Press Statement

Protest March Against War On Iraq

To protest against America’s war on Iraq, a big demonstration took place at New Delhi today (February 10, 2003). At the call of the Committee Against War on Iraq, thousands of people from all walks of life joined the protest march from Mandi House to the American Centre at Kasturba Gandhi Marg. Banners and placards with the demand No War on Iraq and condemning US aggression were carried by the protesters.

The protest march was stopped at Tolstoy Marg by a police cordon where a meeting was held. Leaders of various political parties and organisations represented in the Committee Against War on Iraq addressed the demonstration. They demanded that the United States and Britain stop war preparations against Iraq. They demanded that the Indian government speak out firmly against the war and mobilise other countries to check the American plans. All the speakers criticized the Vajpayee government’s mild statement of opposition to war and demanded more categorical steps. The speakers also demanded that the Indian government declare that no facilities in India would be allowed to be used by the United States in its war efforts. The meeting declared solidarity with the Iraqi people and decided to continue the anti-war movement.

Among those who joined the march were a large number of students from the various universities in Delhi, teachers, industrial workers, women, employees  and prominent intellectuals.

Speakers who addressed the meeting were Prakash Karat (CPI-M), D Raja (CPI), Kunwar Danish Ali (JD-S),  Mehmood Madani (Jamaat-e-Ulema-e-Hind), Swapan Mukherjee (CPI-ML), Udit Raj (Justice Party), Nirmala Deshpande (Gandhian), Abani Roy (RSP), Devarajan (FB), Syed Shahabuddin (All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat), Matin Chaudhury and Sohaib Iqbal (MLAs).