to regularise an economic dialogue, which will entail :

(i) A high-level "Coordinating Group", headed by the Prime Minister’s Office and the White House, which will steer these talks with the support from the ministry of External Affairs and the US State Department. The "Coordinating Group" will also develop a common economic agenda based on extensive inter-ministerial consultations. This, in essence entails involving the US state department, in all economic policy-making of our country. What was earlier done unofficially will now become official policy.

(ii) India and the US will establish an Indo-US Economic Forum. India’s Finance minister and the US Treasury Secretary will head this cell on investments and macro-economic policies. So now, even all planning will be done at the instance of the US Treasury Secretary!!

(iii) A similar platform linking the Commerce ministers will also be created. The Indian Minister of Commerce and the US Commerce Secretary will lead these talks to bring Indian and American communities closer. In other words, India’s trade policies will also be dictated by the US Commerce Secretary.

(iv) The two countries will set up a Joint Consultative Group on Clean Energy and Environment, steered by the US State Department and the Ministry of External Affairs — The US, though it is the world’s largest emitter of green house gasses, it is unwilling to make reductions domestically. Instead they want the underdeveloped countries to make the reductions under an emission trading mechanism (called the "Clean Development Mechanism) which would show as their own reduction under the Kyoto Protocol.

(v) India and the US formalised the formation of an India-US Science and Technology Forum. For the last two years the US has been resorting to much arm-twisting to get such an agreement to promote research in genetics, etc. In this agreement the US has specifically demanded research in fuel cells, bio fuels, agricultural bio technology and transgenic crops. The Forum will also promote transfer of technology.

Thus, this ‘Vision Statement’ is, in all aspects, humiliating, degrading, and an affront to the people of our country. An agreement with such far reaching consequences, was signed by a wafer-thin coalition government without any public discussion whatsoever. Though the details would have been known much earlier, it was made public only after the signing was over.

But this was not all. The VS was immediately followed by a flurry of economic deals.

Tightening Economic Noose

The ‘Vision’ was immediately realised within the next two days, by the setting up of the Indo-US Commercial dialogue, the Science and Technology Forum, and the Agreement on Energy and Environment. Besides these, India pledged to support US policy at the WTO on most issues, in order to revive the Seattle round of talks.

By the end of the visit, Clinton announced that $4 billion worth of deals had been struck with US TNCs. These included four in the Information Technology sector, three in environment, three in Power, and one in Tourism. In addition the US Export-Import Bank signed an MoU of a $1 billion line of credit with the IDBI to facilitate imports from the USA. Also India further buckled under US pressure and agreed to offer enhanced market access to more than $40 million in US agricultural exports. Under this agreement India is to reduce duties on agricultural items of interest to the US.

During this visit, the CII (Confederation of Indian Industries) emerged as a major tool for promoting US interests in India. Its president, and ‘swadeshi’ flag-bearer, Rahul Bajaj, went so far as to say that the CII has already endorsed the idea of a free-trade agreement between India and the US. The CII and the US Energy Association signed an agreement on energy and environment, in the presence of US Commerce Secretary, William Dalley. And in a most astounding agreement of all, which amounts to an endorsement of India’s expansionist role in South Asia, the CII signed an agreement with the American Endowment of Democracy — FOR PROMOTING DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN ASIA. This was signed in the presence of secretary of state, Madeleine Albright.

America already has a vice-like grip on the Indian economy. The present policies and agreements can only result in the tightening of the noose. Being the number one imperialist power in the world it has a head start over its rivals. 20% of the US Fortune 500 companies are strongly entrenched in the country. Of the total approvals of Foreign Direct Investment 48% were from the US. Between 1991 and 1999 the US was by far the largest foreign investor accounting for 24% of the total (compared to UK’s 7%, and Germany and Japan’s 4% each). It is India’s largest trading partner, accounting for a 22% share of its exports (UK, Germany and Japan together account for 16%) and 9% of the imports. In 1999 total trade with the US was $13 billion, which is expected to rise to $20 billion in a few years.Besides, huge investments are planned in the power and IT sectors.

Finally, in order to tighten the knot around the throat of the Indian economy, Clinton has summoned the Finance Minister to USA — immediately. Though it will be in the midst of the budget session of parliament, Yeshwant Sinha will be scurrying off to take his orders. The Prime Minister himself will go crawling there in September.

Protests Rock the Country; CPI(ML)[PW] Calls for Bandh

While reports are yet to come in, sufficient information has filtered through the press black-out, to indicate a protest wave throughout India and Bangladesh.

So terrified was the President of the people’s wrath that he barely stepped beyond the confines of his tight security. In India his each halt was virtually converted into US enclaves with no contact with the country whatsoever. The security for this one man was more than that given to the 95 heads of state that attended the CHOGM meeting in 1982. In Bangladesh he skipped a visit to a village as the 30 km helicopter flight entailed flying over thick forests. He was also the only head of state to visit Bangladesh and not pace a wreath on the martyrs memorial — again out of fear. In Pakistan the fear was so intense that he did not even fly by his own plane but went in an unmarked decoy plane. No doubt, this chief imperialist tyrant would be one of the most hated persons by the oppressed masses of the world.

In Bangladesh hundreds of students protested against US imperialism in Dhaka University. A cordon of riot police ringed the campus preventing students from interrupting the red-carpet welcome at the airport. The students shouted that "Clinton is an international terrorist and he is here to rob our natural resources" (In the few hours visit, two major deals were signed, giving away Bangladesh’s vast natural gas reserves to two US TNCs). The students hoisted a black flag on the university which was ripped down by the police. Simultaneously, in a Dhaka suburb hundreds of black balloon were released into the sky with banners carrying slogans such as "Clinton go back."

