narmada | archives of global protests

NAPM Press Release 4 Jun 2004

People's Movements must be Have a Say in Policy-making

NAPM TO LAUNCH NATIONAL MOVEMENT FOR RIGHTS OF DALIT, TRIBALS,WORKERS AND FOR ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT. ORGANIZATIONS' NO TO WTO, RIVERLINK.

NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PEOPLE'S MOVEMENTS
C/o Chemical Mazdoor Sabha, Haji Habib Building, Naigaon Cross Road, Dadar
East, Mumbai-400014. Ph:24150529.email:sansahilvsnl.net

The 4th Bi-annual convention of the National Alliance of People's Movement (NAPM) was held at Timbaktu Collective (Dist.Anantpur) in Andhra Pradesh on May 22-24 and concluded with a resolve to intensify nation wide struggle for the rights of dalits, adivasis, workers, farmers, fisherpeople and women, minorities and all other marginalized sections and against Globalization, privatization and communalism-castieism. The convention called for a new alternative water, forest and land policy rejecting forthwith the Interlinking Rivers Project and all such mega-projects and anti-people development. It resolved to shape the alternative development paradigm, and appealed the government to support them. The movements call upon the new government to initiate a dialogue before formulating a new budget or five-year plan process.

The New context

The verdict of the 14th General elections has once again shown the resilience of the Indian democracy. The Indian voters have decisively defeated the rulers pursuing anti-people policies of Globalization, privatization, and communalism. The mandate has also demolished the myth of the so-called bi-polarity of Indian politics. The defeat of icons like Chandrababu Naidu and Jayalalitha has shown people's anger against their hi-tech and undemocratic ways of governance. The relentless struggles and campaigning by the people's movements and various intellectuals have contributed to a great extent for creating the fertile ground against the anti-people policies. Though there is little difference between the basic positions regarding economic reforms between the previous NDA regime and the Congress, that the Congress Party too had to assure the public about selective disinvestment or 'reforms with human face', is a tribute to these efforts. It has to be seen how the lessons of the verdict will affect the role of other parties in the ruling alliance. One has to be conscious to see that we do not to fall prey to any maneuver to stifle opposition by the Congress, using the secular card.

The way the corporate powers monitored and reacted to the election results, particularly through the violent fluctuation in the share market, is a matter of concern. It is shameful and dangerous for Indian democracy that not more than 0.1 per cent of the population related with the share market is out to dictate the economic and political policies. It was projected as if the wishes of millions of farmers, labourers, adivasis and dalits do not matter against the market mania of a few people. The people's movements demand that India should quit WTO and resist pressures from other multilateral financial agencies like World Bank (WB) and Asian Develoment Bank (ADB)trying to distort our own development policies.

It is within this context that the role of people's movements becomes imperative. The movements have been 'in politics', as they have been shaping and trying to change the power structure and decision making processes within society. That is what politics is all about. Electoral politics is one of the dimensions of the larger political sphere. Even within the electoral politics the people's movements have been participating in various capacities, either by pressurizing existing political parties to integrate peoples' issues into their agenda, creating awareness among the voters, trying to weed out corruption and malpractice, and supporting suitable political parties. Contesting the election by the members of people's movements is again one of the ways of direct intervention into electoral politics.

The role of People's Political Front, emerging out of the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) with other organization and forums, has assumed importance in this background. However it was felt that there is a need to further explore the various aspects of such electoral participation and strengthen the people's movement in all aspects of socio-political intervention.

We call unto the present government to establish dialogue with the and various people's movements and trade unions, before the budget and planning processes. More than the elements like FICCI and Chambers of Commerce, the farmers, workers, adivasis, dalits and all the toiling masses who have a more important role in continuing and safeguarding the economy of the country. They and their organizations must have a decisive say in any future policy. In view of this reality NAPM in its 4th Bi- annual convention has made some definite resolutions pertaining to the political economy of India.

