--classstrugggle-flipmag classstruggle-may-2017-flippbook | Page 18

MUSICAL COMED Y EXPOSES US INV ASION OF IRA Q COMEDY INVASION IRAQ Fourteen years back, i.e., on March 1 st , 2003, the US led armed forces had invaded and occupied Iraq. They had committed all sorts of crimes, heinous and genocidal acts against the Iraqi people. They had destroyed the properties of the state and people. They had barbarously Killed Saddam Hussein, the Head of Iraq State and set up a puppet regime. Before the invasion, theimpe- rialists made every attempt to make the world believe that Saddam Hussein was a ferocious demon and a man eater. Their intelligence agencies worked overtime to fabricate an evidence to show that Iraq was in possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and it may be dropped on the world people anytime of Saddam’s choice. Finally, US led forces invaded Iraq using it as a plea. It is estimated that 1,73,916 innocent Iraqi people had perished in the flames of this War. It took no time for the truth coming to light. It was conclusively proved that the so called evidence flaunted by the US was a blatant lie cooked by the imperialist intelligence agencies to justify their act of invasion. Later, the world had witnessed many twists and turns and significant developments. Welcomingly,a musical comedy produced by Charlie Fink called “BAGHDADY” was shown in New York (USA) on April 6, 2017. Coinci- dentally, President Donald Trump ordered a Cruise Missile attack on a Syrian air base on this day. The theme of the show is: The US war of invasion against Iraq. The story has shown and proved that the so called evidence to show that Saddam Hussein’s Iraq wasin possession of WMD was a white lie cooked up by the US intelligence forces to justify the US led invasion. The producer of the play said that their exposure of what the US 18 rulers had done 14 years back in Iraq is more relevant than ever before in today’s climate of “fake news” and “alternative facts” as some fear that Trump could drag the country into another conflict, if not in Syria then over North Korea. The play conveys the message that the responsibility for the 2003 US led invasion far and wide, not at the door of then president George W.Bush or the US govt. but the Country as a whole and the Western allies, in general. The director, co-writer and composer Marshall Pailet said, “we all messed up”. He also noted that the play serves as a great vehicle to get New York theatre – goers thinking “because we open up their minds and their hearts withcomedy, we are able to slip in substance -story, contd from page 16 as cannon-fodder in their unjust wars to subjugate and colonise the people of other Countries. The American people, for that matter the people of all the imperialist countries must realize that they can be free only when they break character and a lesson”. Fink said, “we all own it” “ A wound in the world that is not going to be healed withtears or laughter”. The American people have a commendable record of raising their voice of protest against the acts of invasion by their imperialist rulers. It happened in the case of US aggression against Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and several other countries of the world. They stood in support and solidarity with the struggle of people against aggression and for peace. The team of Baghdady – producers, writers, composers, lyricists, actors and technicians are only holding high and carrying this torchforward by producing and enacting a  politically relevant play. the shackles of imperialism. They must join theworking class, oppressed people and peace loving forceswho are waging various forms of struggle to wipe out the demon of imperialism from the face of the Earth.  Red salute to Comrade Shiva Shankar Comrade Shiva Shankar, State secretary of Bihar unit of SUCI (Communist) passed away on 16 th November, 2016. He was suffering from cancer. He was 74 years old. He came into contact with the Communist Movement at a very young age when he was a student of class IX. First he joined the CPI before 1960 and later on he was associated with CPI (M) after 1964 division. When Naxalbari peasant uprising broke out in May 1967, he found himself supporting the movement and was active in Mushahari peasant movement of Bihar in association with Com.Raj Kishore Singh, C.C. Member of erstwhile CPI (ML). Later on he came into contact of SUCI. Very much influenced by a study class of Com. Shibdas Ghosh he joined the Party in 1969. He had been District secretary of Muzaffarpur unit of SUCI from 1970 to2004. He was a very committed comrade and a good organizer. In the year 2004 he became the secretary of Bihar State Committee of SUCI (Communist) and remained in this responsibility till his death. The Central Committee of CPI (ML) expresses its heartfelt condolences to his bereaved family and party members and pays revolutionary homage to the de