July-August  1999

While talking peace, the BJP has been making frenzied war preparations from the very first day of its rule. The continuous sabre-rattling of the BJP-led coalition government, starting with the nuclear explosions, was aimed at neighbouring countries, particularly Pakistan. It was also aimed at the Indian people, to numb them into silence under a barrage of fascist-spouting national chauvinist propaganda. This, combined with ‘Hindu rashtra’, served the twin purpose of camouflaging its ‘Swadeshi Hoax’ and also its total sell-out to the imperialists. Vajpayee and his gang are like tame puppies before Clinton, Blair or even petty IMF officials, but bloat into ferocious bulldogs before heads of neighbouring countries.

The war, and the hysteria accompanying it, is only a further extension of BJP policy, whose path was clearly laid out with the nuclear explosions. The deepening economic and political crises of the ruling classes, and also the chaotic condition within the BJP and its alliance partners, pushed the government into this desperate gamble. With their slogans sounding more and more hollow, with political instability worsening each day; with the IMF-dictated policies wreaking havoc on the economy and on the living conditions of the people; with starvation deaths, suicides, rampant disease, malnutrition, illiteracy, unemployment, starvation wages, agricultural stagnation, environmental destruction, etc getting endemic.... there has been an increasing anger amongst the discontended masses. The rulers desperately needed a diversion. National chauvinism and war have been their time-worn solution, perfected by Hitler. It matters little who fired the first shot; the BJP has been building up the atmosphere for a confrontation from the very start of its 13-month rule. And what better time to create this frenzy, when faced with the prospects of defeat in the coming elections.

The Pakistan government too needed a diversion. Corruption charges, fascist attacks on the media, the ruthless centralisation of power by Nawaz Sharif and his coterie, the bankruptcy of the economy, etc., have increasingly discredited the ruling government. The present diversion has come in handy to the ruling elite of Pakistan as well. But, in this war the gainers are the governments of both countries, the war profiteers and the arms dealers, the losers are the people of both countries. Even according to official estimates, the government of India is already spending Rs. 40 crores every day on the war, which, they say, will increase to Rs. 100 crores after an official declaration of war. The real figure is, at least, double the official one. In other words, roughly Rs. 4,000 crores of people’s money has already been wasted. Besides, hundreds of lives of Indian soldiers have been fed to the war machines of the Indian expansionists !!

Let us now try and get to the truth amidst the smokescreen of lies, deceit, falsehood, exaggerations etc whipped up by the government propaganda machine.

The original culprits for these border skirmishes were the British colonialists who, while departing, left those borders vague, in a premeditated scheme to instigate conflicts. This they did, not only in India, but throughout the world.

This particular region around Kargil has been disputed from the very start and control has shifted a number of times between Pakistan and India. Actually, for the first 18 years after partition, this area was part of Pakistan. During the 1965 war Indian troops forcibly pushed the Pakistanis out and took control of the territory. But soon after the war, in the Tashkent Agreement, most of these posts were handed back to Pakistan. In other words, this was a defacto acceptance by the Indian government that this territory belonged to Pakistan.

Yet, in the 1971 war, Indian battalions again attacked Pakistani posts and seized control of this territory, which it has maintained since then. The 1972 Simla Accord accepted this status quo. In this Agreement, though the Line of Control (LoC) is delineated on maps, it has never been demarcated on the ground due to the inaccessible terrain. Though Indian politicians (and media) have gone hysterical against this claim by Pakistan, this fact was first reported in the Indian media. Not only that, for all the government’s clap-trap about the Simla Accord, it has brazenly flouted the agreed demarcation of the Siachen glacier as ‘no-man’s land in this Accord, by its military occupation in 1984.

So, from a historical view-point, we see that the Indian expansionists have forcibly seized, both the Kargil region and the neighbouring Siachen Glacier, by its military might. In addition, since 1972, two major skirmishes on the border have both been provoked by the Indian government. In 1986-87, the Indian military’s ‘Operation Brastracks’ went out of control resulting in serious border clashes. Again in 1990, yet another military exercise by the Indian Army spun out of control; and on this occasion it nearly led to a war.

