Homage to Mr. Ramsey Clark
ALL INDIA ANTI-IMPERIALIST FORUM
Founder President : Late Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer
Founder General Secretary : Late Professor Dr. Sushil Kumar Mukherjee
President : Dr. K. R. Chowdhury
Vice-President : Manik Mukherjee
General Secretary : Prof. Dhruba Mukherjee
77/2/1 Lenin Sarani, Kolkata 700 013 India
E-mail : aiaif_2006@yahoo.com
Ph : +91 92302 72581
April 11, 2021
Homage to Mr. Ramsey Clark
The All India Anti-imperialist Forum mourns the passing away of Mr. Ramsey Clark, the former attorney general of USA, and a great humanist, an indefatigable fighter against imperialism and military aggression anywhere. As Attorney General he was forceful in his support for civil liberty and civil rights. Later he was active in anti-Vietnam war movement, and protested against US bombing of Hanoi. He realised that USA was the prime progenitor of war and was guilty of unleashing wars of aggression in different corners of the globe. He became vocal in his opposition to whatever acts of military intervention that the USA perpetrated in any part of the world and supported all who were fighting against US hegemonism. In 1991 he strongly opposed US military intervention in the Middle East and was a trenchant critic of the Gulf War unleashed by George H. W. Bush, as well as the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999. He condemned George W. Bush’s Iraq war of 2003. He defended Saddam Hussain in his trial by the Iraqi Special Tribunal, which he designated as being illegal and a violation of basic human rights. He called the trial a mockery of justice. He also criticized the trial of Slobodan Milosevic as patently unjust and described Milosevic as a commander who was courageous enough to fight powerful enemies. He founded the International Action Center to support anti-imperialist movements around the world and to oppose all instances of military aggression by any country whatsoever. He launched a massive signature campaign to impeach George W. Bush for war crimes, crimes against peace and humanity and trampling the civil rights of the people of the United States and of other nations which USA invaded.
Mr. Ramsey Clark visited India, in 2007 to attend an International Anti-imperialist Conference which resolved to form the International Anti-imperialist Coordinating Committee with Ramsey Clark as President. While in Calcutta he visited Nandigram where in March 2007 the police of the CPI(M) led government, in league with party-sponsored armed goons, unleashed mayhem against the villagers who were protesting to protect their land from forced acquisition by the government. The official death toll was fourteen, but in reality hundreds went missing. The houses in the villages were burnt and many women were victims of mass rape. Ramsey Clark witnessed the destruction; while interacting with the affected people and listening to their woes about the torture was deeply moved. He was unequivocal in his condemnation of the CPI(M)-led government’s repressive actions, police brutality and state terror. Wherever in the world, there was violation of human rights and aggression against the sovereignty of any country by the imperialists, Ramsey Clark was in the forefront of protest and fight for justice.
The anti-imperialist movement and the movement for protection of human rights has lost a powerful, influential fighter and leader. With deep reverence the All India Anti-Imperialist Forum salutes and pays homage to the fighter for freedom and justice and vows to carry forward his legacy.
Manik Mukherjee
Vice-President
All India Anti-imperialist Forum
and
General Secretary International Anti-imperialist Coordinating Committee