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NT Bureau
Chennai, Sep 5:
 

RED + ANGER = DANGER: CPI and CPI-M party men beginning their 'Jatha' from Chennai harbour today. Photo: T Shankaran

        The Left parties today launched a march to Vishakapatnam to protest the multi-national joint naval excercise involving the Unisted States of America in the Bay of Bengal. 'We are against the US imperialism,' was the message that the two Left parties — CPI (M) and CPI, sought to convey.

        Addressing a public meeting at Gummidipoondi near Chennai, CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat said the Left parties would not support any military or strategic alliance with US. 'Through the Indo-US nuclear deal we have become a strategic ally of the US. The military exercise is also pointing towards this,' he said and added the entry of Walmart and other MNCs in the country would have an adverse impact on the nation.

        The march (named 'jatha') began after garlanding the statue of freedom fighter V O Chidambaram Pillai, who was imprisoned till his death for floating 'Swadeshi Shipping Company' during the British rule, at the harbour in Chennai, Karat said 'let all of us take a pledge to fight imperialist forces like the late leader.' 'The situation was the same now like the time when Pillai lauched a struggle against the British empire. We pledge that we will not allow India to become an ally of the US imperialism,' he said.

        The 'jatha' will culminate at Vishakapattanam on 8 September when nother one from Kolkata led by CPI general secretary A B Bardhan would also reach. The 'jatha' from Kolkata was flagged off yesterday.

        Stating that strategic alliance with US went against the Common Minimum Programme (CMP), Karat said the CMP did not contain a single word about it and the Left would not have supported the UPA if there were any such reference.

        CPI national secretary D Raja said India recently celebrated the 60th anniversary of its Independence and had been following an independent and non-aligned foreign policy. 'Contrary to it,' he said, 'the UPA government is pursuing a pro-US policy, which is against out national interest. 'The Left parties will not support the policies which are against the Country and the people,' he said.

        Earlier, Karat declined to comment on the composition of the UPA-Left committee to look into the Indo-US nuclear deal. 'It was already decided. I have no comment to make on it,' Karat told reporters before launching the protest march here.

        The Centre last night announced a 15-member committee headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to look into the concerns of the Left parties on the nuclear deal.

        Left parties will be represented by Karat, Sitaram Yechury (CPI(M)), A B Bardhan and D Raja (CPI), Debabrata Biswas (Forward Bloc) and T J Chandrachoodan (RSP) in the committee.