Intellectuals want boycott of US, UK goods

KOLKATA: Barely a week after CPM politburo member Biman Bose announced that his party was not in favour of boycotting US and British goods, a group of Left intellectuals — some of them CPM members and several others known to be close to the party — issued a call on Wednesday to boycott such products in protest against the war on Iraq.
Prominent among them are former finance minister Ashok Mitra, state planning board chairman Amiya Bagchi, state women’s commission chairperson Jashodhara Bagchi, state finance minister Asim Dasgupta’s mother Mrinalini Dasgupta, journalist Ashoke Dasgupta, former Left Front MLA Ajit Pandey and poet Shankha Ghosh.
“The US imperialists have forced an unjust war. To build an effective resistance against it, we appeal to the people to boycott US-British commodities such as Coke, Pepsi, Parker pen, Kinley, Aquafina, Mcdonalds, US jeans and denim,� the
intellectuals said. “We appeal to the people to continue boycotting these items till the invasion in Iraq stops.�
The intellectuals have also decided to participate in a rally called by the Bhasha O Chetana Samity on Friday to campaign in favour of a boycott.
CPM insiders said that the appeal, apart from causing serious embarrassment for the West Bengal leadership, was also an indication of the sharp differences emerging in the party on the boycott issue.
A large section of party members are doubting the leadership’s sincerity in opposing the US-led aggression of Iraq.
Top CPM leaders in the state, including chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, state secretary Anil Biswas and politburo member Biman Bose, however, have argued that it would be unwise to call for a boycott as it might send wrong signals and hamper the state’s investment prospects.
The state government is too dependent on loans from these countries. The dilemma in the CPM came to the fore recently after its Kerala unit issued a call for boycott of all US and British goods.
The SUCI on Wednesday said it had appealed to the CPM for a united movement of all Left forces against the Iraq war and suggested that boycott be included as a part of the struggle.