In the Kargil area, with inaccessible terrain and mountains going up to over 20,000 ft., most of the zone has, so far, been unmanned. The 70-odd posts in the region are maintained only in the summer months. And invariably, every summer, as the snow begins to melt border clashes have occurred, with both sides seeking to occupy the maximum number of these posts. Normally, this results in Pakistan occupying some, while India takes the aest. But, on this occasion, the Indian government sought to enflame the situation.

To sum up, the area which the Indian rulers are making a hue and cry about, was part of Pakistan for a full 24 years. Since 1971, it has been seized by Indian troops and become a part of India. Having noted this historical reality, one question still remains. Why, in the Tashkent Agreement did the Government of India give back this territory, if it belonged to India ? Why now are ALL the parliamentary outfits silent on the Tashkent Accord signed by the then prime minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri ???

What began as a routine summer border skirmish in the Kargil-Dras area, was ignited into a full-fledged war by the Indian expansionists. This factor comes out clearly by the earlier reports and statements issued soon after the ‘infiltration’ was discovered. In addition, the suspiciously contradictory statements that emanated at that time raises doubts on the Indian government’s credibility. In addition, the attempts to silence any opposing view from appearing such as banning Pak TV, and kicking out all journalists from the war zone, raises further questions on the authenticity of the government’s statements. Yet again, that the centre was totally unaware, of supposed massive troop ‘infiltration’, together with vast quantities of heavy hardware and provisions, sounds extremely far-fetched.... quite obviously this was no ‘intelligence failure’ as is sought to be made out, but routine troop movements in the summer months. When the Indian army has a military Intelligence Wing (MI) whose specific task is gathering information inside a 10 km belt on either side of India’s border is it at all possible that such major "troop movements" within Indian territory, went unnoticed ? Besides the MI, there is also RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) which also monitors such movements. Yet nothing was discovered !! The hype of ‘intelligence failure’ is only a trick to give authenticity to the propaganda of a major ‘infiltration’ — which in reality was normal summer troop movements blown out of proportion.

At the very start, Lt. General Krishan Pal of the 15 Corps, Kashmir, in charge of the Kargil area, said that the occupation by ‘irregulars’ is of little strategic significance. He added : "If I don’t take notice of them it will make no difference. If they come off the heights they will be slaughtered. And if they don’t leave them, they will freeze to death." As late as May 24th a BJP spokesperson dismissed the happenings in Kargil as a "small matter", adding that "since 1948 such things have been going on".

No less a person than the Defence Minister, George Fernandes, went so far as to state that the entire episode was initiated by the Army without even the knowledge of the Pakistani government nor even the all-powerful ISI. This was repeated by the Prime Minister. What does this indicate ? That the so-called intrusion was a minor event, and not a major offensive which would be inconceivable without the involvement of the Pakistani government. Besides, the government repeatedly maintained that this was a local event and ruled out the possibility of war.

Besides these indications that the events were nothing more than the routine summer skirmishes, highly contradictory statements emanated from defence personnel in Kashmir and those in Delhi. While, by mid-May, Delhi spoke of Dras and Kargil having been bombarded, that 75 ‘infiltrators’ had been killed in army actions, that the ‘infiltrators’ included Pakistani regulars, and that the ‘infiltrators’ had been encircled .... defence personnel from Kashmir refuted all these reports. On May 19th, Commander of the 15 Corps, Lt.Gen. Krishan Pal, said that, only 22 militants had been shot, that the shelling (by the ‘infiltrators’) was much less than in 1998, that the question of "bombardment did not arise", and denied that the ‘infiltrators’ included regulars from the Pakistani Army, but maintained that they were supported by them. He also denied that the ‘infiltrators’ had been "encircled."

From this it is very clear that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had sought to enflame the situation through exaggerated and false reports, when the ground reality was something quite different. Such conflicting reports continued, until journalists were banned from the region and official press releases were issued after being vetted by the MoD.

