Against mounting imperialist aggression, in fraternity with people’s resistance for militant peace movement, All India Anti Imperialist Forum organized the 4th anti-imperialist convention on November 24, at Mahajati Sadan in Calcutta.

This convention has been organized at a time when imperialism-capitalism has been tottering under the deadweight of the insoluble crisis of the capitalist system itself and has no respite from the market crisis, which plunged it into an unprecedented instability. In desperation to survive, the imperialists led by the US are on the prowl, pursuing hegemonistic aspirations, overlordism and brigandage with impunity, flouting all norms and laws, occupying and invading foreign territories at will flaunting military might. As against this, there is growing protest and indignation of the peace-loving people all over the world. Keeping in view the need to integrate all these anti-imperialist struggles and launch a protracted and determined battle against imperialist rampage, this Anti-Imperialist Convention was held with more than one thousand delegates including fraternal delegates from abroad.

Dr. Sushil Kumar Mukherjee, a renowned scientist and the General Secretary of the All India Anti-imperialist Forum presided over the proceedings. On behalf of all the delegates and participants in this Convention, Dr. Mukherjee placed a floral wreath at the Martyrs’ Column erected on the dais to pay tribute to the valiant fighters who laid down their lives in struggles against imperialism around the world.

Thereafter, a message from Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer, an eminent jurist and consistent fighter against all sorts of social and political injustice, the President of AIAIF who could not be present because of ill health was read out. In his message he wrote : “I should have been an active participant with ideological conviction had health permitted me…

I hope this Kolkata Conference will catalyse the battle against the horrendous Super-State terrorism. We have no alternative but to struggle and so we must. We will win since mankind can never lose”…

Messages were read out expressing solidarity and goodwill for the Convention from Communist Party of Cuba, International Relations Department; Andy Brooks, General Secretary New Communist Party of Britain Central Committee, London; Michael Lucas, Chairman of the International Council for Friendship and Solidarity with Soviet People, Toronto, Canada Editor of Northstar Compass journal; Heikki Sipila KOMINFORM Helsinki, Finland; Frederic F. Clairmont, eminent essayist, Geneva, Switzerland; Andrea Schoen, Author of German and Austrian magazines (Offensive Communist Workers Magazine, New people’ Voice); Alexander Moumbaris, Editor Democrite, France; Michael Opperskalski, editor of ‘Top Secret’, Germany, The New Communist party of Netherlands and Party of Democratic Labour, Albania.

In his inaugural speech, Dr. Sushil Mukherjee, said : We are meeting here today after ten years from the first time we set up the Anti-Imperialist Forum in 1995 in this city. During these ten years the world has seen the rampant and inhuman demolition of civil and moral rights. In course of these ten years the branches of the Forum established throughout the country met on several occasions to devise measures to prevent the growth of the imperialists’ fangs. I am confident that we are proceeding in the right direction. All our branches throughout the country are actively pursuing the policies laid down at the first conference.

Broadly speaking, we find that imperialism has spread out vehemently throughout the world using newer, more destructive weapons. More money is also flowing into the hands of the imperialists, and thereby making it more attractive to their followers. We must, therefore, meet the newer forms of imperialism squarely and firmly. The Forum’s responsibilities are, therefore, manifold. The imperialists have money and therefore making it attractive. The Forum has got men of dominant will and constructive outlook.

Nine Resolutions were moved on behalf of the Forum.

Manik Mukherjee, Vice-President AIAIF placed the Approach Paper on the growing contradiction in the imperialist camp and the role of the working class to be deliberated upon.

Fraternal delegates on the dais then addressed the audience one by one. At the end the document and Resolutions placed for discussion were unanimously adopted.



Nina Andreyeva, General Secretary, Central Committee, All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks (AUCPB) from Russia said : Marxism is a scientific world outlook. Dialectical materialism is the higher form of materialism which crystallizes the sum total of knowledge of former philosophers and philosophy. Briefly outlining the laws of social development as enunciated by Marx, she said, inter alia: Marx showed exploitation is the essence of capitalism. Marx proved that the basic contradiction of capitalism springs from the fact that here production is social but its ownership is private. This contradiction leads to class struggle between bourgeoisie and proletariat. This class struggle can be resolved only through proletarian revolution, socialist revolution. From slavery to feudalism and from feudalism to capitalism society has changed though social revolutions. These revolutions did not put an end to private property but only changed the forms of private property. Socialist revolution is a higher form of revolution. It transforms private property qualitatively, thereby brings a total change of human life covering socio-economic and all aspects of life.

