BARACK Obama, Hands Off India' and 'Obama Go Back' cries reverberated across the length and breadth of the country on January 24 on the eve of the arrival of the US president in New Delhi to participate in the Republic Day Parade as the 'chief guest'. Hundreds of people -- men and women, students and youths -- marched in rallies and staged demonstrations in the national capital, state capitals and district headquarters across the country protesting against the Modi government's decision to invite President Obama to grace the Republic Day event, and to enhance ties with the US imperialism and make India a subordinate ally of America's strategic plan. The protests were part of the countrywide agitation call given by six Left parties -- CPI(M), CPI, CPI-ML, RSP, Forward Bloc and SUCI(C). It is ironical that the day which symbolises the sovereignty and democratic framework of our country is being attended by the head of a country which has always worked for undermining sovereignty, weakening integrity and destructing democratic framework of nations all around the world. In the national capital, activists and supporters of CPI, CPI(M), AIFB, RSP, CPI-ML, SUCI and Communist Gadar Party of India held a rally from Mandi House to Parliament. CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, CPI leader D Raja and CPI-ML leader Kavita Krishnan were among those present in the rally. "President Obama is coming with an agenda to pressurise and change India's economic policies and also its security and strategic policies. We should not succumb to that pressure. Unfortunately, the Narendra Modi government is showing indications of that," Karat said. The Modi government, by inviting Obama to India, is trying to tilt the Indian economic policy in favour of American imperialism. This is an insult to the people and working class of India. The Modi government is trying to weaken India's civil nuclear liability law to serve the interests of the American imperialism. The government, by changing the land acquisition Act, environment security and labour laws, is working against the interests of Indian farmers, labour and general people and is serving the interests of the American multinational companies. Similar protest marches were organised in hundreds other places across the country – from Tripura in the northeast and Kolkata in the east to Mumbai in the west and Chennai in the south. Responding to the call of the Left parties, hundreds of people in Tripura participated in protests across the state. The protest rallies and street-corner meetings saw spontaneous anger against the attempts of the Modi government to strengthen ties with the US imperialism and make India a subordinate ally of the US strategic plan. In state capital Agartala, a huge and colourful rally started from the Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhavan premises. Slogans of 'No Obama', 'Obama Go Back' and 'Down with Imperialism' reverberated in the air as the protest rally decorated with placards, posters and flags conveyed a clear message that the people of India will not accept the Modi government's attempts to sacrifice the interest of the common people and give up the India's long held position of independent foreign policy to serve the interests of Washington and international finance capital. The rally converged in a street corner meeting at Sakuntala Road where CPI(M) state secretariat member Gautam Das, CPI(M) West dstrict committee secretary Pabitra Kar, CPI state secretary Prashanta Kapali, RSP state secretary Sudarshan Bhattacharya and AIFB state president Brajagopal Roy severely criticised the Modi government for its brazen attempts to make India a subordinate ally of the US imperialism, the most hated enemy of the mankind, and called upon the masses to build sustained struggle against these moves of the government which shall result in greater disaster for the Indian economy and the livelihood of the masses. Tens of thousands of people marched through Kolkata streets on January 24, protesting the US President’s visit to India. Thirteen Left parties jointly organised the protest march which turned into a massive rally. The march started from the statue of Lenin in Esplanade and headed towards the US cultural centre. It was stopped by police at a few metres away from the US centre. The entire J L Nehru Road was flooded with red flags. Addressing the huge crowd, Left Front Chairman Biman Basu said the Modi government must restrain itself from appeasing the United States. More people would participate in rallies if such game of selling out of the country continues in future. The Modi government is inviting foreign capital investment to handover our own public sector companies. In many sector already 49 percent share has been allowed to foreign capital. The government is now in planning to allow 100 percent foreign investment in some sectors. CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and Opposition leader in the Assembly Surya Kanta Mishra castigated those who could never see imperialism and said if your bank is going in their hands, your money will be looted as the same happened in the US. Modi has invited them in India to establish corporate hold on Indian banks. Do only Leftists draw pension? Is not it for others too? Now the pension system is going to be in their hands very soon. Not just our minerals but US companies are doing business with our waters too. The retailing in agriculture by Walmart is going to dominate whole of our system. US Corporations are now trying to supply nuclear reactors which have been obsolete in their country. In this course, US corporations are