In India, protests were taking place throughout the fortnight not only in the major cities but also in the smaller towns. Here we sample some of the reports that have as yet come in (the next issue will carry more detailed reports). The protest meetings began a good ten days in advance and reached a crescent on Bhagat Singh’s Martyrdom day.

In Delhi, the AIPRF and DSU took the initiative to set up the ‘Anti Imperialist Front’. This Front also included the CPI(ML) New Democracy, Janashakti, New Initiative and was later joined by the Red Flag. The Front organised a demonstration at Jantar Mantar at the time Clinton was addressing the parliament. About 1000 paricipated, including large numbers from Punjab and Haryana. A play against US imperialism was performed by the Disha Sanskritic Manch, and an effigy of Clinton burnt. Later the gathering marched towards parliament, and broke the police barricades. All were arrested. Earlier from March 18, workers from Shahadra and Okhla held public meetings, demonstrations and burnt Clinton’s effigy. Their main slogan was "Global Bandit-head Go Back", and placards charted out Clinton’s crimes. Besides these, on the day of his arrival artists and academicians protested against the government’s decision to ban all public demonstrations. Yet in Delhi more than 300 muslims were taken into "protective custody" in a series of raids. Mass rallies also took place on 19th and 21st March. The latter being lathi-charged and disrupted by water cannons.

In Maharashtra, demonstrations and protests took place in Mumbai, Pune and a number of towns. In Mumbai a front of 22 organisations demonstrated from March 17th to the 25th. They included a number of trade unions and revolutionary student and youth organisations. Hundreds of people participated, 10,000 posters were put up, leaflets distributed and a Human Chain formed on Bhagat Singh day. On March 24th another procession was lathi-charged and 1000 arrested. In Pune, a large number of organisations came together and organised protest meetings at factory gates and college campuses. It culminated in a protest march and rally on March 23rd. Even in the district town of Jalgaon, a day-long fast was held and handbills distributed against the visit.

In Hyderabad, which was one of Clinton’s main stops, 40 mass organisations came together and formed the ‘Forum Against Imperialism’. These included revolutionary, democratic, dalit and women’s organisations. The presidium comprised veteran freedom fighter Kaloji, Raj Bahadur Gowd, and noted journalist ABK Prasad. The convenors were Prof. Hargopal, Keshavrao Jadhav, and Sharad of the AIPRF. The following programmes were held under its auspices : On March 4, about 100 eminent writers organised a press conference giving a call to fight cultural imperialism. On March 7, a ‘Convention against Imperialism’ was held whose three main slogans were: Clinton go back; Down with Vajpayee/Chandrababu governments, stooges of imperialism; MNCs quit India. On March 12, a creative and innovative demonstration of writers, artists, cartoonists, and performing artists was conducted. On March 19, a demonstration was held at the Tank Bund, and eminent activists of the Forum, like M.T.Khan, Hargopal, Ratnamala, Chalasani Prasad, etc., were arrested. On March 24, the day of Clinton’s arrival to Hyderabad, the Forum held a ‘Go Back Clinton’ demonstration at the Tank Bund, where all participants were arrested.

In Bangalore an Anti-imperialist Forum, was formed as an umbrella front of a number of organisations. This body organised a number of protest meetings at road junctions, which culminated in a rally on March 23rd. An effigy of Clinton was burnt and the day was observed as anti-imperialist day.

In Bhopal effigies were burnt of Clinton and Warren Anderson (Union Carbide). Several organisations held fasts, dharnas and demonstrations against Clinton’s visit. They later made a bonafire of American goods. The Jan Ekta Manch also organised daily nukkad meetings from March 18th, and observed March 21 as samrajyavadi virodh divas.

In Jaipur, which was one of the main cities on Clinton’s itenary, two dozen progressive organisations got together to oppose the visit. They stated that the people will not give him even a drop of water. They celebrated Holi by burning his effigy. Rallies were organised in many towns of Rajasthan culminating in a procession in Jaipur on Bhagat Singh Day.

In Agra too, several organisations joined forces to protest against the "US imperialistic attitude" towards India and also against the "humiliating treatment being meted out to local residents in the name of providing security to Clinton." They claimed that the PAC had imposed curfew-like conditions at the behest of US security officials. The protest movement started with the burning of Clinton’s effigy during Holi, followed by a series of protest meetings and a dharna on March 22.

In Kashmir, the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) gave a call for a bandh on March 22 against the "planned genocide" in Kashmir. But the APHC office was put under seige by the police and its chairman arrested. Also 15 members of the J&K Democratic Freedom Party were arrested in Srinagar as they were about to leave for Delhi to participate in a meeting.

Besides these, reports are coming in of demonstrations, effigy burnings, satyagrahas etc., from cities like Patna, Kanpur, Ludhiana, Varanasi, Calcutta, numerous towns of Kerala, and other parts of the country. The CPI (ML)[PW] bandh call for AP and West Bengal was a clarion call to rally all anti-imperialist forces.

Today, after the Clinton visit, there is even greater urgency, than ever before to sharpen the anti-imperialist struggle in general, and the struggle against US imperialism in particular, within the country. Each day, each hour, the economy, the politics, the culture is getting more deeply entangled in the imperialist web—the masses of the country are being suffocated; all rights and liberties are being systematically destroyed; backward feudal relations are being perpetuated; the country is being pushed deeper into darkness. The only hope is through a mass revolutionary upsurge .... for it is only a militant force that can beat back the present fascist/imperialist onslaught. Let the imperialists, the TNC bosses and their Indian agents, tremble with the first showers of the coming storm.

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