Forward Bloc student wing protests Obama visit

KOLKATA - Activists from the students’ wing of All India Forward Bloc (AIFB), a constituent of West Bengal’s Left Front government, Saturday held a noisy demonstration in front of the United States Information Service (USIS) building here.

The demonstration, organised by Chhatra Bloc, took place in the heart of the city, a little after US President Barack Obama landed in Mumbai on a four-day visit to India.

The protestors carried placards saying “Barack, go back”, and said they were against the US because of its “imperialist designs and military aggression in Iraq and Afghanistan”.

“He has come to promote US business interests in India. This visit is not in India’s interest,” said a demonstrator.

There was some jostling between the Chhatra Bloc workers and security forces who had surrounded the USIS premises.

AIFB is the second largest constituent of the Left front, which has been ruling the state without a break since 1977.

The party has already announced that its members of parliament (MP) will boycott Obama’s address to the Indian parliament Nov 8.

However, no such call has been issued by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) or Communist Party of India (CPI), the other main parties of the Left Front.