FIFTEEN Left Parties of West Bengal have jointly called for a peace rally against imperialist aggression on September 1 in Kolkata. The rally will march from Ramlila Park in central Kolkata to Deshbandhu Park in the north of the city. The Left Parties have called upon all Left parties, organisations and intellectuals to join in this united protest against imperialist machinations and war in different parts of the world.

The Left Front has commemorated September 1, the beginning of the Second World War through Germany’s attack on Poland, as anti-imperialism day for long. Big rallies were held earlier also. But this year the Left Front has approached other Left parties to organise the rally jointly. On August 23, 15 parties including the Left Front constituents held a meeting at the CPI(M) state committee office and called upon the people to participate in a big way in the rally.

The parties who have jointly called the rally are CPI(M), CPI, Forward Block, RSP, DSP, RCPI, Marxist Forward Block, BBC, Workers Party, Bolshevik Party, SUCI (C), CPI (ML-Liberation), CPI(ML-Santosh Rana), CRLI, Communist Party of Bharat. The CPI (ML-Kanu Sanyal) has expressed support to the programme.

Briefing media persons, Left Front chairman Biman Basu said, imperialism and the forces promoted by them have once again started aggression in different parts of the world. Israel’s attack on Palestine’s Gaza has shaken the humanity. US imperialism is spreading its area of domination in Asia and Africa. This is high time when all anti-imperialist forces must forge unity. On September 1, massive rally will take place in Kolkata and separate rallies will be held in far off districts. The Left parties will also organise future programmes jointly.

Meanwhile, the Left Front has decided to intensify campaign and agitation against price rise in September. Prices of vegetables and other essential items have reached an intolerable level in the state. The role of state administration has fuelled the price rise instead of controlling it. A task force was declared with much fanfare. But in reality the big traders are controlling the task force and prices are being raised in consultation with them. The price of potato has reached to unprecedented level. In an anarchic decision, the state government has banned shipments of potato to neighbouring states. This has not only caused distress to Odisha and Jharkhand but hundreds of quintals of this perishable vegetable have gone rotten.

The Left Front will organise a campaign against price rise from September 2-10 throughout the state. Street corners meetings and other forms of campaign will be used. Then in the second phase of the movement, direct agitations will take place from September 11.