U.S. and allies driving the world towards turmoil: M.A. Baby 

Keeping an eye on the global arms trade, the U.S. and its allies are pushing the world toward chaos, Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] general secretary M.A. Baby has alleged.

He was speaking at the inauguration of the 27th edition of ‘EMS Smrithi’ held at the Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Hall in Thrissur on Friday. The annual event commemorates communist ideologue E.M.S. Namboodiripad on his birth anniversary.

Mr. Baby accused American imperialism of crafting strategies aimed at subjugating and exploiting the Third World countries, including India. He said, “The U.S. is openly backing Israel, even as it massacres innocent children in Gaza. Israel’s aggressive stance is pulling the world into deeper conflict, as seen in its recent airstrikes on Iran.”

Far-right extremism

Warning of a global surge in far-right extremism, Mr. Baby said the consequences of this trend are yet to fully unfold. “India has already become a strategic ally of the U.S., and our foreign and trade policies have bowed to American interests,” he added. He further criticised the BJP government for trying to divide people along communal lines under the guise of nationalism.

Highlighting domestic issues, he noted that despite India claiming to be the world’s fourth-largest economy, 83 crore citizens still face hunger. “On July 9, the Indian working class will go on a national strike against the BJP government’s flawed economic policies,” he said.

Alternative models

He praised Kerala’s resistance to imperialist corporate agendas by implementing alternative models of development. “Projects like Vizhinjam are part of this vision.”

Mr. Baby alleged that the Central government was deliberately stalling Kerala’s progress by denying due project allocations and blocking loan approvals. Citing a recent example, he said, “While the Centre denied Kerala permission to accept foreign aid during the 2018 floods, it has now allowed Maharashtra to do so, a clear display of bias.”

He said that Kerala had the capacity to lead the way with alternative policies against exploitative capitalist models. “The leadership shown by EMS is more relevant than ever today,” Mr. Baby said.

This year’s EMS Smrithi is themed “A Changing World and Kerala.” CPI(M) district secretary K.V. Abdul Khader presided over the opening session. A commemorative book on former national secretary Sitaram Yechury was released by Mr. Baby and handed over to Polit Bureau member U. Vasuki.

Later, speaking on the topic “Rising Inequality” as part of the EMS Smrithi seminar series, CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat said, “The reckless trade policies of the U.S. and the neoliberal approach of global capitalism are intensifying inequality. Today, two-thirds of the world’s wealth is in the hands of the richest 1%.”

‘More billionaires’

“In India, the top 40% of wealth is hoarded by the elite. When Narendra Modi came to power, the country had 100 billionaires. Now the number has doubled to 200. This is the direct result of neoliberal policies,” Mr. Karat said.

He added that inequality isn’t just economic. “Basic necessities like food, shelter, clothing, education, and healthcare are increasingly out of reach for common people. Yet, Kerala continues to uphold its welfare model despite economic constraints,” he said.

Published - June 13, 2025 08:10 pm IST