NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PEOPLE'S MOVEMENTS
C/o Chemical Mazdoor Sabha, Ist floor, Haji Habib Bldg., Naigaon
Cross Road, Dadar (E), Mumbai- 400 014. ( Ph,. 022-415 0529)
The President of United states and leaders of other countries are trying to deflect the attention of the world community from the real issues raised by the organisations against the World Trade Organisation (WTO) during the protests on November 30 (Tuesday). The sporadic ' violence' by some handful people in Seattle provided an alibi for the American administration to resort to indiscriminate police action and defamation of the protests. The representatives of people's organisations from all over the world are determined to raise the basic issues regarding the WTO and globalisation during the Seattle round and inside their own countries. The people's movements and organisations within India stand by the peaceful protestors in Seattle and call upon the world community to take cognisance of the basic issues they have been raising.
There were about 80,000 protestors from United States, Canada and from other parts of the world including India. Prominent activists like Thomas Kocherry of National Fishworkers' Forum and the national Coordinator of National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) and Prof. Sanjay Mangala Gopal, Co-coordinator NAPM have been in Seattle all though the protests. They have been part of the wider protest programmes that preceded the Seattle round. According to them, all the protestors had planned strictly for the non-violent mass action and had taken the training for that for two weeks. They had extensive discussions with the Mayor of Seattle about the progamme. There were only two a dozen people from Eugene (U.S. A.) who were bent on creating troubles for multinational companies' shops, which. Their wrath too had some basis.
All other organisations and groups, particularly associated with the 'People's Global Action' (PGA), of which NBA and NAPM have been a part, tried to dissuade them from taking the path of direct action. They also handed over the rioting protestors to the police. Despite this, the police and the administration resorted to indiscriminate firing of tea-gas and rubber bullets, beating and chasing away of the people along with the arrest of over 500 protestors. The activists were harassed in the jails also. Mr. Kocherry and Prof. Sanjay would be addressing a public meeting of the Indians in Seattle on December 3.
Due to the strong protests, Seattle city was jammed from various sides and the delegates could not reach the WTO negotiations venue. The police clamped curfew and even the President Mr. Clinton had to arrive during that time. Citizens of Seattle took out a protest march against the unwarranted police action. On December 2, 10,000 representatives of organisations and protestors took out a march through the city to condemn the police action. They termed it as an attempt by the American administration to deflect the attention of the world community from the basic issues that the people's movements throughout the world have raised against the WTO and the larger process of globalisation. Police attacked them and 500 were arrested.
The people's organisations and the concerned citizens throughout the world reject the unjust and exploitative regime of the WTO in toto. The dichotomy between the developed and developing countries has been superficial as the powerholders in both the camps want to pursue the same development path, aiming at exploiting the people and their resources. It is true that, many organisations do oppose the social clause/ labour standards and environmental clause that are being insisted upon by the rich nations. But, these organisations realise that they will have to fight with their own governments about the labour rights and the environmental sustainable development within their countries.
The insistence on social and environmental clause in WTO is but another form of the protectionism. On the other hand, these powerful countries are intent on forcing upon the world the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) which would violate all the labour, environmental and other laws within the nation, giving extraordinary powers investing in these countries. The definition of investment too has been too vague and all encompassing. Thus we condemn the governments of the third world nations too for bowing before the might of multinational capital and surrendering the rights and resources of the people of their own countries.
Meanwhile, the people's organisations and concerned citizens in Mumbai observed the 15th anniversary of Bhopal Gas tragedy and expressed solidarity with the victims by holding an exhibition on the urban-industrialollution and silent demonstration in the early morning in a a garden at Chembur, one of the worst polluted area of the metropolis. The activists, including the young students held the paintings with the slogans like "No More Bhopals", " Remember Bhopal, Save Chembur", " Mumbai contains Many Bhopal" and also questioning the role of the national-international capitalists. The hundreds of citizens signed the canvas in solidarity with the Bhopal victims and the fighting survivors.
Medha Patkar
Sanjay Sangvai