The People's Rights

Among them is included the reorientation of Land Reforms Act and its strict implementation, the equitable redistribution of land to the tribals, dalits, landless and women, along with the settlement of tribals' claims to forest-land cultivation. A call was made for the total reformulation of the present water policy, with a view for sustainable, equitable and decentralized harnessing, distribution and judicious consumption policy. We demand that the untenable and unwarranted gigantic plan for interlinking of rivers must be scrapped forthwith and the government must prepare a new water policy with the participation of the people's organizations working in the field of sustainable and equitable water management.

While demanding the protection of Indian farming and farmer community from the scourge of Globalization in the form of World Trade Organization (WTO) World Bank driven policies, struggling to ensure remunerative prices for farmers, and protecting the interests of small farmers and farm labourers, we emphasize that the State must encourage sustainable agriculture and organic farming. The State must not abandon its responsibilities regarding providing the basic social services like health, education, mass transport, electricity and others, with priority for equity.

We demand that the Land Alienation (Prevention) Act should be strictly upheld along with the provisions in the 5th schedule of the constitution, as no adivasi land or area should be transferred to any private, corporate owner. All the lands in the 5th schedule area must be protected and tribal areas near the non- scheduled areas must be included in the scheduled area.

There should be a total ban on mechanized mega-trawlers in the Indian seas. The small fishworkers must be protected from the onslaught of multinational fishing industries. We call for strict implementation of coastal regulation zone act and call for demolishing of all aquaculture farms and beautification drives and such commercial activities on the sea-coasts.

Right to work must be made a fundamental right specially regarding dalits and special attention should be given to education and entrepreneurship among the dalit youth. We stand for dalit identity and dalit rights, with the goal of the annihilation of caste and caste-based politics.

We resolve to struggle for the right to life, right to work, and protection of livelihoods of the workers in unorganized and organized sectors. The practice of bonded labour and child labour should be stopped forthwith by the strict implementation of the relevant laws.

We support the struggle for a comprehensive central legislation (umbrella legislation) for the workers in the informal sector aiming at the security of employment, a living wage, equal wages to men and women, pension, health coverage, housing and access to resources.

We are against indiscriminate mechanization in agriculture, construction labour, and many other fields, which undermine peoples' skills and right to work.

The urban poor must be ensured land, right to work and right to dwell close to the place of work. One-fourth of the urban land must be earmarked for the labourer population. We support the National policy on vendors as formulated by the National Alliance of Street Vendors in India.

Development

We will struggle for the enactment of legislation to ban the water extraction and water utilization for the soft drink industries and ban on all non- essential water-based consumer luxury products. We are in and take ahead the struggle against Coca-Cola and Pepsi factories in Kerala and Uttar Pradesh, and call for a national campaign to boycott all products of multi-national companies.

We assert that water, land, forest, mineral, and aquatic wealth belong to people. It has community ownership and does not belong to either the state or corporate powers. We reject and will fight against attempts to privatize water bodies, water supply depriving common people of the right to water for drinking, domestic use, and livelihood.

Water projects must be planned with the meaningful and fully informed participation of the affected people and implemented only after their prior informed consent, following the pre-conditions as per 73rd Constitutional Amendment. Such planning should include a full options assessment to ensure appropriate technology, a thorough impact and benefit distribution assessment, and should aim for the least displacement and environmental destruction.

We reject the imposition of the interlinking of rivers project with its unscientific, unwarranted, and improper studies, and inflated benefits. We support decentralized land and water management by forming river-valley organizations as has begun with Ganga Valley, and by preparing alternative river basin plans.

The representatives of the movements from all over India chose the national convenors for the next two years. They include Aruna Roy, Medha Patkar, Thomas Kocherry, D. Gabriele, Geetha Ramakrishnan (TN), Sandeep Pandey (UP), Sanjay M.G., Ulka Mahajan (Maharashtra), Ms.Swati Desai (Gujarat), Sister Celia (Karnataka), Sawai Singh (Rajasthan), Ali Anwar (Bihar), Rajendra Ravi (Delhi), P.Chennaiah, Charles Meesa (AP)

Action Plans for NAPM

A national convention on women participating in peoples' struggles associated with NAPM will be planned soon.

Medha Patkar
National Coordinator
Sanjay M.G.
P.Chennaiah
National Co-coordinators

For more information please visit http://www.narmada.org/

2004 | narmada | www.agp.org (archives) | www.all4all.org