12-01-2005, 07:20 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/123048/1/1893
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Indian NGOs Build People�s Movement on WTO Ministerial
Rahul Kumar
OneWorld South Asia
29 November 2005
 NEW DELHI, Nov 29 (OneWorld South Asia) - Dozens of Indian civil
society organizations have formed a People�s Caravan to lobby with the
Indian government against the proposed World Trade Organization (WTO)
agreements. The People�s Caravan, which is holding a mass awareness campaign
all over the country, has already reached millions of Indians through
rallies, public meetings and street plays.
 In a press conference on Friday, activists from a number of
grassroots civil society organizations warned the people that accepting WTO
agreements would lead Indians to another era of colonization by
multinational companies (MNCs) and the worst affected would be the marginalized
communities and the poor people.
 The People�s Caravan is part of a global effort under which
international and regional civil society organizations have joined together to
educate people in different countries.
 Providing an insight to the demands by the caravan, <b>Indu Prakash
Singh of ActionAid India</b> raised objections to the high subsidies, upto $300
million, provided by the European Union and the US to their farmers.
These subsidies, he pointed out, are much high in comparison to those
provided by the developing countries.
 He also opposed the existing norms of non-tariff barriers imposed by
developed countries on the import from the developing countries.
Present conditionalities in the WTO draft will further increase the trade
imbalance between the rich and the poor countries. His advice for the
Indian government was: �To negotiate hard and to keep the welfare of the
Indian farmers in mind.�
 Director of Nirman Mazdoor Sangathan, which works with unorganized
workers in the construction sector, Subhash Bhatnagar said that 93 per
cent Indian workers are in the unorganized sector and are also outside
the purview of social security schemes. He added: �Globalization and the
WTO will further deprive unorganized workers as existing employment
opportunities will shrink for them.�
 The People�s Caravan was launched in India on 24 October and seeks to
educate people about the impact of WTO on people who live in peripheral
and rural areas of India. <b>The caravan is highlighting the impact of
globalization, privatization and urbanization on Dalits, tribals, women,
forest dwellers and workers in the unorganized sector. </b>
 The sites for launching the People�s Caravan in various parts of
India have a historical significance. Most of the places have been
signposts in India�s struggle for independence and include sites like the
Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab and Champaran in Bihar. Though the underlying
tone for creating awareness is the WTO, people in different regions in
India are taking up local and regional issues that are close to them.
 President of Bal Vikas Dhara, which works with marginalized and slum
children, Devinder Kumar said that shopping malls, urbanization and
beautification of Indian cities is causing large scale urban unemployment.
Giving an example he said: �Services like water, electricity and solid
waste management are being handed over to the private sector.
Unorganized workers are losing their jobs and their families are getting
dislocated.�
 Ram Kishan of Aashray Adhikar Abhiyan (AAA), an NGO that works on
providing shelter to the homeless said: �The government has not been
elected to sell off the resources of the country to the MNCs. It has to
provide water, power and other necessities to the people at affordable
prices.�
 Speaking at the press conference, Anil Chaudhary from the Indian
Social Action Forum presented a completely radical perspective of WTO. He
said: �WTO is fundamentally wrong. Its predecessor � GATT (General
Agreement on Trade and Tariffs) � was to regulate only factory-made produce
and not agriculture. Agricultural production cannot be regulated as it
depends upon climate and natural factors therefore farm produce should
not be regulated under WTO.�
 Chaudhary added that tinkering with WTO rules and agreements will not
help the cause of the developing world. He suggested a more radical
solution: �We want the WTO to be completely scrapped. International trade
is not a new thing. It has been carried out for centuries and in better
ways.�
 The regional caravans that pass through almost all of India will
culminate in a final protest march in Delhi on December 10. The People�s
Caravan has sought permission to present a memorandum to the President
regarding their demands and expectations from the government. Selected
members from the caravan will join the global protests at the WTO
ministerial at Hong Kong.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
 Â
Indian NGOs Build People�s Movement on WTO Ministerial
Rahul Kumar
OneWorld South Asia
29 November 2005
 NEW DELHI, Nov 29 (OneWorld South Asia) - Dozens of Indian civil
society organizations have formed a People�s Caravan to lobby with the
Indian government against the proposed World Trade Organization (WTO)
agreements. The People�s Caravan, which is holding a mass awareness campaign
all over the country, has already reached millions of Indians through
rallies, public meetings and street plays.
