-Caveat Lector- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"> </A> -Cui Bono?- "we (the people of India) must fight this - neo American imperialism that Clinton symbolizes" National Alliance of People�s Movements National Office: c/o Chemical Mazdoor Sabha, Haji Habib Building, �A� wing, First Floor, Naigoan Cross Road, Dadar (E), Mumbai 400 014 Tel: 022-4150529 (O) 022-5369724 (Res.-Sanjay MG) Email: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ============================================================= Why the People of India Oppose Bill Clinton's Visit Statement by People's Movements and Organisations of National Alliance of People's Movements The powerholders and the capitalists in India and their retinue seem to be quite thrilled with the proposed visit of Mr. Bill Clinton, the President on United States of America. An anticipatory appeasement competition is on to prepare way for the satisfaction of the American decision makers. Nothing is allowed to mar this auspicious occassion. Not even the terse reminder by the Secretary of State, Mandeline Albright regarding the status of Kashmir and CTBT would affect the lacherous attitude of the present government - politicians and bureaucrats alike- and the big business, captalists who are in league to 'privatise' and 'globalise' the economy and polity of this country. They and a section of English language press have been making out as if the visit of U.S. President were a decisive moment in the history of India and the Indian sub-continent as a whole. There has been a flurry of activities and an atmosphere is being built up. The Kumarmangalams and Arun Jaitleys are out to show the progress in the liberaliation and privatisation agenda. They want to make it known to the American decision makers and capitalists that there are no problems, no opposition to the free entry of the capital and acquisition of resources of the people of this country. The people of the country are ashamed of the way the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have been vying for the visit of the American President to their capitals like two children eager to show their progress card to the master. A different and virtual reality regarding the major issues and problems is being created by the capitalist media and the government-big business. All this IT hype is to marginalise the real issues and concerns of the common people - the farmers, toilers, dalits, backward classes and castes, adivasis, fisherpeople, workers and other depressed classes of Indian society. The elites in this country are out to submerge the reality of this nation, the real concernes of the people and the visit of the American president provides them an apt moment to reinforce their attempts. However, the people and people's movements in this country will not allow the real issues to be hijacked with the visit of Mr. Clinton. We, the representatives of people's movements from all over India oppose the visit and the entire built up correponding to that visit. We see the American President's visit as another attempt to thrust the 'globalisation' agenda down to the throats of Indian people. The American capitalists and powerholders, through their President, have been trying to achieve what they failed to do at Seattle COnclave of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in November, 1999. We oppose and the visit of Mr. Clinton' as the United States has been instrumental in imposing the unequal multilateral treaties on the developing nations. Be it in the form of the trade agrements or the impending the Agreement on Agriculture, the rights of the Third World countries are seriously curtailed in such unequal treaties. We question the rationale behind the newly touted Agreement on Agriculture. While the US. and European Union nations can have the state support to the agriculture in their countries on various pretexts, the developing nations are being told to cut subsidy and state support to agriculture which has already been in doldrums. The food security of India is being jeopartdised with the usurpation of the seeds, patents on bio-diversity, people's knowledge and the monopolisation of the agribusiness in the hands of a few conglomerates from the developed nations. The U.S. has been hypocritical in insisting on the labour and environmetal standards about the imports from the Third World countries, while encouraging the movement of capital and development pattern which has been highly violative of the environmental norms and labour rights. The entire gamut of 'globalisation' and WTO kind of development has been usurping the resources like land, water and water bodies from the hands of the people in this country and has been resulting in squeezing the employment opportunities, causing large scale retrenchment and unemployment. The WTO sponsored development pattern has given precedence to the monetary capital at the cost of the human and natural capital. Third World countries like India have been used as as dumping grounds and production grounds of hazardous and unwanted products in the Developed countries. The onslaught of capitalist development has posed a threat to the lands, land rights, forests, fisheries and livelihood of billions of people in this country. The WTO and 'free trade' hype has been eroding the already minimal decision-making powers in the nhands of local and national institutions. Decisions have been taken somewhere else and the people and people's organisations in this country are not at all being informed, let alone consulted. Laws are being changed and the rights of the people being curtailed. The Indian government too has been busy in consulting the multinational companies, multilateral institutions, big business and votaries of ' free market', but does not discuss the matter with the common people and their organisations. We consider this as the serious erosion of the rights of civil society in India. Civil society, the Indian powerholders and their cohorts in media and international scene must understand, does not consist