----- Original Message ----- From: el desaparecido <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; rachel rinaldo <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2000 4:31 PM Subject: [a16-international-planning] a message from India for A16 (NAPM) > > ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- > From: "sanjay sangvai" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Ajit Bose, Vikalpa, Calcutta" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Copies to: "Vijay Diwan, Aurangabad" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Global Day of Action Appeal/ see,also in attachment, file. > For publication > Date sent: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 22:06:06 +0530 > > NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PEOPLE'S MOVEMENT > C/O Chemical Mazdoor Sabha, Haji Habib Building,Naigoan Cross Rd. > DADAR(EAST),MUMBAI 400014 ( Ph.Off: 022- > 4150529,Res.2029296/5369724 > > > For Publication/ April 11, 2000 > > > > GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION BY THE PEOPLE'S MOVEMENTS > > > AGAINST THE HEGEMONY OF CAPITAL AND FOR A SANE NEW WORLD > > > > > We, the people's movements of India reiterate our solidarity with the global > movement to oppose the multilateral agencies like World Bank, International > Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO). We express > our > total support for the Global Day of Action against the Globalisation and the > protests against the World Bank, IMF and WTO that are being held in > Washington on April 16. We, the people's organisations in India, the > movements of the farmers, adivasis (indigenous people), backward classes and > castes, landless people, workers and labourers, fisherpeople and all the > common consumers declare our opposition to the policies and the project of > the Capitalist powers and the pliant state. Their policies do not represent > the people's will of our country. The National Alliance of People's > Movements (NAPM) has been protesting against the Globalisation process that > is being thrust upon the people of our country and of all the countries in > the Third World by the power elite in these countries in collusion with the > national and multinational corporate giants and the multilateral agencies > like the World Bank. We declare that all of them will face stiff resistance > in India and in all the countries in South Asia, if they try to bulldoze the > people's rights, resources and democratic decision making processes. > > > For last ten years the people in India have experienced the first effects of > the increasing onslaught of these forces. The utmost importance to the > capital has marginalised the human resources and natural resources and they > have been subservient to the money. We make it clear that the People's > movements have been resisting the previous economic and political processes > of the centralised, bureaucratic and corrupt regimes also. The ' the New > Economic Policy" is but a powerful extension of the already existing > policies. In the new image of development, a virtual reality has been > created where the so-called information technology, entertainment industry, > consumerist production and export-import economy has been hyped as the > 'progress' and real economy. All this IT hype is to marginalise the real > issues and concerns of the common people- the issues of land, water, > agriculture, forests, employment, the issues of freedom from inequality, > injustice and exploitation of all sorts, and of livelihood and > sustainability have been relegated to backseat. > > > With the advent of the Globalisation, in came the hoards of MNCs. The Pepsi, > Coke and bottled 'pure'water became the 'in' thing while the state has > abandoned its responsibility to provide safe drinking water in public places > and in villages. The land, forest are being handed over to the private > interests and now there is proposal to 'privatise' the water bodies and > water utilities. The multinational mega-trawlers are wrecking havoc on the > fishing communities and marine ecology of the country while the dams, > factories and other such projects have been devouring the land, forests, > creating unchecked pollution, generate unbridled corruption and violation of > the law of the land. Recently, the President of USA had brought the hoards > of the businesspersons in India and they concluded many contracts with the > private business here, keeping the people in the dark. One such infamous > instance is the contract with the Ogden Corporation regarding the > controversial Maheshwar hydro-power dam. This project would devour the > fertile land and well-settled villages and would displace over 25,000 > peasants and labourers, boatspeople etc. > > > The public utilities, like roads, electricity, water supply are being handed > over to the private conglomerates. While we hold no brief for the corrupt > and inefficient bureaucrats and management of the public enterprises; but > the privatisation is no panacea for that, as they tend to be more > irresponsible and are dependent on the hidden subsidy of public money and > resources like land, water and finance. The multinational and national > capitalists invest in the sectors like power generation and oil extraction, > only with either the state guarantee of benefit (escrow account) or the > inflated prices. The public corporations are being crippled for their sake. > The public purpose of such utilities would be lost without the benefits that > are hyped. We want the efficient, responsible public utilities. > > > The increasing corporatisation of these sectors is having adverse > environmental and social impacts. The coastal lands, hinterlands, > water-bodies and forests are being made free for the pollution, over > extraction and outright destruction of the natural resources of this > country. The Ministry of Environment has been made subservient to the > Ministries of Power, Industry and Water Resources. The private and > multinational companies have been violating the environmental norms with > impunity, as they know perfectly well that the other ministries are > unabashedly seeking them and would brake and bend or change the laws for > their sake. The statutory bodies like Pollution Control Board in the state > has been made powerless and whatever its suggestions are just brushed aside. > Thousands of the chemical and hazardous industrial units have been polluting > the riverbanks and coastlines. The government has declared coastal areas in > Konkan, as the chemical industries zones. Third World countries like India > have been used as dumping grounds and production grounds of hazardous and > unwanted products in the Developed countries under the garb of development, > science and new technology has > posed a threat to the lands, land rights, forests, fisheries and livelihood > of billions of people. > > > The Multinational corporates and the powers like World Bank have been trying > to achieve what they failed to get done at Seattle Conclave of the World > Trade Organisation (WTO) in November, 1999. This they have been doing > through number of agreements, bilateral and multilateral ones. The rights of > the Third World people are being seriously curtailed in such unequal > treaties. Agricultural economics, food security and the indigenous seeds are > jeopardised due to the unequal treaties imposed as a result of the WTO. > Recently, Indian government lifted import restrictions on number of > agricultural products, including wheat. Much before the Agreement on > Agriculture is brought in the