trying to dilute the Nuclear Liability Law. Manjukumar Majumdar of CPI, Manoj Bhattacharya of RSP, Hafiz Alam Sairani of Forward Block, Partha Ghosh of CPI (ML-Liberation), Tarun Mondal of SUCI(C) also addressed the meeting. Protest rallies were also organised throughout the state. In Jharkhand, protest marches were organised in capital Ranchi and several other parts of the state including Dumka, Pakur, Sahebganj, Jamtara, Hazaribagh, Dhanbad, Jamshedpur, and Bokaro. The rallies witnessed large participation by people of all sections of the society. In Ranchi, hundreds of Left workers and sympathisers took out a rally followed by a mass meeting at Albert Ekka Chowk in the heart of the city. The rally was addressed by CPIM) state secretary G K Baksi, CPI-ML state secretary Janardan Prasad, CPI state secretary Bhuneswar Mehta and Robin Samajpati of SUCI. The leaders said the BJP government is pursuing a pro-US foreign policy which is contrary to an independent non-aligned foreign policy. This is being done to suit the interests of Indian and foreign monopoly capital and to open up the Indian economy to US imperialism. In this backdrop, the invitation to Obama is a step towards strengthening the nexus between the current regime and the US imperialism. In Maharashtra, protest demonstrations were held in Mumbai and several districts including Nagpur, Aurangabad, Solapur, Nashik, Chandrapur, Amravati and Nanded. In Mumbai, the area just outside Dadar (CR) railway station, which is always buzzing with people and activities, witnessed the people’s anger against the US imperialism. Hundreds of Left activists and sympathisers shouted slogans against the Obama visit. The slogans of the demonstrators and banners and placards in their hands attracted attention of thousands of people on the road and those coming out or entering the railway station. Many of them joined the demonstrators and listened to the speeches of Left Front leaders. The demonstrators were addressed by Mahendra Singh of CPI(M), Prakash Reddy of CPI leader and Anil Tyagi of SUCI (Communist) among others. The speakers flayed the Modi government for inviting a representative of the leader of world imperialism to be the chief guest at the Republic Day Parade and roundly condemned US imperialism and Obama for their heinous acts, and appealed to people to unite against USA imperialism and the Modi government which is pursuing a pro-US foreign policy. The Left parties also organised protest demonstration and rallies in more than 50 places across Punjab and Chandigarh. The Left leaders while addressing rallies at various places stated that the decision to invite Obama is an attack on the sovereignty and anti-imperialist policy of India. The US is a culprit of waging armed wars against the sovereignty of many nations whether it is Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and now Syria and Libya. At many places, the protesters burnt the effigies of Obama and Modi. CPI(M) leaders Raghunath Singh, Chander Shekhar, Nazer Singh and R L Moudgil were among those who addressed the gathering in Chandigarh. In Odisha, the main thoroughfare of Bhubaneswar from railway station to state Assembly heard the cries of ‘Obama Go Back’, ‘Obama, the Unwanted Guest of India’, ‘Obama-Modi Nexus Go Down’, ‘Imperialism, Down Down’, and ‘Butcherer of Democracy Obama Down Down’ as hundreds marched in a protest rally. The procession culminated in a meeting in front of the state assembly. Addressing the gathering, CPI(M) Odisha state secretary Ali Kishor Patnaik said the US administration has subverted democracy and democratically elected governments in many countries where the rulers do not toe the US line. It has created and aided terrorist groups to fulfil its selfish desire. It has deployed military bases throughout the world for its military hegemony. In such a context, Prime Minister Modi of BJP inviting him to be the guest of our 66th Republic Day function is a shame to our country and to those who have laid down their lives for India’s freedom struggle. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Left parties jointly held protest in Hyderabad and several other parts. Hundreds of people joined the rallies enthusiastically and opposed the Modi government’s move. In Hyderabad, the rally was attended by state leaders including CPI(M) Telangana state secretary Thammineni Veerabhadram and former CPI MP Azeez Pasha. Rallies were also organised in Vijayawada and other district headquarters. The rallies were well decorated and the activists shouted slogans against the US imperialism and the nexus between Modi and Obama. The rallies culminated in street-corner gathering where Left leaders elaborated on the government’s move to appease the US corporate entities, weaken our own industrial sector and subvert out sovereignty. Workers and supporters of Left parties - CPI-ML, CPI(M), CPI, Forward Bloc and SUCI (C) held protest marches and demonstrations across Uttar Pradesh against the visit of Obama. Shouting slogans like 'Obama Go Back', they organised a procession from Parivartan Chowk to GPO in state capital Lucknow. At a meeting thereafter, the Left leaders criticised the decision of Prime Minister Modi to invite the US president and said it is an assault on all democratic values. Similar protests were also held in Allahabad, Ghazipur, Deoria, Bhadohi and Sonebhadra. In Tamil Nadu, protests were held in Chennai, Sivaganga and several other places. CPI(M) MLA A Soundararajan said the visit of Obama was only aimed at getting favours for the American corporate entities by compromising the interests of Indian public sector units. (END)