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Journalism of Courage
As preparations for the joint air exercises between the US and India began in right earnest today, there was a similar flurry of activities outside the gates of the Indian Air Force station at Kalaikunda in West Bengal. Only these were not logistics officers, but Left apparatchiks.
Inside the base, Cobat Nelson, commander of the 36 Operations Group of the United States Airforce (USAF), and his nearly 300-strong crew busily finalised plans for the exercise that will kick off tomorrow under a strong security cordon.
Outside, the commander-in-chief of the red brigade, comrade Dipak Sarkar, district secretary of the CPI(M), supervised details of a protest march that will involve cadres totalling over five army divisions.
At the protest venue, barely yards from the barbwire perimeter of the air force base, Sarkar said, ‘‘The days are not far when we will have red flags flying over this airbase and at other airports in the country.’’ He carried on, ‘‘Who can tell for sure that the US forces will not take over this airforce base should they find it to their liking? As many as 130 countries in the world have American military bases.’’
Sarkar’s oratory left CS Suresh of the Air Force Police and Siddharth Sen, commanding the 4 Gorkha Brigade overseeing security at Kalaikunda, unperturbed. They inspected the rally venue and declared that everything looked ‘‘absolutely cool’’.
The fliers and the protestors were joined by an equally big contingent on Sunday—that of the police. Their aim is to prevent violence and they are not taking chances, putting up barricades. SP AP Nanda, said: ‘‘We have learnt through our channels that the protest will be peaceful and the exercise will go on.”