Systematically, and step by step, a war-like situation was built up in the region, and simultaneously the tone of government propaganda became increasingly shrill. Then, on May 25, the decision for air strikes was taken arbitrarily, without even attempting available diplomatic and political options. This was the signal to launch an undeclared war against Pakistan.

Then the BJP top-brass came out openly saying it was a war-like situation.... huge reinforcements were rushed to the region... statements by the government and political parties became more aggressive, more intolerant - calls were given to ‘fight to the finish’, ‘to free our land from the infiltrators’, ‘to throw out the infiltrators, dead or alive’.... the UN Secretary General’s offer to mediate was rebuffed .... Pakistan’s offer to send its foreign minister was treated with disdain and scorn thrown on the offer — the meeting was first postponed, and finally treated roughly and with arrogance and contempt. The rhetoric pitch was raised with frenzied reports of Pakistan torturing and mutilating Indian soldiers (infact brutal tortures and outright murders by the Indian army, para-military and police of thousands of people have become a common feature in India as in Kashmir, North East, AP, Bihar, Dandakaranya, and elsewhere but never a word is mentioned about that !). The air strikes were intensified with the induction of the sophisticated Mirage 2000; reports from the front now said that the Indian Army was digging in, preparing for a ‘long war’; even the Naval Command was put on full alert, with the Navy’s Eastern Fleet having set sail from Kochi harbour for an ‘unknown destination’; the Western Naval Command decided to hold the Navy’s summer exercises on the West coast (i.e. off Pakistan) rather than the Eastern seaboard, as has been the practice; and, by mid-June, the BJP and top military officials were talking openly of breaking through the LoC, launching an all-out war and even of taking possession of the entire so-called PoK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir); Vajpayee, began sounding more and more like a Hitler, talking tough, threatening the use of the entire military power at his disposal including nuclear weapons.

The Indian government’s arrogance and war-mongering has been particularly encouraged by the full-backing it has received from the imperialists. Emboldened by their support, the BJP (with support from all political parties) is flexing its muscle and threatening to plunge the sub-continent into a major conflagration.

On this occasion, not only the Russian imperialists but even the American and the Euro imperialists backed the Indian government. 13 months of servility with secret deals having been struck between the two countries through the Jaswant Singh-Strobe Talbott talks towards a ‘strategic partnership’, has shifted US foreign policy from being pro-Pakistan, to equidistance, and now to a pro-India tilt. Tacit recognition is being given of India’s role as a South Asian hegemon in return for capitulation to imperialist interests (See ‘Resist BJP’s traitorous sell-out.... in this issue). With the end of the cold war Pakistan’s usefulness to America as a balance to Soviet influence in South India (particularly India and Afghanistan) has declined. Besides, India provides a far bigger market, and a Hindu chauvinist government can be a useful weapon in America’s anti-Islamic offensive and also serve as a potential counter-weight to China in the future.

During this entire conflict top BJP/Government leaders have been in regular touch with the imperialists, particularly the US. The secret (and open) links have been so intimate, that, often, not only statements, but even the terminology used, sounded alike.

The US intelligence agency, 20th Century Fund, said that the present ‘infiltration’ was done by the Pakistani army without the knowledge of their government, and that Pakistani forces were not under a unified command. This was parrot-like repeated by both Fernandes and Vajpayee. Later, Fernandes (and also Vajpayee) talked of "safe passage", and simultaneously the Chairman of the International Relations Committee of the US, Benjamin Gilman, urged Pakistan to accept the offer of "safe passage". Then, Vajpayee tells Pakistan to "undo aggression"; and exactly the same advice in the same words — to undo aggression — is given to Pakistan by Gary Ackerman, Chairman of the (US) Congressional Caucus on India. And, Advani talks of declaring Pakistan a "rougue state."

