LETTER GIVEN TO CLAIR SHORT,DEVELOPMENT MINISTER OF BRITAIN

To,
Secretary of State for International Development , Britain.
Mission Head ,India Office ,World Bank,
Resident Representative, Asia Development Bank (India Resident Mission)

17th January,2001

Dear Madam/Sir,

We are writing to you on behalf of the Jan Sangarsh Morcha (the forum of mass people's organizations of Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh) today ,in the event of the organization of the Development Forum in Bhopal. These organizations work among the tribals in the forests and the farmers of Madhya Pradesh on survival , ecological and social issues. We are writing to you to oppose the anti-people policies, Projects and processes that are sought to be thrust on the people of this state and indeed this country, at the behest of the multilateral institutions , but which most often reflect the interests of global corporations..

The experience of the people of this state with these institutions is that they have pushed the common people of Madhya Pradesh and indeed of India - be they tribals or farmers or the urban poor towards dispossession and pauperization, caused erosion and destruction of their natural resources, and taken away the self determination of our communities and indeed the nation state.

We note that the Energy reforms Bill has been passed in Madhya Pradesh at the instance of the Asia Development Bank. As a result, single point connections to the poor and concessional electricity to the farmers has been stopped since 1st of January, 2001.On the other hand, the privatized Maheshwar Hydro-Electric Project is being promoted by these institutions, which will produce prohibitively expensive electricity at Rs.7-10 per kWh and become an economic nightmare for the state as Enron Project has become for the state of Maharashtra. We note that the Power Finance Corporation which has received Rs.15 billion in foreign currency credits from the ADB and the WB is proposing to give a Rs. 11 billion foreign currency loan to the Maheshwar Project.

We note that the program of administrative reforms suggested by the ADB in Madhya Pradesh has led to the retrenchment of thousands of daily wage workers in Madhya Pradesh and put them on the streets..

We note that these multilateral institutions seek to take control over our vast natural resources including our rich forests,and to sieze and alienate the rights of thousands of tribals and other forest dwellers living in the forests of Madhya Pradesh . For example ,the World Bank funded M .P. Forestry Project has even in the last 6 years of its existence has led to the displacement of hundreds of tribals, alienation of their traditional rights of use and collection of forest produce, and the rights over their traditional ,non-titled "newad" forest lands being used for cultivation. We note also that despite wide spread opposition by tribals and their organizations , the World Bank has not cancelled the second trache of the World Bank Forestry Project. On the contrary, the state has dealt with this opposition with the use of force and with violence. In the last five years, 4 people have been killed in firing by Forestry and police officials in the forests of Madhya Pradesh and 8 people have been injured.

The legacy of the World Bank in the state of Madhya Pradesh and in the Narmada valley has been bitter indeed, with investment in the Sardar Sarovar Project ­ a large dam in the Narmada valley - having brought only destruction to the valley. The World Bank violated all social and environmental norms in continuing with the Project from 1985 to 1993 until intense struggle on the ground and international pressure forced the World Bank to first assess and then withdraw from the Project. Yet, the World Bank seems not to have learnt from this experience and is continuing to fund such like Projects in the Forestry sector and financially supporting institutions like the PFC which is funding yet another dam in the Narmada valley.

Bitter too for Madhya Pradesh and the city of Bhopal is the criminal negligence and the lack of accountability of TNCs such as the Union Carbide that led to the killing of over 10,000 people in one night in 1984. Yet,the Union Carbide never accepted its culpability and continues to evade it in a manner that cannot be possible in a civilized society.We understand that for these TNC's and their supporting institutions such as the W B and the ADB ,the pursuit of super profits is more important by far than survival,safety and ecological concerns, or respect for the common law of the land.

We note that the WTO regime that is being sought to be forced on all the developing nations of the world , the control of output and input prices in agriculture ,the removal of import restrictions and all subsidies in agriculture while the developed countries continue to protect their own agricultural sector will lead one hand to the pauperization and collective suicide of the Indian peasantry and seriously threaten the food security concerns of India on the other. As a peasantry driven by these contradictions and a shrinking space for survival rises in non ­violent opposition the state responds by protecting these policies and violent repression on the people as happened in the infamous Multai firing 3 years ago on this very day, where tens of farmers were hunted down and killed or maimed .

We note also that the basic programs of education and health that are basic rights for people in a welfare state are being sought to be privatized. The hitherto existing public programs are being pruned and discarded and instead of making them more responsive to the needs of the community , in the name of decentralization and community control, certain schemes are being brought in that are a precursor to privatization and the relinquishing of these basic services to the market forces .In a country like India and a state like Madhya Pradesh that is marked by uneven development, leaving the basic services like health and education to the market or on the ability of the community to support them is suicidal.

We understand that it is because these anti-people policies are being brought in , that wide spread and popular opposition is anticipated and so repressive Acts such as the Special Areas Security Act recently passed in the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha are being framed and legislated that go against the basic grain of the rights enshrined in our Constitution as well as basic democratic values. To, that extent, we hold the World Bank and the ADB and their partners responsible for the present and the future repression to be caused by the misuse of these legislations.

Finally , we oppose the privatization and the corporatisation of the essential infrastructure in our country , and the shaping of our policies and economic destiny by institutions and state departments of other countries .We call on you not to intervene or seek to control the decisions and the resources of our country or support or invest in such destructive Projects. Be aware also , that in the event, this intervention and interference continues, the common people of this state will through popular struggle and opposition confront and challenge these institutions and force out such policies.

Thousands of people of Andhra Pradesh were in the streets of Hyderabad two months ago opposing the starkly anti-poor energy policies of the World Bank forced reforms in the energy sector in the state. Five were killed in a police firing. Yet, the struggle continues there. Please understand that these policies that are sought to be introduced in this state in the name of reforms are a matter of life and death for the common people of this state .

We will fight till death if need be, but not allow our livelihoods, lands, homes and dignity to be seized and our survival concerns subordinated by multilateral institutions that seek to serve and promote the economic and commercial interests of the global corporations.

Yours sincerely,

Sunil        Shamim
Alok         Agarwall
Kisan Adivasi Sangathan
Shramik Adivasi Sangathan
Narmada Bachao Andolann
Abdul Jabbar         Dr.
Sunilam,             Benipurii
Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangathan  Kisan Sangarsh Samiti
Ekta Parishad