Left form human chains protesting imperialism

Kolkata, Sep 1: About 2.5 million people, including ministers and Left Front leaders, joined hands to form enormous human chains throughout the state today to mark the anti-imperialism day.

Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta, Power Minister Mrinal Banerjee, PWD Minister Kshiti Goswami and Water Investigation Minister Nandagopal Bhattacharjee were among others who participated in the programme in the city's Esplanade area from 1340 hours to 1350 hours.

In a simultaneous programme Left Front Committee Chairman Secretary Biman Basu, CPI(M) Politbureau member and CITU President M K Pandhe and other Front leaders formed a human chain near the CPI(M) state headquarters.

Similar programmes were held elsewhere in the city and all the 19 districts in the state involving people from all walks of life.

Front sources said that more than 200,000 people from all walks of life, including school children, participated in the human chain programme in Kolkata alone.

The day is being observed thoughout the world since September one, 1939 when the Nazi troops, under the leadership of Hitler, attacked Poland beginning the second world war.

The observance of the day this year in the country assumed another dimension with the left parties trying to build up a mass protest against the Indo-US strategic partnership and the Israeli attacks on Palestine and Lebanon.

UNI