The CPM’s attempt to give a “Muslim twist” to the nuclear deal may have backfired, but there seems to be some solace for the Left now that the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) — the “ideological face” of Indian Muslims — is in the process of launching a national alliance to fight against imperialism in the light of the Indo-US nuclear deal. As a preliminary to the launch of this alliance, the JIH on Tuesday organised a symposium on the ‘Indo-US nuclear deal and national interest’ where it was decided, “to oppose the agreement tooth and nail”.

The new alliance, which is yet to be named, will be a conglomeration of ideologically compatible Muslim bodies — including All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, Indian National League, Muslim Political Council of India and Markazi Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind — as well as a few civil society organisations with strong anti-imperialist leanings such as the Movement for Peace and Justice, Third Freedom Struggle Movement and Rashtriya Samaj Paksh.

Steps towards launching the alliance are already underway, and the first state unit has been formed in Maharashtra with a vow to “thwart the Indo-US nuclear deal and oppose designs of US Imperialism”. JIH plans to launch similar units in all states within a month.

Taking a stand that apart from the Left Front no other party is willing to fight against US imperialism, the new alliance has underlined the need to have a joint platform of all Left parties, Socialists, Ambedkarite parties and minority organisations. “A national alliance of anti-imperialist movement is the need of the hour,” they say, alleging that the “secular dispensation under Manmohan Singh has sacrificed democratic aspirations on the altar of nuclear agreement” and exhorts “aam admi” to teach “every imperial agent” a lesson in the next election.

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