Recalling the main characteristics of imperialism as taught by Lenin, the great leader of proletarian revolution, she said : The sharp contradiction between the two imperialist power blocs resulted in two world wars. Lenin and Stalin paved the way of socialist construction in USSR. Stalin showed that among the imperialists there is always and everywhere internal contradiction. Stalin exposed the gangsterism of imperialists and said that after the defeat of German military machine, due to internal contradiction of imperialism world peace might last for 50 years. Now we see how Stalin’s analysis, the analysis of the true disciple of Great Lenin proves to be correct.

Drawing attention to the fact that under capitalism technological development has pushed people almost to the stage of slavery and has only been heightening capitalist economic crisis, she said, civilization now has a huge productive power but the present production relation stands as obstacle to its growth. Monopoly capital is dominating the world. It leads to huge accumulation of capital, fictitious capital in many countries. Usurious capital grows and it solely depends on profit in share market. Because of the huge growth of speculative capital in financial market we see global economic crisis setting in.

Outlining in brief how under Khrushchev the opportunists weakened socialism from within, leading finally to the degeneration of CPSU and collapse of USSR, she stressed that now 10 years later the world imperialism is shaken by financial crisis. This has led to sharp contradiction among the imperialist powers manifest in the open competition between the dollar and Euro. She said : The latest ongoing process within imperialist world is called globalization. Globalization is a historical process which is the concomitant of the urge of development of productive forces to form a global market of commodity and labour.

I like to mention here that after the Second World War Soviet economic co-operation was formed under the leadership of USSR. It was also a type of globalization but within socialism which was in the interests of all the participant nations. It helped to develop every country, develop in science, technology and it helped them to rationally use their resources. Each of the countries was enriched by the process. It helped develop living standard of the people there.

Imperialist globalization is a process to serve the interest of the leading imperialist states, particularly the US.

Highlighting that imperialist globalization sharply increases inequality, poses a danger to ecology, and that imperialism perpetrates neo-colonial exploitation through globalization, Comrade Nina Andreyeva said : Recently US has raised a slogan to fight so-called terrorism. But to the people it is clear that in the present world the No. 1 terrorist is US; wherever US spreads its tentacles we see flow of blood, destitution, degeneration and collapse of state. Citing the examples of Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Iraq, etc. and pointing to the sharp contradiction between US and European Union for status of superpower, she said: Under the plan of “Greater Near East” US is implementing its policy of establishing control and engineering war on global scale. US tries to increase the area of control under NATO. USA desires to establish bases for future attack on China, Russia and if possible India. Following US politics Russia also now talks of its right to “preemptive attack”. We would like to ask, is there any difference between US imperialism and Russia in international context ?

She stated that in one or the other question the US is losing its leading position. In this context Comrade Nina Andreyeva particularly hailed the North Korean stand on developing nuclear weapons for defence of the country to thwart the threat posed by US. She said : We think if People’s Republic of Korea has nuclear weapons then in North Eastern Asia powers will be properly balanced.

Next to Europe, India Russia and China are trying to develop a consensus to form a bloc. They have their own ambitions.

The US is threatening Iran for developing nuclear weapon. But already China has invested 200 billion dollars in oil industry in Iran, hand in glove with India. Russia gives assistance to Iran for developing nuclear reactor and has already given a few billion dollars.

Pointing to the economic pacts entered into imperialist Russia with different Central Asian countries, including Byelorussia, Kazakhsthan, Kirghizia and Tadjikisthan as well as the Shanghai Organization of Cooperation that includes China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Tazikisthan and Uzbekistan, which are openly opposed to imperialist superpowers, she stressed that the unity forged among the imperialist powers after collapse of Soviet Union has melted into air and the dream of US to build a unipolar world with US at the top has not materialized. Pointing to the present economic crisis of US imperialism and its barbaric destructive character, she said, we must put an end to imperialism in order to save mankind. Imperialism destroys morality, equality and humanism, in this way leads to the destruction of MAN. Declaring that All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks (AUCPB) stands for classical Marxism-Leninism, stands for fight for Soviet power for socialism, for revival of USSR, she said : we think that revival of USSR is the way to thwart barbaric US plan of globalization.

So long there is imperialism there is the danger of war on a global scale.

So we call upon all the anti-imperialist forces to forge unity and solidarity in struggle for peace, real democracy and socialism.

