It is High Time for People to Demand De-escalation!
Not War, but People’s Solidarity and Social Harmony can Defeat Terrorism!
At the time of All Party Meeting on 8th May 2025, the government had unequivocally declared of achieving the “intent and objectives” of its “non-escalatory” military strike. It was also reported that the government has “no interest in escalating the situation”. But, as of now, the “non-escalating strikes” between Pakistan and India are on the verge of an escalation into a full-blown war. This is the inherent logic of every war, i.e., those who initiate a war cannot stop it.
Now, while the people of J&K, are the worst affected, all the States bordering Pakistan are bearing the brunt of the burden of escalation. Along with loss of lives and untold miseries to the people who are mainly in J&K, collateral damages are spreading to other places also, and more gruesome may be the situation in Pakistan. Pakistan, often called a ‘military state’, and so called ‘failed state’, has already given full powers to military to take decisions. Revealingly, following Pahalgam terrorist attack, the regime in India, the so called “Mother of Democracy”, has also granted full freedom to millitary to take decision regarding the strikes. This is an endorsement of ‘militarism’, that too at this juncture in human history, where none of the problems confronting humanity, including terrorism has a military solution. Rather, political solution is the only option!
Meanwhile, even as war is not formally declared, the godi media and corporate-owned TV channels are working overtime manufacturing consent for war. While there is no official intervention to restrict the fake-news, warmongering and war hysteria propagated by the corporate-media, state surveillance is in full swing for censoring/blocking even well meaning web magazines/portals which are upholding independent views. Those who are expressing dissent and differing views are silenced, attacked and incarcerated. At the same time, heinous fascist moves to orchestrate alienation, stigmatisation and hatred towards Muslims and Kashmiri people including students are in full swing across India.
This is the time for the people, majority of whom are working and oppressed, who are devoid of even minimum livelihood including food, medicine and shelter to come forward and resolutely say ‘No to War’. War is an opportunity for all ruling regimes to divert people’s attention from their real life. War is a godsend opportunity for the military-industrial complexes of imperialist powers like US and China, upon whom countries like India and Pakistan are depending for weapons, to boost their profits. And the entire burden will be on the shoulders of people in the form of rising prices, taxes, cut in social security, etc., in the guise of war-oriented resource mobilisation.
Therefore, what requires is urgent diplomatic initiatives and meaningful dialogues for halting the escalation. However, in the neofascist situation today, as we have seen in the case of the prolonged Ukraine war and Zionist aggression on Palestine, except rhetoric, meaningful and genuine initiative from the international community is lacking. As such, it is the task of the people, irrespective of their ideological or religious orientation, together with all progressive-democratic forces in the country, to unitedly come forward compelling the regime to go for a an immediate de- escalation and strive for peace. Terrorism can be eliminated only through people’s solidarity and social harmony. The need of the hour is the broadest possible anti-war people’s movement, which alone can prevent a war and bring peace today!
P J James
General Secretary
CPI (ML) Red Star
New Delhi
09.05.2025
