‘FTAs undermining fundamentals of Constitution’ Express News ServiceFirst Published : 22 Jan 2011 04:23:55 AM ISTLast Updated : 22 Jan 2011 11:28:47 AM IST
THIRUVANATHAPURAM: India’s enthusiasm for Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) defies economic logic in the context of current global crises and when countries eschew trade liberalisation and concentrate on revival of domestic economies and creation of jobs, said State Planning Board member K N Harilal. He was speaking at the meeting jointly organised by the Kerala Swatantra Matsya Thozilali Federation (KSMTF), South Indian Coordination Committee of Farmers’ Movements (SICCFM) and Delhi-based groups ‘Focus on the Global South’ and ‘Madhyam’ here the other day. The meeting was organised in the context of the Union Government’s decision to implement and negotiate more than 30 FTAs. Harilal said that with the abrogation of the right to raise tariffs and the right to intervene in the market on crucial issues such as finance, agriculture and fisheries, the Centre was undermining the fundamentals of the Indian Constitution. Economist and author Kavaljit Singh from the Delhi-based Public Interest Research Centre said that in a country with some 500 million citizens without a bank account and 292 under-banked districts, de-regulation of banking rules to facilitate the entry of more European banks would undermine banking in the public sector and financial inclusion. Lawyer Kajal Bhardwaj from New Delhi said that European pharmaceutical companies such as Bayer were lobbying for patent rights for life-saving drugs through the EU-India FTA which would make several medicines out of the reach of common people. KSMTF state president T Peter said that the fight against FTAs was not a ‘sectoral fight’ by fish workers. Government employees, farmers, workers of small and medium enterprises, dalits and adivasis should come together to counter this anti-people pro-corporate agenda of the Government. "Only such a broad people’s alliance can win this fight," he said. He further said that KSMTF would reach out to other groups to have more such regional meetings in South India in the near future. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB.
