US President Barack Obama's forthcoming visit to India this November will inaugurate a new chapter in the 'strategic partnership' between US imperialism and India's ruling class. As people of India, let us examine the interests that the US President represents and the implications of his visit for India.

Barack Obama became President of the United States because he represented, for the people of the US as well of the world, a promise of 'change' – change from the imperialist policies of the Bush regime that had imposed wars, occupation, and economic crisis on the world.

Two years later, both in the US as well as elsewhere in the world, that promise stands belied. Obama's regime has represented 'continuity' rather than 'change' with the policies of US imperialism and war-mongering. Any 'change' has remained cosmetic. Obama colluded in suppressing the UN's Goldstone Report indicting Israel for war crimes in Gaza. In the name of ending the occupation of Iraq, Obama has actually renamed 50, 000 US troops in Iraq as 'advise-and-assist brigades' rather than combat troops. The US war in Afghanistan continues unabated. And there has been no change whatsoever in the policies of US imperialism that force a grave economic crisis on the people of the world.

As Manmohan Singh's UPA-II Government rolls out the red carpet for US President Barack Obama this November, we will once again hear the familiar claims – that India's 'special' relationship with the US is a matter of pride and that being part of the US' strategic embrace protects India's economic and security interests. But bitter experience has taught us better.

It has been revealed recently that the US had information of the Mumbai terror attacks' mastermind David Headley's links with terrorist outfits as well of his plans to target Indian cities, but did not share the same with India. Not only that, the US is even now keeping its own secrets by protecting Headley from facing trial in India. In the Bhopal gas tragedy, we saw how India's rulers obliged the US by failing to make corporations like Union Carbide and Dow face the criminal consequences or even pay damages. The Indo-US Nuke Deal is designed to keep a US leash on India's foreign policy and increase India's dependence on the US, while the recently passed Nuke Liability Bill is scripted to protect the interests of the US nuclear industry. The Indo-US Knowledge Initiative on Agriculture and 'Obama-Singh 21st Century Knowledge Initiative' are all increasing the US stranglehold over India's self-reliance in education and agriculture.

Obama's visit to India will undoubtedly serve US interests in many ways – by further prising open key sectors of the Indian economy for US investment; by expanding the Indian market for the US military-industrial complex; and by further binding India to the US' imperialist strategies in the world. For the mass of Indian people, however, it is clear that India's growing ties with the US are inviting economic crisis and terrorism on Indian soil, and shamefully shackling India's independence and self-reliance to imperialist interests.
Barack Obama is coming to our country as the intelligent, democratic face of US imperialism; let all who stand for peace, justice and sovereignty greet him with protests all over the country with a loud welcome message:

US Imperialism Keep off from India, Keep Off from Asia!

Asia is not for US Meddling and Occupation!

Stop Outsourcing War, Terror, and Economic Crisis!

CPI(ML) Liberation

CPM Punjab

Left Coordination Committee (Kerala)

Lal Nishan Party (Leninist)

For All India Left Coordination