AUCPB calls upon all progressive forces to stand by the countries on whom US has stamped the mark “supporters of terrorism”.

We call upon all progressive forces to stand by Cuba and North Korea who have not yielded to the pressure of imperialism.

I wish that the fighter of All India Anti-Imperialist Forum will grow stronger and stronger.

Speedily we shall win.

Victory, I am confident, is ours.



Heather Cottin, from International Action Center, USA, said: The growing antagonism of the imperialist camp is against the working class. The feral policies of the international cabal of capitalists, buttressed by military, financial and legal architecture has declared war against the working classes of the world. The United States is firmly in control of this group, and … the US has NATO firmly under control, because the imperialists are facing an increasingly competitive and hostile world in their final push to dominate.

Highlighting that Germany and France which once pretended to oppose the Iraq war are in Iraq along with the rest of imperial powers and supportive of expansionism for their own vested interests, she said: In Iraq, it’s oil, in the rest of Asia and beyond, it is natural gas, minerals, crops, and above all cheap labour power. These are imperial interests, and right now it is to the imperialists’ advantage to cooperate.

Contrasting Japan’s proclaimed plans to assist US-led “war on terror” and reconstruction missions, with protests there that have just forced the US to cancel plans to build a large offshore military base on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa, she said: Unbridled imperialist aggression is not going down well. The most significant obstacle to imperialism’s savagery and avarice is the mighty resistance of the Iraqi people. Last year the US had three Iraqi battalions in action. Now they have only one. US (and British) military leaders say, “the United States is …losing the war in Iraq.”

Because of the resistance of the Iraqi people, many nations see that “Coalition of the Willing” is in fact a bogus authority, capable of inflicting horrible wounds, but incapable of defeating a people in resistance.

This has given heart and strength to other nations in the Middle East, notably the two the US-UK is currently threatening, Syria and Iran. Both nations are gearing up for resistance.

When Hugo Chavez of the Bolivarian Venezuelan appeared recently in Argentina, tens of thousands of workers took to the streets to oppose the FTAA that threatens to kill Latin Americans with the policies of hunger for profit. The agreement is dead. Millions of Latin Americans beat back a major mechanism of globalization.

The imperialists are the enemies of the working classes everywhere. Poverty rates are on the rise in every former socialist republic except Belarus. People in the former socialist countries are dangerous to the imperialists; they are educated and conscious opponents of liberalization, privatization policies.

Pointing to the growing resistance against US imperialist policies of war, indebtedness, and liberal economic reforms as witnessed in many parts of the globe, including Europe and US itself, she stressed that the anti-imperialist movement needs theory, analysis and organization. She said: In the US, working class consciousness is low but there is a growing realization that those who are benefiting from the war and official economic policies are the corporations. Although workers don’t call the rich the bourgeoisie, they know they are the ones who control the government. When Hurricane Katrina happened, US racism and poverty was revealed, as was the official indifference of the Republicans and Democrats. US African Americans and Latinos learned a great deal from this and they are, as US political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal said recently from Death row, “on the move.”

In Latin America the Caribbean people understand imperialism. The workers of the world are awakening to our historic tasks in the 21st century. We know we have to fight imperialism. The imperialists may be armed and united against us, but they have no real support from our class.

We are many. They are few. As the Cubans say, ”Venceremos!” We will win.



Nisha, the delegate from MLCP, Turkey, stressed that the imperialist centres of rivalry such as the USA, EU led by German and French imperialism, China, Russia, Japan came to the fore as the forces who want to have a word in re-division of the world. She added further : Although the hegemonistic struggle among the imperialists has not sharpened as much as turning into a war, different powers are trying to strengthen their own hands and gain new positions by occupying strategic regions; by organizing reactionary internal coups in the countries under the control of rival forces; by gaining initiatives through struggles that appear provoking of peoples against each other; by establishing protectorate colonial regimes; by collaborating with various regional powers and by deepening their internal organizations as seen in the foundation of Shanghai Cooperation Organization or efforts on the EU Constitution. Division of Yugoslavia and the invasion of Kosovo, the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan are the examples of this aggression. What happens in Caucasus and Central Asia that is considered by Russia as a back-garden, is another example of this. Pro-USA civil coups in Ukraine, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan are examples of this. USA-Israel, USA-Turkey, China-Russia relations on the basis of Shanghai Organization move forward on this ground.

Re-division of the booty that appeared after the collapse of the USSR and revisionist bloc has brought into the agenda the reactionary civil wars on the basis of national, religious etc. differences and the struggles among the peoples in the Balkans, Caucasus, and Central Asia.

