Neelima Mathur

KIM – INDIA’S POSTER BOY by Neelima Mathur In mid-December, 2017, a peculiar development hit the headlines in India. The face and name of North Korea’s President, Kim Jong-un, came up bold and strong on posters. These posters belonged to the Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPI –M), in the southern Indian state of Kerala. When there was a hue and cry, the Kerala CPI-M unit made statements about it being a ‘mistake’. Things should have quietened down after that but did not. A few days later, Pinarayi Vijayan, the Chief Minister of Kerala, made a series of statements at a CPI-M district committee meeting in the town of Kozhikode. Among the things he said: “North Korea has been following a tough anti-US agenda.” “North Korea has been more effective than China in countering the US.” North Korea is showcasing a better example of defending the world against “imperialist forces”. North Korea’s resistance against the US is “impressive”. These statements led to a lot of consternation in India and social media became active with comments. One pun based on a 1995 Kerala film, referred to the Chief Minister and Kim as: “Aniyan Bava, Chetan Bava” – Elder Brother, Younger Brother. The most popular meme that went viral was: Kim: I have a nuclear button on my desk. Trump: My button is bigger and more powerful. Kerala CM: I like Kim’s button. The media is already silent on this and has moved on. Yet, the incident does leave a lot of question marks. The Communist Party of India had split at one time and became CPI and CPI-M. They have had their affiliations with China and Russia over the years. In relation to North Korea, there have been some developments with China and Russia, even as the two Koreas are talking to de-escalate tensions. Historically, China has been North Korea’s diplomatic protector. Further to the UN Security Council’s new penalties, China has tightened its restrictions on North Korea from January 6, 2018. It will no longer be sharing any military or weapons programme. So, the United States and China, seem to be taking a tough stand, particularly after recent intercontinental ballistic missile tests by North Korea. In this context, it is interesting to note what the Russian President, Vladimir Putin and the head of his Security Council, said in December 2017. Putin was responding to a query from an Associated Press journalist, when he said: “You're interesting people, really. Have you noticed your congressmen, your senators, they look so nice and handsome with ties and shirts, and they seem to be smart people… “But they put [Russia] on the same shelf as North Korea or Iran. And at the same time, they ask the U.S. President to address the issues of North Korea and the Iranian nuclear program together with us. Are you OK? It just looks weird. It just doesn't make much sense… “We don't recognize North Korea as a nuclear state, we think that all the things happening there are counterproductive… “There was an agreement in 2005 that they will suspend their nuclear program, and they made certain commitments. Everybody was happy, we all agreed and signed this agreement…a few months later, the U.S. decided to go beyond this agreement, and they froze their assets, their bank accounts, and said North Korea should do something beyond this agreement… “North Korea then withdrew from this agreement, and relaunched its nuclear program. Why did you do that? Why did you sign this agreement if you thought it was not enough? You provoked North Korea to withdraw from this agreement, and then it was even worse… “You have to stop at a certain point, you have to stop this from spiralling. This is extremely dangerous.” The last line leads into what Nikolai Patrushev, Chairman of Russia’s Security Council stated. In early December, he indicated that Russia is making preparations in case the diplomatic crisis escalates into a full-fledged war. When Nikolai was directly asked about war, he said, “We are assessing this and preparing. This will not be something unanticipated.” Does any of this have anything to do with Kim posters coming up in India’s Kerala state and the statements of the Chief Minister? There is enough food for thought in a report based on a Press Trust of India feed published in the Economic Times of India about a 1985 CIA report that was declassified in January 2017. The CIA report states that the Soviets pumped cash into India in the era of the erstwhile Prime Ministers, Indira Gandhi and her son, Rajiv Gandhi. It clearly states that Russia funded the CPI and CPI-M (among others) “through a combination of kickback schemes, normal business transactions and direct cash payments”. Looking at what is alleged about Russia in the last presidential election of the United States, the “KGB” type of machinery is alive and well. How do we know or learn of their machinations in the India of today to serve their political interests?