B Tulasi Das
PRAKASH KARAT, former General Secretary of the CPI(M), has urged people to protest against the ongoing US–Israel aggression on Iran. Speaking as the chief guest at a state-level seminar on “Imperialism in the 21st Century – Present Geopolitics,” organized by the CPI(M) Andhra Pradesh State Committee on March 27, Karat said that the military actions of the US and Israel against Iran are unjust and immoral. He said that the United States has been attacking Iran for the past 28 days, while Iran has been resisting with all its might. Karat criticised the Government of India for not condemning the attacks, which killed 165 innocent children in a school, along with several parents.. The Union government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had compromised India’s independent foreign policy by aligning closely with the United States, he said. The seminar was held at M.B. Vijnana Kendram, Vijayawada, and was chaired by V. Srinivasa Rao, CPI(M) State Secretary, Andhra Pradesh. The day long seminar took place over four sessions.
Discussing global economic trends, Karat stated that after the collapse of socialism in Russia, free trade and neo-liberal economic policies gained momentum worldwide. These policies, implemented in India as well, are now in deep crisis, pushing imperialist countries to exploit developing nations to sustain their economies.
He noted that China, which has emerged as a major economic power, is posing a serious challenge to US global dominance. He explained about the military interventions by the US in countries such as Iraq, Syria, and Libia. He also said that the US kidnapped Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro and detained him in America, which violates international law. Speaking on the US aggression on Iran, Karat said the war has disrupted global petroleum supplies, especially through the Strait of Hormuz, creating economic burdens across nations. He added that such disruptions are aimed at pressuring countries like China; however, China has secured alternative energy resources, including increased imports from Russia. He observed that Russia has benefited from the global oil tensions through increased exports, offsetting losses from the Ukraine conflict, while the US is facing economic challenges.
He strongly criticized India’s stance on the US aggression, stating that even the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader was not condemned by the Prime Minister. He further remarked that just a day before the war began, Prime Minister Modi visited Israel and described it as India’s trusted friend. Concluding his address, Karat appealed to the people to preserve India’s legacy of anti-imperialist struggle and to mobilise the masses to unite and protest, calling it an immediate and urgent task.
The seminar passed a resolution expressing solidarity with Cuba and decided to observe April 7, 2026, as Cuba Solidarity Day. It appealed to the public to express solidarity with the people of Cuba and to contribute liberally. Volunteers collected donations from the audience and the response was tremendous. The resolution also condoled the deaths of passengers in a bus accident that occurred in the early hours of Thursday and expressed sympathy with the bereaved families.
Prakash Karat also released a Telugu book titled “Samrajyavadam—Prapanchaniki Pramadam.” The original English work, authored by Prof Prabhat Patnaik, was translated into Telugu and published by Prajasakti Book House.
In the second session, the subject was ‘Imperialism and challenges to India’. Prof K Anji Reddy explained that after implementation of neo-liberal economic policies, concentration of wealth became the predominant factor and disparities widened in the Indian society. He dealt with the subject historically right from the times of British colonial rule. K Prabhakara Eeddy, CPI(M) state secretariat member, chaired the session. The third session on ‘Socialism in the 21st century’ was chaired by Party Central committee member D Ramadevi. Former MLC K S Lakshmana Rao discussed in detail about imperialist exploitation and how the socialist countries are going ahead.
The last session on ‘Neo-fascist trends in India and the danger of Authoritarianism’ was chaired by CPI(M) senior leader Ch Narasinga Rao. Party state secretary V Srinivasa Rao talked about the authoritarian tendencies of the present corporate communal nexus regime. They have penetrated into all the organs of the state and the left democratic forces should fight back against the onslaught by conducting sustained struggles. Concluding the day long seminar, it was decided to conduct seminars or conventions at district and local levels in the month of April.