Resistance of the working class, labourer masses and the oppressed peoples against the capitalist exploitation and the imperialist barbarism is constantly growing. Every passing day the conditions, political forces and potentiality of international and regional anti-imperialist struggle are growing. However, the anti-imperialist forces and resistance is dispersed, disorganized and ineffective on regional and international scale. This problem of the international anti-imperialist struggle brings out the necessity of unity and common will of progressive, anti-imperialist, revolutionary and communist party and forces of all parts of the world.

Highlighting the need for developing real unity of action not only in words but on a concrete basis, the delegate comrade from Turkey placed some proposals to this end, that include among others, formation of regional centres or institutions that would provide regional co-ordination and the establishment of their infrastructures and bureaus, and stressed that regional anti-imperialist struggle co-ordinations are faced with the task to combine anti-imperialist struggle with the fight against capitalism.



Khalekuzzaman, Convenor, Socialist Party of Bangladesh, inter alia said: The whole episode of the recent activities of the imperialist forces, particularly the US, reveals that they are now engaged in re-conquering and re-dividing the territories in East Europe, Asia, Africa and South America which slipped their grips because of socialist revolutions and the bourgeois national liberation struggles during the period of 1917 to 1980. At this moment, the EU, Japan and Russia don’t have the military might compared to US, right; but they are arming themselves. Each of them in the name of ‘war on terror’ is trying to ensnare their masses in the logic of war, push through increased military budgets, train troops, set up bases etc. Simultaneously they are adopting similar so-called “anti-terrorist” laws with a view to establishing tight control over the masses destroying their fundamental rights and to suppressing the revolutionary and anti-capitalist struggles in their respective countries. In a word, we can say, they are moving towards fascisation more and more.

We the followers of Marxism-Leninism, know well that the small and weak states have to fall prey to this situation first. And this is happening in the present world. He said: Our country, Bangladesh, is also no exception to this. US and India, with the collaboration of our ruling class, are plundering our natural resources including oil, gas and coal. They are destroying our industries and agriculture. US is eyeing our main seaport, which is the lifeline of our economy. This is threatening peace and stability in our region. Pointing to the heroic resistance war of Iraqi masses, Palestinian people, and DPRK, Cuba, Venezuela and Syria at the forefront of struggle against US hegemonism, he said : In this situation, we think, the revolutionaries and the anti-imperialist forces have to stand firm and unitedly and broaden the alliance in each country and internationally to defeat our common enemies. In this respect, we salute the AIAIF for their effort to build up struggle against imperialist machination on their land. May I propose Comrade President, that this forum can play the key role to co-ordinate the anti-imperialist movements of the SAARC region. It has become an urgent necessity now.



Sunil Manandhar, President, Nepal Progressive Trade Union Federation (NPTUF) stressed that after the collapse of the Soviet Union and disintegration of the Socialist Camp — the great historical tragedy of the twentieth century – the unity of the imperialist powers from the cold war time which was based on anti-communist posture has ceased. He said : The race for capturing the world market and ensuring their sphere of influence and domination has set out and the trade war is evidenced now everywhere. It resembles the pre-world war scenario of the last century. The inter-imperialist conflict inevitably will lead to a new world war and keeping in view the present arms stockpile this new war will bring unprecedented disaster to mankind.

He said: At present, for working class movement there is nothing more urgent and more important than to internationalize the anti-imperialist struggle galvanizing all anti-imperialist forces against all kinds of manifestation of capitalist aggression. Unity of all the working people in this respect is the most vital aspect. To achieve the broad unity of working class some changes may be needed in our outlook and working style with conviction that a better world – the world free from exploitation of man by man is possible.

Referring to the situation in Nepal he pointed out that under the king an undeclared military autocratic dictatorship is reigning, and is pushing the nation to the verge of civil war. He said that an alliance of all left and democratic parties of Nepal, the Seven Parties Alliance, is launching a nation wide resistance struggle. The common people from all walks of Nepalese society are participating in this struggle to safeguard the democratic rights of the people.



Ramsay Clark, former Attorney General, USA, renowned for his active role in anti-imperialist struggle, said in a videotaped address to the Convention, projected before the delegates : ...Peoples of the world need to work together to overcome the concentrated power of wealth and what we have called over the years, the imperialist forces. ... US violence has expanded immeasurably. So the imperative need is that we study hard, analyse carefully, reach out to each other to organize, to plan, to work to bring peace to earth....