 In a press conference on Friday, activists from a number of
grassroots civil society organizations warned the people that accepting WTO
agreements would lead Indians to another era of colonization by
multinational companies (MNCs) and the worst affected would be the marginalized
communities and the poor people.
 The People�s Caravan is part of a global effort under which
international and regional civil society organizations have joined together to
educate people in different countries.
 Providing an insight to the demands by the caravan, <b>Indu Prakash
Singh of ActionAid India</b> raised objections to the high subsidies, upto $300
million, provided by the European Union and the US to their farmers.
These subsidies, he pointed out, are much high in comparison to those
provided by the developing countries.
 He also opposed the existing norms of non-tariff barriers imposed by
developed countries on the import from the developing countries.
Present conditionalities in the WTO draft will further increase the trade
imbalance between the rich and the poor countries. His advice for the
Indian government was: �To negotiate hard and to keep the welfare of the
Indian farmers in mind.�
 Director of Nirman Mazdoor Sangathan, which works with unorganized
workers in the construction sector, Subhash Bhatnagar said that 93 per
cent Indian workers are in the unorganized sector and are also outside
the purview of social security schemes. He added: �Globalization and the
WTO will further deprive unorganized workers as existing employment
opportunities will shrink for them.�
 The People�s Caravan was launched in India on 24 October and seeks to
educate people about the impact of WTO on people who live in peripheral
and rural areas of India. <b>The caravan is highlighting the impact of
globalization, privatization and urbanization on Dalits, tribals, women,
forest dwellers and workers in the unorganized sector. </b>
 The sites for launching the People�s Caravan in various parts of
India have a historical significance. Most of the places have been
signposts in India�s struggle for independence and include sites like the
Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab and Champaran in Bihar. Though the underlying
tone for creating awareness is the WTO, people in different regions in
India are taking up local and regional issues that are close to them.
 President of Bal Vikas Dhara, which works with marginalized and slum
children, Devinder Kumar said that shopping malls, urbanization and
beautification of Indian cities is causing large scale urban unemployment.
Giving an example he said: �Services like water, electricity and solid
waste management are being handed over to the private sector.
Unorganized workers are losing their jobs and their families are getting
dislocated.�
 Ram Kishan of Aashray Adhikar Abhiyan (AAA), an NGO that works on
providing shelter to the homeless said: �The government has not been
elected to sell off the resources of the country to the MNCs. It has to
provide water, power and other necessities to the people at affordable
prices.�
 Speaking at the press conference, Anil Chaudhary from the Indian
Social Action Forum presented a completely radical perspective of WTO. He
said: �WTO is fundamentally wrong. Its predecessor � GATT (General
Agreement on Trade and Tariffs) � was to regulate only factory-made produce
and not agriculture. Agricultural production cannot be regulated as it
depends upon climate and natural factors therefore farm produce should
not be regulated under WTO.�
 Chaudhary added that tinkering with WTO rules and agreements will not
help the cause of the developing world. He suggested a more radical
solution: �We want the WTO to be completely scrapped. International trade
is not a new thing. It has been carried out for centuries and in better
ways.�
 The regional caravans that pass through almost all of India will
culminate in a final protest march in Delhi on December 10. The People�s
Caravan has sought permission to present a memorandum to the President
regarding their demands and expectations from the government. Selected
members from the caravan will join the global protests at the WTO
ministerial at Hong Kong.
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