For all India’s talk of opposing third-party intervention, the US has openly threatened Pakistan to withdraw its forces from the Indian side of the LoC. Clinton himself has continuously intervened, supporting India’s positions. Not only the US and Britain but the entire G-8 (the top eight international gangsters) have demanded Pakistan to end the so-called aggression and merely parroted Clinton’s standpoint.

Besides, what is even more serious, is that Western leaders have been in regular touch with top Indian government officials and American and British intelligence agencies have been assisting the Indian government.

Around the time India launched the air-attacks the US and British ambassadors had lengthy meetings with both Fernandes and Advani. What is particularly mysterious, is that, at the peak of the conflict, in early June, Henry Kissinger made a ‘private visit’ to India. This notorious war-monger, who supported India’s nuclear explosion, had PRIVATE MEETINGS with the Prime Minister, Vajpayee, Home Minister Advani, Foreign Minister, Jaswant Singh, Finance Minister, Yeshwant Sinha, Foreign secretary, K. Raghunath and Principal secretary to the Prime Minister, Brajesh Mishra!! Not a word was disclosed as to what had transpired at these high-level meetings during a ‘personal visit’. What is even more mysterious is Brajesh Mishra’s secret meeting with US National Security Advisor, Sandy Berger. The suspicions are further aroused when government attempted to cover up this meeting, by reporting on June 26th that he met Berger in Geneva to hand over Vajpayee’s letter to Clinton. Why should the National Security Advisor be the medium through which messages are passed ?? The reality is that, two days earlier, Mishra met Berger in Paris, and when this was reported on BBC, the government sought a cover up !! Besides, for all BJP’s talk of ‘no third-party interventio’, why should Vajpayee write the secret private letter to Clinton? The BJP has, in fact, done more to ‘internationalise’ the issue than Pakistan. Yet, one of the major reasons given for Pakistan’s so-called aggression, is to internationalise the Kashmir issue !!

That the CIA, MI5 are assisting the Indian government, raises serious question of the extent the BJP seeks to destroy even the nominal independence of our country. It was the CIA which disclosed to India the taped conversation between the Pak army Chief, Gen. Musharraf, with his Chief of General Staff. While, in Britain, in a most unusual step, the intelligence agency, held a press conference revealing that it had knowledge of Pakistan’s involvement in Kargil. In a bid to instigate matters still further, it stated that the ISI had recruited mercenaries from an international network of Islamic terrorists. And on June 22, it came out with reports that 6 to 7 thousand trained terrorists were sent to Kargil by Bin Laden.

As for Russia, it has, as usual, backed India’s aggressive policies to the hilt. With the shooting down of a number of Indian aircraft it is visualising sweet dreams of enhanced arms sales to India. Voice of Russia described the ‘infiltrators’ as "fundamentalists, extremists and separatists", receiving various kinds of support from across the border. They said that they would block Pakistan raising the Kargil issue at the UN. They promised to immediately begin delivery of the jet fighters negotiated earlier. In fact, in the first week of June, they began delivery of ten state-of-the-art (incidentally, this plane crashed at a recent airshow in Paris) Sukhoi Su-30K multiple jet fighters.

While the US administration is making a show of wanting peace in the region, it is these very American defence analysts who have relentlessly drummed up the thesis, for the last two decades, that Kashmir was the world’s most dangerous zone of conflict and that this region had the greatest likelihood for a potential nuclear clash.

All imperialists are well aware that conflicts between third world countries, by weakening the combatants, make them more dependent on the former. Besides, such wars are good business for the military-industrial complex,. The Indian rulers, on the other hand, are happy to lick the boots of the Americans, as long as they are recognised bosses in South Asia.

While talking peace, these imperialists desire war. These merchants of death visualise large arms sales in the event of war. The lengthy visit to Pakistan of the C-in-C US Central Command General Anthony Zinni, must necessarily have military implications and cannot merely be to carry Clinton’s message. After first instigating the Indian government, they are now obviously instigating Pakistan as well. While Russia has already begun the supply of sophisticated airplanes to India, France has begun the delivery of equally sophisticated airplanes to Pakistan.