(The full text of his address will be published soon)



Prof. Tarun Sanyal, eminent poet and leftist intellectual, observed that Bush and Hitler have become synonymous. Referring to Afghanistan, he said that everywhere US imperialists are perpetrating a divisive policy, encouraging terrorism and exposing their fascist dictatorial face. He emphasized the necessity of a powerful united anti-imperialist movement to free the world from the tutelage of imperialist domination.



Shri Vellaiyan, a noted Gandhian from Tamilnadu Uanigar Sanga Eravi, condemned commercialization of healthcare, education and transport and the government’s pro-US tilt.



Prof. B.K. Nayak from Orissa said, while ‘terrorism’ provides an alibi for setting up military bases, ‘economic backwardness’ provide alibi for imposing the regime of Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization. Imperialism has therefore grown a vested interest in both ‘terrorism’ and ‘economic backwardness’, which needs to be perpetuated both for its survival and growth. He stressed that the anti-imperialist resistance movements developing in different parts of the world at grassroots level need to be integrated and steered along correct line.



Prof. P.D. Verma from Haryana thanked the organizers for being able to attend the convention and voiced his support for the resolutions moved.



Prof. N.K. Chowdhury from Bihar congratulated the organizers and emphatically remarked that the approach paper was comprehensive enough to cover both theoretical and factual aspects and for determining the correct line on which AIAIF movement is to follow. Prof. Chowdhury said that the fight against imperialism should not be confined to socialists and communists alone but must involve broader sections of peace-loving people and the younger generation. He stressed that justice demands that in place of Saddam Bush should be put in the dock for invading Iraq under flimsy pretext and violating all international laws.



Dr. Bijoy Kumar Piyush from Jharkhand spoke emotionally urging upon the need to develop a ‘world level forum’ with unified programmes. He referred to the imperialist conspiracy of depicting barbaric attack on Iraq and other countries as ‘clash of civilizations’, spreading consumerist culture, and fomenting individualistic thinking and invoking anti-Marxist post-modernist thoughts. He reminded the gathering of the Santhal rebellion against British imperialism and urged to transform the anti-imperialist movement into class struggle.



Prof. S.K. Malavya from UP pointed out that anti-imperialist movement cannot advance today unless struggles are waged against respective capitalist rule in various countries. He severely deplored the role of the CPI (M) CPI in supporting Congress-led central government which is taking a pro-US stand.



Shri Simhadri from Karnataka said, we today miss Soviet Union and a strong socialist camp which will be born again in the course of this anti-imperialist struggle. To fight imperialism, we should fight liberalization, globalization, privatization.



Sm. Chandralekha Das from Assam condemned the Indian government, supported by so-called lefts, for working closely with US imperialists and stressed the need to combine anti-imperialist struggle with fight against capitalism.



Shri Amrinder Pal Singh from Punjab spoke about the anti-imperialist tradition of Punjab right from the colonial times. He said Indian capitalist class is destroying human rights and human civilization and should be fought tooth and nail.



Shri Anup Moitra from Chattisgarh said that though, people in Chhatisgarh were earlier attracted by outsourcing, on witnessing the recent demonic role played by imperialism, people are getting disillusioned. He promised to develop anti-imperialist movement in his state.



Deependra Singh Kapoor from Delhi was of the opinion that anti-imperialist struggle will inspire struggle against attacks on women, eviction of slum dwellers, water charge etc. and consciousness will be brought about. Imperialist influence in political, economic, social, cultural field and in personal life too has to be fought.



Shri Mukesh Senwal from Gujarat mentioned about two incidents — WTO negotiations going on to loot and plunder the world and absence of left democratic movement. He spoke of the inspiration derived on seeing anti-war movements taking place, on seeing Latin American people fighting tooth and nail against US hegemony, and processions taken out in Russia with portraits of Lenin and Stalin.



Shri Y. K. Kulshrestha from Maharashtra observed that people must be freed from the strangulation of capitalist mindset. He also stressed on formulating a guideline for fighting invasion of imperialist culture.



Shri B. K. Rajagopal from Kerala proposed that along with anti-imperialist movements to be developed in all the countries, a weekly or fortnightly organ may be published for better coordination. He pointed out that although outwardly there is darkness, anti-imperialist movement is growing up everywhere.



Shri Rajendran from Tamil Nadu supported resolutions and wanted some specific dates to be fixed for programmes.