USA, the Indian agriculturist has been facing > the import of the 'cheap' wheat, sugar and palm oil. As it is the > agriculture has been the losing proposition in this part of the world. The > Indian agriculturists do get far less state support in comparison with the > agriculture in USA or Europe. The WTO regime wants the further cut in state > support and making way for the easy import of the agricultural products. > This has been a double attack on Indian agriculture. The lollypop of the > increased profitability of agriculture due to the international competition > is neither sustainable nor it would benefit most of the farmers. Instead, it > would ruin the local and national level market. > > > Instead of the necessary foodgrains, our lands are being corporatised and > are used for export oriented crops, which are again meant for > urban-industrial market in and outside country. The food security of the > country is threatened with the disingenuous patent regime, which tend to > usurp the common knowledge base into the hands of the people. The food > security of India is being jeopardized 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. and the ' developed' countries have been hypocritical in insisting > on the labour and environmental standards in the WTO, for 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. We unequivocally stand for the labour rights and > for the environmental protection; but we have no illusion that the > hypocritical concern for these issues by the developed countries, is in > fact, a ploy to protect the commercial interests. 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 of the employment opportunities, > causing large scale retrenchment and unemployment. > > > Due to the globalisation frenzy the priorities of the state have shifted > >from the well-being and protection of the interests of the common people to > the safeguarding the interests of the capitalist powers. The government is > acquiring the land and other natural resources in the hands of the people > and communities in the name of 'public purpose' and handing them down to the > companies. As has happened in the case of Enron Power project in Maharashtra > and Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh, the state police and administration was > used to protect the interests of the private companies, suppress the people' > s protest against the companies. > > > The laws and rules of this country are being changed to facilitate the free > play of the capital. Long before the Multilateral Agreement on Investment > becomes a reality, the Indian government has been changing the laws > regarding the labour, agriculture, land acquisition, displacement, > environment and patents. There is a move to change the land acquisition act > with the corresponding changes in the laws regarding displacement and > rehabilitation. The purpose is to make the lands available far more easily > for the companies in the days of globalisation. There is a bill, passed by > both the houses of the Parliament to change the coastal regulation zone to > facilitate environmentally hazardous aquaculture farming. On the other hand, > the MNCs like Enron can get away with outright violation of all the laws and > rules in this country and dictate their terms. The Cogentrix company can > overawe the highest judiciary of this land. > > > The WTO and 'free trade' hype has been eroding the already minimal > decision-making powers in the hands 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 are being curtailed. The Parliament, > state legislatures have become the ineffective bodies, which agree to every > stipulation dished out by the bureaucracy, couched as experts. The business > community and multinational corporations have a free access in the corridors > of powers; they form the consultative and advisory bodies attached with > finance and industry ministries; but not a single people's movement or > organisation has been seriously consulted on the basic issues of economy and > policy. This has been the serious erosion of the rights of the marginalised > section in real policy making of this country. Civil society does not > consist of the big business and blue eyed IT brats, but millions of farmers, > labourers, adivasis, dalits, fisherpeople and workers of this country and > their movements and organizations. We hold the Global corporate powers 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. We warn the Indian government, all the big business, > multilateral conglomerates and multilateral financial agencies that any > attempt to further usurp the rights and resources of the people will result > in fierce resistance. If they think that they can overcome the resistance of > the people with the support of the Indian state they are seriously mistaken. > We will not tolerate the attempts to erode rights and exploit the resources > and lives of the people. > > > Number of alternatives to the present development mania have been emerging > out of the efforts of umpteen number of groups all over our country - to > create decentralised, sustainable, equitable and peaceful, non-violent > world. However, we assert that we will have to oppose the present > destructive development pattern, to safeguard, encourage and spread these > sane and safe alternatives. > > > We are for a New Internationalism, based on freedom for the common persons, > equality, ecological sustainability and decision making in the hands of the > people and communities. We will keep trying for the New International > economic, political and ecological order, based on equality, justice and > democratic decision making. We consider that opposing the hegemony of these > capitalist powers is a precondition of a Sane New World. We express our > solidarity with the people's organisations all over the world in opposing > this hegemony and resolve to create a humane and sustainable world. > > > The NAPM has been active against the Globalisation, Privatisation and > Liberalization, which in effect are the free run for the capitalists. In the > recently held Third National Convention of the Alliance at Chhota Badada, on > the banks of Narmada, about 350 delegates from seventy orgnisations from all > over India, decided to extend the solidarity to this action in Washington on > April 16. The People's Movements have also held large protest programme of > Halla Bol ( Attack) against these policies in Mumbai on April 11. > > > We stand for the people's rule, resources in the hands of communities, > equality and freedom from exploitation. We stand for a sustainable and > creative existence of human being and the nature. > > > > > In Solidarity, > > > > NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PEOPLE'S MOVEMENTS > > AND ALL THE ALLIED PEOPLE'S MOVEMENTS IN INDIA. > > > > > > Contact: > > Thomas Kocherry - National Coordinator ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) > > Sanjay Mangala Gopal- National Co-coordinator ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) > > Medha Patkar - National Convenor ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) > > Vimal- National Convenor ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > 1.6 Million Digital Images! > Download one Today from Corbis.com > http://click.egroups.com/1/3356/4/_/314851/_/955728169/ > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > To Post a message, send it to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To Unsubscribe, send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. 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