Anti-war protests sweep India

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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Indian shout slogans against US president George W. Bush during a demonstration in New Delhi, India.

Anger, flag-burning in India over attack on Iraq
Thu Mar 20, 5:31 AM ET

By NEELESH MISRA, Associated Press Writer

NEW DELHI, India - Angry protesters burned American flags and the Indian government denounced Washington’s attack Thursday.

“Killer Bush! Down! Down!” chanted some 100 placard-waving women activists who assembled at the U.S. Embassy’s cultural center.

The women blocked traffic in New Delhi’s busiest business district. Police chased them with bamboo truncheons and arrested two activists.

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee met with senior Cabinet colleagues to discuss the Iraq (news - web sites) crisis, especially its effect on oil prices and the safety of some 3.5 million Indian expatriates in the Middle East.

“The military action begun today … lacks justification,” India’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “We sincerely hope that the Iraqi people will not be subject to further hardships, sufferings, loss of lives and damage to property from an extended military cooperation.”

In Lucknow, the capital of India’s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, communist protesters gathered in front of the state assembly building and burned U.S. flags.

Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) has limited support among India’s 140 million Muslims, but almost none among other citizens in this predominantly Hindu country of 1.02 billion.

Even so, the U.S. government’s war rhetoric and actions in Iraq have created sympathy for Saddam, as many say he’s being targeted at the wrong time and for the wrong reasons.

“This is the beginning of the end of the domination of Western nations,” said popular Indian filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, who in January refused Bush’s invitation to a prayer breakfast at the White House.

“It is going to be a long, drawn-out tragedy. They may win this battle but they will lose this war,” he said.

Anisha Massey, a New Delhi sales clerk walking to work, said: “Bush is more of a threat to world peace than Saddam Hussein because America can’t be touched. You can’t oppose anything they (Americans) say. They are too powerful.”

A few Indians, however, support the U.S. actions.

“War is not good, but if Iraq is wrong, then a war against them is OK,” said Suraj Kumar, arranging flowers in his florist shop.

In Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu-Kashmir (news - web sites) state, lawmakers shouted slogans against the United States and Bush, and adjourned the assembly for a day to protest the attack. Jammu-Kashmir is India’s only Muslim-majority state.

“It would be wrong to suggest that this is a war between Christians and Muslims. This is a war of self-interest launched by the sole superpower,” said the state’s law and parliamentary affairs minister, Muzaffar Beig.

Two special Air India flights brought 750 Indians home from Kuwait on Thursday as the U.S. military strike began, the United News of India news agency reported.

Eds: Monalisa Arthur contributed to this story.

Anti-war protests sweep India

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Demographics please. Who many were muslim and how many were hindu?

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Whatever happened, the point is that the Indians were at least clear in not supporting the war as they clearly said that they would not support the war against Iraq as compared to us in Pakistan, where our Govt. said that they would not support the war on Iraq but didnt specify whether they would vote no to that effect in the Security Counsil if it came to a matter of voting.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Rbee: *
...they would not support the war on Iraq but didnt specify whether they would vote no to that effect in the Security Counsil if it came to a matter of voting.
[/QUOTE]

If India happened to be in the Security Council, they would have done the same. Both governments are driven by the same considerations. But I am glad the citizens of both countries have made their protests heard.

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You are right Aisha. Thank god the leadership and the majority of the people are sane.

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Iraq supports Indian position on Kashmir, so it is payback time.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by CM: *
Demographics please. Who many were muslim and how many were hindu?
[/QUOTE]

Does it matter? No need to bring religion into everything.

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During the last Gulf war Saddam Hussain had few Muslim supporters, but no Hindu, Christian and Sikh supporters.

This time the equation has changed. Most Indians are against US attacking Iraq irrespective of their religion. They may not support Saddam as a dictator , but are against attacking Iraqi civilans and American aggression.

The question is what is the point of having United Nations. Now it doesnt make a difference whether India is made a permanent member of security council . US will do what it wishes.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Chaltahai: *
You are right Aisha. Thank god the leadership and the majority of the people are sane.
[/QUOTE]

dinn Indian PM. Vajpayee just say he was not for this war?

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^

:) CH forgot to read before he answered.

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That comment was a reply to your assertion about kaffir stance or something or other. Just reciprocity. Fraudiya is well...Fraudiya.

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So atleast on this one issue, both India and Pakistan have one voice. I heard on PTV news yesterday that Pak foreign minister made the statement in the Parliament that "this war has no legitimacy".

In the initial stages of this conflict, atleast, the people and the governments of both India and Pakistan are apparently in sync.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by aishaA: *

If India happened to be in the Security Council, they would have done the same. Both governments are driven by the same considerations. But I am glad the citizens of both countries have made their protests heard.
[/QUOTE]

You are grossly mistaken. India has always cealr stance on Iraq Issue. Even in 1992 when your government participated in Iraq attacks India opposed it.
Our policies are not changed by a phone call by USA.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by NYAhmadi: *
Iraq supports Indian position on Kashmir, so it is payback time.
[/QUOTE]

Maybe there is even a very logic reason behind it: They have brains.

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India condemns Attack against Iraq](http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/mar21/i5.asp) Deccan Herald

DH News Service NEW DELHI, March 20

US President George W Bush today called up Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and discussed with him the situation in Iraq. During the telephonic conversation initiated by Mr Bush, Mr Vajpayee conveyed to him the Indian position while Mr Bush explained the US stand, official sources said.

Meanwhile, Mr Vajpayee convened an all-party meeting on Saturday to discuss the Iraq situation, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said in a statement. The meeting would be utilised by Mr Vajpayee to apprise all political parties about the details of his conversation with Mr Bush.

The meeting comes after a similar exercise on March 10 in which several parties had accused the government of not taking a stand so that it would not annoy the US. Meanwhile, expressing anguish at the start of the war, India today disapproved of the US-led military attack saying it lacked justification and impaired the authority of the United Nations.

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Anger and dismay in South Asia

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India’s NO was the most disagreeable truth George W. Bush has learnt recently. It is not so harsh as China’s, but it was voiced on a higher level. Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said: “The use of force by a superpower to change a regime is wrong and cannot be supported”.

“The US has certainly made progress in the war against international jihadi terrorism. India, the most suffering victim of pan-Islamic jihadi terrorism in the world today, has reasons to be gratified over the US success in its operations,” B.Raman says. B.Raman is Additional Secretary (ret), Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India, and presently director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai; former member of the National Security Advisory Board of the Government of India. He was also head of the counter-terrorism division of the Research & Analysis Wing, India’s external intelligence agency, from 1988 to 1994. But Mr. Raman himself isn’t so much enthusiastic what can be seen by the headline of his publication “The USA Will Achieve Pyrrhic Victory” posted on Asia Times website in Hong Kong on March 21. He wrote: “What the US advocated and continues to advocate for Iraq is not democracy as perceived by the majority of Iraqi people, but democracy as designed in the Central Intelligence Agency that would serve US national interests. The question is not whether the US will win, but how soon. But it will be a Pyrrhic victory, which will not contribute to enhanced peace and security for the US, Israel or the rest of the international community. The world has nearly a billion Muslims”.

India’s Moslem population is 130 million people; the Moslem states of Pakistan and Afghanistan are its neighbors. Moslem community is the biggest in Malaysia, that is also very close to India. Indonesia with its 220 million population is considered to be the most densely populated Moslem country of the world, and it is also very close to India. The Indian expert on anti-terrorist struggle cannot but denounce US’s operations in Iraq that aggravate the terrorism problem even more. However, it seems that he himself hasn’t yet realized the depth of the forecast concerning the “Pyrrhic victory”.