of the big business and blue eyed IT brats, but millions of the farmers, labourers, adivasis, dalits,fisherpeople and workers of this country. We hold the United States as one of the responsible party for the continued erosion of the democracy and powers of the civil society in India. We make it clear that the present policies of Indian government and the bureaucrats, their cohorts in big business and big media do not represent the priorities and concerns, opinions of billions of Indians in the towns and villages, in the river valleys or on the sea coast. Their decisions, policies and projects are being opposed and will be resisted tooth and nail by the Indian people. Thus, though the American President and all the hype that follows him is being given red-carpet treatment by the Indian powerholders and big business, we the people of India oppose and resist it all as a symbol of the hegemony, exploitation of the rights and resources of the people and of this nation. We also warn the Indian government and all the big business that any attempt to further usurp the rights and resources of the people will result in fierce resistance. If it thinks that it can overcome the resistance of the people with the aid of the multilaterla conglomerates, big business and the powers like U.S. and WTO, it is seriusly mistaken. We will not tolerate the attempts by these powers to erode rights and exploit the resources ann lives of the people of India. Kishan Patnayak, Siddharaj Daddha, Gabriele Deitrich, Sunil, Vimal, Medha Patkar, Sukhendu Bhattacharya, Ajit Narayan Bose, Aruna Roy (National Convenors) Sanjay M.G. (National Co-cordinator) Thomas kocherry (National Coordinator) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- FOR WIDE CIRCULATION TO ALL, INCLUDING PRESS National Alliance of People�s Movements National Office: c/o Chemical Mazdoor Sabha, Haji Habib Building, �A� wing, First Floor, Naigoan Cross Road, Dadar (E), Mumbai 400 014 Tel: 022-4150529 (O) 022-5369724 (Res.-Sanjay MG) Email: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Press release:12.3.2000 People's movements oppose Clinton's visit: Question the neo-colonial regime The power holders and the Indian capitalists, as also their followers, expectantly await the proposed visit of Mr. Bill Clinton, the President of the USA. Fastidious arrangements have been made, not only by the team of 60 US officials who have taken pains to insure that the red carpet will be extended to their President, but also by the Indian bureaucrats who see this as a major event in taking India into the 21st century. While Mr. Clinton will be offered the traditional privilege of addressing the two houses of Parliament, little will be said about his role in imposing undemocratic sanctions against Iran and Cuba and also India. The fact that he is President of the so called democratic United States of America will mar the other basic fact that he also represents the interests of the American MNCs and the world corporates, the World Bank and IMF and actively supports the imperialist agreements of the WTO. In short, he has none other, but the interests of the USA foremost on his agenda and this visit is one among other attempts to achieve what America and other powers could not achieve at Seattle. The NAPM has always condemned the neo colonial designs of the multilateral lenders, multinational capital and the powers behind them. We feel this is the time for the people of India to protest against this American-global conspiracy and the Indian government's growing involvement in it. It is time for all the people of India who are marginalised in this process to expose this conspiracy and the undue pressure made on India to repeal democratic space and to sign the CTBT while they themselves increase the stock pile of nuclear weapons. Vajpayee government, claiming to be Swadeshi fighting against Videshi in all forms -in economy as well as politics, - pretends to be na�ve and ignorant about Ms Mandeline Alb. Right's self-righteous statement on Kashmir suggesting mediation by Clinton. Remember our Prime Minister's attack and temper tantrums against Mandela's polite reference to Kashmir during his visit to South Africa? The power that Clinton be, the sovereign ruler of India has no comment this time! All this and much more suggests that we must fight this - neo American imperialism that Clinton symbolizes and represents. His agenda this time is certainly profit, profit and profit! Not being against social clause on labour and environment, NAPM condemns both the attempts of Clinton and Moron, our own foreign ministers, his Indian counterpart, towards export-oriented production. Our rulers should at least stop being slaves if they cannot gather strength and courage to lead an international force of the non-developed countries! NAPM, therefore, cannot welcome Mr. Clinton! It condemns American imperialism his brief of multi nationalism at the cost of local resources, local needs and people. Retrenched labourers in the unorganized and organized sector, especially women, displaced tribals, dalits, fish workers and farmers � no one can remain silent any more. Tomorrow a rally is organised in the valley of Narmada. Some representatives will join the demonstration at Delhi on the 15th, to protest against the visit of US President Bill Clinton. Between 20 - 25th, protest programmes will be arranged in many places, including Bhopal, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Culcutta. The Holi festival of this year (on 19th March) will be observed as 'Vedeshiyata Holi'.. It pledges to a desi path to development. Clinton, keep away! Beware!! A war is on � through battles, here and now! (Siddharaj Daddha) (Kishan Patnayak) (P.Chennaiah) (Ram Kishore) (Lata PM) (Medha Patkar) (Gabriele Deitrich) (Thomas Kocherry) ==========<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>========== <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soap-boxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. 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