Press Note
January 17, 2004

Dear Sir/ Madam,

Please delegate your reporter to cover the press conference of Mumbai
Resistance 2004 to be held on Sunday, January 18, 2004 at 4 pm at the
Veterinary college grounds, Goregoan (east), Mumbai.

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The inaugural session of MR held on Saturday resolved to carry forward a focused and consistent anti-imperialist struggle to free nations and masses from exploitation towards genuine democracy and independence in true sense.

Badruddin Umar, an intellectual, writer and Secretary, Bangladesh Lekhak Shibir, who inaugurated the MR-2004 gave a clarion call to the masses and organizations to resist the forces of imperialism at international level and their agents in different countries.

Presenting a paper titled "Anti-imperialist movement & MR-2004" at the first plenary session, he said, following the anti-globalisation protests in Seattle in 1999, all means of subversion have been employed by the imperialists. Though the WSF was initially organised as an anti-imperialist international platform, it soon became an easy target of US and European imperialism and their financial organisations like the Ford Foundation, who have managed to infiltrate into it through the NGOs who have, by now, become the most important constituent of the WSF.

Crispin Beltran, the Trade Union leader and Chairperson of International League for People's Resistance, Philippines drew attention towards the contradictions in the objectives projected and actions initiated by imperialist powers. He was delivering the key note titled as "The International Movement Against Imperialist Globalisation and Prospects for the Decade".

"Globalization is not a new word. In the early 1990s, we were told that under the new world order ruled by free trade capitalism and Western-style democracy, there would be abundance and prosperity, justice, democracy and peace. That capitalism was the highest stage of human civilization." But, soon they proved to be wrong. Evidently, globalization was not a triumph of capitalism, rather a catastrophic failure."

Earlier, B.D.Sharma, Chairman, Bharat Jan Andolan, who welcomed the delegates, pointed out that imperialist forces were becoming more and more aggressive, swallowing national economies by looting away their resources. The resources have been commoditised and snatching the rights of people over them.

He said there was a spontaneous response by millions of masses from all over the world, even as the MR-2004 is evidently global expression outright rejection of imperialist policies. That apart, the conference also takes a clear stand vis-à-vis the WSF deliberations without any action, which may be chaotic.

On the other side, the state is coming up with new faces. For instance, in India, `hindutva' is a new phenomenon to divide the people on religious lines to deviate their attention from the real issues and problems confronting the nation.

Stating that the masses were ready to take on the global imperialism and assert their rights, he said: "We are not prepared to remain part of a socially impotent community but to fight tooth and nail against imperialism."

Prof. Jagmohan Singh, nephew of Shahid Bhagat Singh, traced the legacy of people's struggle against colonialism and imperialism by latter and his associates Rajguru, and Sukhdev as witnessed by himself when he was a child then. Recalling the Naval Mutiny witnessed in Mumbai way back in 1942, the city hosting such a historically important event (MR-2004) is of great significance for the fact that the city is economic capital of India. Its role in forwarding or opposing imperialist polices is also significant to the movements opposing them.

The plenary session was presided by Norma Binas of the ILPS (International League of People's Resistance); convenor of MR 2004 Darshan Pal, who was also on the presidium, highlighted the objectives of the MR-2004 and the efforts taken by several organizations and individuals in organizing the event.

Earlier, the revolutionary poet and popular ballad singer Gaddar, accompanied by Sambhaji Bhagat of `Vidrohi', and Amithabh from Bihar rendered inaugural song-"the awakening". This was preceded by unveiling of a portrait of Shahid Bhagat Singh by Badruddin Umar, revolutionary writer Vara Vara Rao, B.D.Sharma, Gaddar, Feroze, Muslim Youth India, Alfred Klien of anti-Imperialist camp, Austria and Crispin Beltran, even as the venue echoed with revolutionary slogans. Over 310 organisations, intellectuals and those committed to fight imperialism and capitalistic forces from different parts of the world are participating in the MR-2004.

At the Democratic rights workshop, Prof Geelani, who had recently been released by Delhi high court will speak about his experiences. The US war on Iraq and other countries are infringing on democratic rights across the world and this is being highlighted by members of other countries, and presided by advocate Nandita Haksar.

The working class workshop discussed the impact of globalisation on working class movement and the growth of struggles against contractualisation of labour and the role played by different workers from different countries. The leader of the Chattisgarh Mukti Morch discussed the experiences of organising the workers in a relatively backward area.

The other workshops held were Imperialist globalisation and its impact on women where a paper was presented by Gabriella of Phillipines; "the
WTO, agriculture and imperialism" by Dr K R Chaudhury and the ILPS theme paper on the "cause of national liberation, democracy and social liberation"

For further information, please contact Darshan Pal at 022- 34417601
9892172358
011-35970862
Email: [email protected]
[email protected]
Website: www.mumbairesistance.org.