But while the imperialists have backed the Indian expansionists, all neighbouring countries have been deafeningly silent on the issue. This was particularly reflected in Vajpayee’s two-day visit to Bangladesh. After wielding the carrot and stick for two full days, Vajpayee could not extract even a wood of support from the Bangladesh government. On the contrary Sheikh Hasina, while thanking the Indian government for their support during the Bangladesh war, indirectly reminded Vajpayee of their interference in the then Pakistan’s (Eastern) internal affairs. After all it is the neighbouring countries that are most weary of Indian expansionist policies. This second bus diplomacy turned out to be yet another farce.

In this war it is difficult to sift fact from fiction. To hide the truth the Indian government has not only forbidden journalists from entering the war zone, banned Pak TV but has also prevented the aid agencies from assisting the thousands of displaced villagers. Yet contradictory reports give an indication of the extent of the disinformation being promoted by the government and an increasingly servile media. To take some examples:

From day one of the air attack, 200 ‘infiltrators’ were reported killed. This figure, or numbers near to it, were reported for the next ten days and kept on increasing. If later reports of daily casualties are totaled, the figure would exceed the numbers claimed to have been stationed in the mountains. Besides, hardly a shred of evidence has been provided of those killed, even when questioned by journalists.

The air attacks launched towards end-May have been an utter fiasco from the very start. At the very beginning two jet fighters and a helicopter were shot down. While the government and media have continuously claimed great successes of the air campaign different reports filtered through of air force officials on the field (i.e. before journalists were banned from the area). On the very third day of the bombing the IAF complained that, while anti-aircraft firing and the high peaks prevented aircrafts from flying low, the lack of high-altitude precision laser bombing reduced their effectivity. Then on June 3 and again on June 4 top IAF officials said that they had suspended bombing "in view of the much closer encounters which could lead to casualties on our side." Yet, on the same day radio and TV reported continuation of the bombing. Besides, during the very first month of bombing more aircrafts crashed in training than were shot down — in Assam, Rajasthan and Punjab. Four pilots have been killed. While a hue and cry was raised over the one pilot supposedly shot by Pakistan and of the other captured (and released), hardly any mention is made of these four pilots ! While Pakistan may be responsible for the death of ONE, top Indian officials (of the army and MoD) are responsible for these four deaths for their purchase of sub-standard aircraft in return for huge kickbacks.

Regarding the number and character of the intruders there have been conflicting statements. Initial reports, around May 10th, mentioned the intrusion of about 150 ‘infiltrators’. This figure rose to between 300 and 400 a week later.... then it was placed at 700, 900 soon. Also, first they were reported as militants with logistic support from Pakistan; later they claimed that they were all foreign mercenaries. On the same day (June 3) while Advani said that the bulk were Afghan mercenaries, the Army gave a statement saying 80% were Pakistani regulars. On the very next day a report from Kargil said 80% were Afghan "with a significant number from Osama Bin Laden." Till date the government has been able to provide little evidence of who they are, and most reports are speculative.

Besides, in the BJP’s eyes, every second moslem in India is an ISI agent. Even the Kashmir movement is being projected as though it is the product of Pakistani agents. The Kashmiri movement for self-determination has existed since 1947. Due to the treachery of successive governments (starting from Nehru, by going back on the long-promised plebiscite in Kashmir to decide its future) and the brutal repressive policies the Kashmiris were compelled to take to armed struggle. When state terror increased the centre of the struggle shifted from the cities to the countryside and forests. Inspite of a massive armed presence in Kashmir — a defacto army of occupation - the movement still continues and has huge mass support. A bandh call given is invariably total, with even major sections of the government staff supporting the movement. Inspite of all these facts the government and political parties pretend as though the Kashmir issue is a creation of Pakistan. That Pakistan will try to utilise this movement to its advantage is quite another matter. After all did not the Indian government also support break-away movements in the erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), in Sri Lanka (the LTTE) and even today armed factions in Myanmar ?

