Pakistan socialists condemn "atomic fanaticism" Statement issued on June 5 by the leaders of the Left Alliance, which includes the Labour Party of Pakistan, the Pakistan Socialist Party, the Pakistan Awami Jamhuri Party and the Communist Mazdoor Kisan Party. The safety of the more than 1.5 billion people in the subcontinent has been put in danger as a result of the mad race for nuclear weapons technology by the ruling classes of India and Pakistan.
In India, nuclear weapons are in the hands of the religious-fascist fanatics of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and in Pakistan they are controlled by a government under great pressure from religious fundamentalists.
Both governments will not spare any time in using these dangerous weapons if their rule, prestige and so-called "national and religious priorities" are in danger.
South Asia is in deep economic crisis the prisoners (except for a few hard-core convicted terrorists), it would have had an enormous impact on Palestinian society. The right wing would have made an outcry, but which would not have been a major obstacle. But he hesitated on this question, releasing a few hundred prisoners in gradual stages... Of course, the right wing protested using demagogy, saying that murderers were being released, although most liberated prisoners were not involved in killings.
That was the beginning. We started to criticise Rabin at that time.
He went far too slowly. He never respected any of the timetables specified in because of the policies of the World Bank and IMF. Despite this, the ruling classes of South Asia have been defending trade and economic pacts like the WTO [World Trade Organisation]. In the past 50 years, these pacts have become a danger to the political and economic independence of the region. The local market is controlled by the international monopolles because of these pacts.
Instead of fighting these institutions, our rulers are promoting atomic fanaticism and indirectly promoting the influence of imperialist forces. They are promoting national chauvinism to prolong their rule and increase exploitation of the masses.
The Pakistani rulers' justification for the nuclear weapon explosions is the farcical excuse of defence of the country. They should know that the Soviet Union could not maintain itself despite all its weapons. Only the people's economic and social stability can guarantee the defence of the country, not weapons.
The poor masses of both countries will be subject to increased hunger, unemployment, poverty and social degradation. In this region, over 78% live in poverty. As a result of this mad race for nuclear weapons, the people of both countries the Oslo Accords. And so he let the oppo nents of peace apply their own agenda. First came the Baruch Goldstein massacre in Hebron. Then Hamas perpetrated its suicide bombings. The right wing then got more power, by asking the general Israeli public "how is it that we signed a peace agreement and now more Israelis are getting killed than before?" • What was Gush Shalom's reply to that preoccupation?
We urged Rabin to move ahead, to go forward. We criticised him for not adhering to his own timetable. We told him that with this policy, he was undermining his own agreement and strengthening his opponents. We became more and more critical of him at the end of 1994 and at the beginning of 1995...
Towards the middle of 1995 the peace process started to gain momentum again. More mainstream groups like Peace Now also started to be more vocal.
Israel then evacuated the six big Palestinian cities as foreseen by the Oslo Accords. We then went through another stage of supporting the Rabin government.
And then, of course, he was assassinated. • Do you actually mean supporting Rabin's government or supporting a specific measure which that government undertook?
Don't forget that we are an extra-parliamentary movement so we don't have to deal with the question of giving parliamentary support. But the Rabin government basically wasted a whole year. It then started to go ahead with the Paleswill face more hardship. The Indian government has increased its defence budget by 14%. The Pakistan government has declared a state of emergency and taken back any civil rights the masses had in the past.
There are more economic measures the governments will take to increase the burden on the masses, including cuts in workers' wages. The Pakistan government has even cancelled the May national holiday. • We condemn the atomic explosions by the rulers of Pakistan and India. • We demand an immediate lifting of the state of emergency.
• We demand that India and Pakistan accept the right of self-determination of the people of Kashmir. India and
Pakistan should sit at the negotiating table to sort out a solution to the
Kashmir conflict.
• We demand a 50% cut in military expenditure. • We demand that India and Pakistan sign a treaty not to attack each other. • We demand an end to atomic arms throughout the world. * Green Left Weekly (Sydney, Australia) #321 June 17 1998
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