<p>"The president of the US, Barack Obama, is visiting India. Being the first African American president and coming after the neo-conservative Bush regime, there were expectations of positive changes. These, however, have not materialised," said the statement.<br /><br />It was signed by Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Prakash Karat, Forward Bloc's Debabrata Biwas, Communist Party of India's A.B. Bardhan and the Revolutionary Socialist Party's (RSP) Abani Roy.<br /><br />"As far as India is concerned, the US is aggressively pressurising the government to adopt economic policies which are detrimental to people in the name of a strategic alliance," said the statement. <br /><br />The Left parties highlighted the following issues to hold the protest Nov 8.<br />- Justice for victims of the Bhopal gas accident; to make Dow Chemicals pay for the damages and for the clean-up of the factory site; US should extradite Warren Anderson to India to stand trial.<br /><br />- The US should stop pressurising India on foreign policy and open up agriculture, retail trade, education and other services for American capital and multinational companies.<br />- Scrap the Indo-US Defence Framework Agreement which seeks to convert India into a military ally of the US. Stop pressurising India to give up liability claims on US nuclear suppliers. <br /><br />- Withdraw the remaining 50,000 US troops from Iraq forthwith; have a political settlement in Afghanistan to establish an independent and neutral state and withdraw US-NATO forces immediately.<br /><br />- End the US embargo on Cuba; stop all assistance to Israel till it vacates the occupied Palestinian and Arab territories.</p>
<p>"The president of the US, Barack Obama, is visiting India. Being the first African American president and coming after the neo-conservative Bush regime, there were expectations of positive changes. These, however, have not materialised," said the statement.<br /><br />It was signed by Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Prakash Karat, Forward Bloc's Debabrata Biwas, Communist Party of India's A.B. Bardhan and the Revolutionary Socialist Party's (RSP) Abani Roy.<br /><br />"As far as India is concerned, the US is aggressively pressurising the government to adopt economic policies which are detrimental to people in the name of a strategic alliance," said the statement. <br /><br />The Left parties highlighted the following issues to hold the protest Nov 8.<br />- Justice for victims of the Bhopal gas accident; to make Dow Chemicals pay for the damages and for the clean-up of the factory site; US should extradite Warren Anderson to India to stand trial.<br /><br />- The US should stop pressurising India on foreign policy and open up agriculture, retail trade, education and other services for American capital and multinational companies.<br />- Scrap the Indo-US Defence Framework Agreement which seeks to convert India into a military ally of the US. Stop pressurising India to give up liability claims on US nuclear suppliers. <br /><br />- Withdraw the remaining 50,000 US troops from Iraq forthwith; have a political settlement in Afghanistan to establish an independent and neutral state and withdraw US-NATO forces immediately.<br /><br />- End the US embargo on Cuba; stop all assistance to Israel till it vacates the occupied Palestinian and Arab territories.</p>