With this background, it is very difficult to believe the authenticity of government propaganda. So, the diffused LoC in the area could be a combination of militants in some regions and Pakistani army regulars in others.

Finally, regarding Indian casualties the numbers are being grossly understated. The removal of journalists from the war zone is partly to hide this fact. That hundreds would have been killed is evident from the fact that even a large number of senior officers have died in the fighting. As this latter factor cannot be hidden, it reflects that the losses have been very high. The Indian soldiers are being used as cannon fodder in the diabolical schemes of the Indian expansionists to achieve their hegemonistic role in South Asia.

Each day, the BJP’s and Prime Minister’s tone get more and more shrill. Though the BJP takes the lead in whipping up this frenzy, none of the parliamentary outfits is far behind. In the ‘defence of motherland’ slogan they are all united. In fact each is trying to outdo the other in their desperate bid to gain electoral advantage. Besides, all parties, being representatives of the Indian ruling classes, support the expansionist policies of the comprador big bourgeoisie. Not only that, all feel that the political system which is in a deep crisis, requires desperate measures to bring back some order.

A mere glance at the political spectrum shows the depth of their crisis. Not only the centre but even most state governments are in a state of extreme instability. All parties are deeply ridden with factions and are making desperate attempts merely to survive. All this, coupled with an unending recession in the economy, necessitates some drastic changes. The rulers desire to take three steps to achieve their aims. The first, is to revive the economy. This they seek to achieve by increasing the economic attacks on the people in order to give bigger subsidies to big business. Also, in order to extend their stagnant market and get over the problem of over-production (in the light of a shrinking home-market and fall in exports) they aggressively pursue their expansionist policies to grab markets of neighbouring countries. The second, is to bring some order to their faction-ridden political system, necessitating drastic structural changes, with a greater authoritarian state structure. And third, equip itself with greater powers to ruthlessly suppress the rising tide of people’s movements. With the growing impoverishment of the masses, discontent is increasing among all sections of the people creating panic among the rulers.

All these three are best achieved through this war and the hysteria associated with it. In the name of war people will be asked to undergo sacrifice and to bear the economic attacks that will be stepped up against them (i.e. further taxes, reduced expenditure on welfare, etc.). Aggressive sabre-rattling and war-mongering will seek to make all South Asian governments bow to the dictates of the ‘big brother’. With the pretext of war, drastic structural changes can be implemented to create even more authoritarian structures and launch fascist attacks on the people throughout the country. And, in this scheme of things not one of the parliamentary parties would differ, all they would demand is a share of the cake — and all their parliamentary squabbles is only over this ‘share.’

So in this war all parties are in full support of the BJP. And, if any criticism is at all voiced, it is only on its supposed failure to defend the country (so-called intelligence failure etc) and the need to adopt an even more aggressive posture. In unison all say ‘NO SAFE PASSAGE’ — a war to the finish; in unison all criticize the bus diplomacy as being soft to Pakistan; in unison they talk of an ‘intelligence failure’ thereby lending credibility for aggression against Pakistan; and each party is competing with the other in giving cash rewards to families of officers killed in battle (no jawan is compensated as the publicity value is what is important) — besides, jawans, in their view, are expendable, while officers are their class brethren). So, Sonia Gandhi competes with Vajpayee, on high-profile visits to the injured; Laloo Prasad bans Pak TV, even before the BJP; Jyothi Basu from London hails the BJP the moment it launched its Kargil operation and his home minister in Bengal begins discovering ISI agents in their state.

And with this competitive nationalism, the country is being sacrificed at the alter of a maniacal jingoism.

Hardly had the bombing begun, when a high-level meeting was called by the newly-installed Union Home Secretary. On June 3, this RSS stooge, convened an Emergency meeting of Home secretaries and DGs of Police from ALL the states. At this meeting, secret plans were hatched to step up surveillance, suppress any discontent and "get ready for ANY EMERGENCY". Apart from the Home department/police being put on full alert throughout the country, initial steps have been taken to draw the armed forces into the political decision-making process .... thereby inching towards a quasi-military rule within the country. In the course of the war, top officials of the armed forces attended not only a meeting of the BJP executive committee, but also a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security Affairs.

