BANGALORE: The Karnataka Pradesh Samajwadi Party led by the former Chief Minister S. Bangarappa, the All-India Progressive Janata Dal (AIPJD) and the Left parties have come together with the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) and the Dalit Sangharsh Samiti in a campaign to protest against the March 1 visit of U.S. President George Bush to India.

Mr. Bangarappa told presspersons here on Saturday that a massive protest and public meeting on March 2 in Bangalore with the slogan "Warmonger Bush - Go Back" would highlight the strong surge of public resentment against the new hegemony represented by the U.S.

The protest will also be an occasion to oppose India's voting against Iran at the meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency, succumbing to pressure from the U.S.

The U.S. is playing the all too familiar game of being the global policeman, and India should not play into its hands by going along with its demands, Mr. Bangarappa said.

AIPJD President C.M. Ibrahim said his party is joining the protest in order to oppose India's stand on Iran and to demonstrate that there is widespread resentment across the country against the Manmohan Singh-led Government's move to oblige Mr. Bush.

`Farmers being squeezed'

KRRS leader and Sarvodaya Party President K.S. Puttannaiah said with multinational companies coming in with everything from seeds to finished goods killing small businesses and the American greed for oil behind its bid to take over Iraq, farmers and the poor are the ones who are suffering. "Between soil and oil, the farmer is being squeezed and getting choked. At this rate, mass suicide may be the only option left for farmers," he said.

State CPI(M) secretary G.N. Nagaraj said though his party is supporting the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) Government at the Centre, both the CPI(M) and the CPI have always opposed the Government whenever they see a violation of the Common Minimum Programme. The vote against Iran and the visit of Mr. Bush are both issues that the Left parties do not support the UPA on, he said.

CPI State Secretary Siddana Gouda Patil said the exploitative policies of the U.S. have also been responsible for the many problems being faced in India. The U.S. has deployed the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund and policies of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation to destroy strategic industries, scientific development, technological advances and agriculture.

The Left parties oppose the visit of Mr. Bush to highlight the intention of the U.S. to destroy India's self-reliance and sovereignty, he added.

Statewide protests

Dalit Sangharsh Samiti leader Indudhara Honnapura said his organisations and other groups will be a part of the March 2 protest, which will be held all over the State.

At the national level too a public meeting at Ramlila Grounds in Delhi will have national leaders participating, he said.

In Bangalore, the protest march will begin at Chiklalbagh and conclude at the Jakkarayanakere grounds, the venue of the public meeting.

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