Partha Banerjee talked about his experience of RSS as a fascist organisation and emphasised the organic links between it and the BJP. He highlighted the communal, anti-women and anti-democratic nature of the Sangh Parivar and raised the question of how to combat its influence among Indian communities in the US and Britain. The meeting resolved to launch a broad-based campaign against the imminent war between India and Pakistan, focussing in particular on mobilising opinion among South Asian communities (see leaflet below).

The first event in this campaign was a mass leafletting and signature campaign at the World Cup final at Lord's Cricket Ground. Hundreds of cricket lovers, both British South Asians and those who had come from Pakistan and India to attend the World Cup, signed a petition calling on Prime Ministers Vajpayee and Nawaz Sharif to urgently seek a peaceful solution, since a war would be extremely harmful to the interests of the people of the two countries. The response to the campaign was generally very enthusiastic and supportive, with many telling us how important they felt it was.

Say No To War Between India and Pakistan!

• A war would mean large-scale loss of lives and devastation in Kashmir, India and Pakistan. Both Indian and Pakistani governments are in possession of nuclear weapons - so there is a very real fear of escalation into nuclear war.
• A war would mean a criminal waste of resources. The basic needs of people in both countries are not being met. Tension between Pakistan and India means that more money is spent on arms - as a result more people die from poverty and its effects.
• Both India and Pakistan are currently ruled by repressive and anti-democratic governments. Their economic policies are dictated by the U.S., the World Bank and the IMF, and are only worsening the living conditions of the majority of their people. Unemployment and poverty have increased massively. Both governments are trying to use a war to divert attention from these realities.
• The threat of war between India and Pakistan is being used by fascist forces to whip up hysteria against religious minorities in both countries especially Muslims in India and Hindus in Pakistan. A war must be avoided if we are not to see the escalation of the horrific communal violence of recent years.
• A war between Pakistan and India would open up South Asia to massive armed intervention by global powers, who have strategic and economic interests in the region. It would further erode the independence which the people of South Asia fought so hard to achieve.

Contact South Asia Solidarity Group, c/o Londec, 205-217, King's Cross Road, London WC1 9DB, tel.:0171 713 7907 email: southasia@hotmail.com

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