The Indian ruling classes fear the Indian people more than they fear Pakistan. In military strength they are about three times that of Pakistan — in some spheres, even more than that. But on the other hand, the growing peasant unrest, the increasing strike activity of government employees, the disillusionment with the existing political system of the working class and middle classes, the strangulation of small-scale and indigenous industries .... all comprise a potential bomb, ticking away under the seat of this entire political scum. The strike by 18,000 police officials (inspectos and sub-inspectors) of Bihar, in the midst of the war, is an indication of the discontent brewing below the surface. The policemen defied a ban on their protest. Added to this, the persistence of the armed struggles of the nationality movements and revolutionaries, even in the face of the severest of repression is giving the rulers and their sponsors, nightmares.

Besides, all the parties have their masks torn off their crooked faces, with their fascist fangs crudely exposed. The BJP’s swadeshi hoax, the Congress’s Gandhian hoax, the CPI/CPM’s socialist hoax, the BSP’s Dalit hoax, the RJD/SP Bahujan/minorities hoax, the regional parties’ self-respect hoax etc., etc., all stand nakedly exposed. For all, without exception, the call of national chauvinism is the last gamble with which to dupe the masses. No matter how high the stakes — the lives of thousands of Indian soldiers and crores of people’s money spent are of no concern to them — they are willing to throw the dice, in a desperate gamble to sustain their crumbling order.

The people too are faced with two options — either fall prey to the chauvinist propaganda, becoming slaves to the rulers and their imperialist masters, succumbing to their ruthless attacks, both economic and political; or to oppose the national chauvinism with genuine patriotism; while taking a stand against injustice and oppression and against the total sell-out of our country to imperialist interests.

In a vulgar display of mercenary self-interest, the BJP has already made the Kargil issue its main political plank at all public meetings. But, whichever option may be adopted by the BJP, for the people of the country the second alternative is the only one available to any self-respecting individual. The people must expose the fake nationalism of the rulers and their parliamentary parties and build in its place a genuine freedom movement demanding : the reversal of all IMF/imperialist sponsored economic policies; kicking out all TNCs from the country and encouraging the growth of indigenous industries; annulling the gigantic foreign debt and all other unequal treaties/agreements/policies with the imperialists, and building a self-reliant India based on the interests of the vast masses, 85% of whom are workers and peasants.

Besides, the increasingly fascistic state can only be smashed by destroying the semi-feudal, semi-colonial basis for its existence. This is inconceivable without an armed struggle of the vast masses led by the proletariat and the Communist Party. No real democracy can exist by forcibly keeping any nationality under its control, nor by adopting aggressive hegemonistic policies against smaller neighbouring countries. Consistent democracy demands that we allow the Kashmiri and other nationalities decide for themselves their own future (whether to be with India, or Pakistan or become independent republics) and that India put an end to all expansionist designs against neighbouring countries. A truly democratic India will consist of a federation of all nationalities built on equality and freedom of association. Also a truly democratic India will build relations with neighbouring countries (and others) on the basis of peaceful co-existence, with mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. All unequal treaties with neighbouring countries must, forthwith, be scrapped.

Meanwhile, while the rulers seek to push our country into deeper and deeper crisis and helping the imperialist octopus to tighten its tentacles over the entire country throwing the vast majority of the Indian people to grinding poverty and destitution, the people must break free — free from the chains that bind us to a decrepit order; free from domination by imperialism and their Indian stooges; free from backwardness and feudal oppression; free from exploitation and suppression; and free from the false propaganda of the Indian ruling classes. "People’s March" calls on all democratic people of the country to demand : an end to the expansionist policies of the Indian government; an end to the military terror in Kashmir; to support the right to self-determination of all nationalities; and to oppose national chauvinism with genuine freedom from the imperialist stranglehold of our country.

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