>X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > "we (the people of India) must fight this - neo > American imperialism that Clinton symbolizes" > > > >Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2000 16:15:58 +0530 >From: Medha Patkar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: For wider circulation >Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED], > >Dear All friends of NBA, NAPM, USA and Europe, > >I hope you have already received you detailed note on Why people oppose Bill >Clifton's visit as also the press note issued from NAPM convention. >Will you please circulate it and also issue statement to press in USA using >the information there in? > >URGENT please. >Medha > > >National Alliance of People’s Movements >National Office: c/o Chemical Mazdoor Sabha, Haji Habib Building, >‘A’ wing, First Floor, Naigoan Cross Road, Dadar (E), Mumbai 400 014 >Tel: 022-4150529 (O) 022-5369724 (Res.-Sanjay MG) >Email: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >============================================================= > >Why the People of India Oppose Bill Clinton's Visit >Statement by People's Movements and Organisations of >National Alliance of People's Movements > > >The powerholders and the capitalists in India and their retinue seem to be >quite thrilled with the proposed visit of Mr. Bill Clinton, the President on >United States of America. An anticipatory appeasement competition is on to >prepare way for the satisfaction of the American decision makers. Nothing is >allowed to mar this auspicious occassion. Not even the terse reminder by the >Secretary of State, Mandeline Albright regarding the status of Kashmir and >CTBT would affect the lacherous attitude of the present government - >politicians and bureaucrats alike- and the big business, captalists who are >in league to 'privatise' and 'globalise' the economy and polity of this >country. They and a section of English language press have been making out >as if the visit of U.S. President were a decisive moment in the history of >India and the Indian sub-continent as a whole. There has been a flurry of >activities and an atmosphere is being built up. The Kumarmangalams and Arun >Jaitleys are out to show the progress in the liberaliation and privatisation >agenda. They want to make it known to the American decision makers and >capitalists that there are no problems, no opposition to the free entry of >the capital and acquisition of resources of the people of this country. > >The people of the country are ashamed of the way the Chief Ministers of >Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have been vying for the visit of the American >President to their capitals like two children eager to show their progress >card to the master. A different and virtual reality regarding the major >issues and problems is being created by the capitalist media and the >government-big business. All this IT hype is to marginalise the real issues >and concerns of the common people - the farmers, toilers, dalits, backward >classes and castes, adivasis, fisherpeople, workers and other depressed >classes of Indian society. The elites in this country are out to submerge >the reality of this nation, the real concernes of the people and the visit >of the American president provides them an apt moment to reinforce their >attempts. > >However, the people and people's movements in this country will not allow >the real issues to be hijacked with the visit of Mr. Clinton. We, the >representatives of people's movements from all over India oppose the visit >and the entire built up correponding to that visit. We see the American >President's visit as another attempt to thrust the 'globalisation' agenda >down to the throats of Indian people. The American capitalists and >powerholders, through their President, have been trying to achieve what they >failed to do at Seattle COnclave of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in >November, 1999. > >We oppose and the visit of Mr. Clinton' as the United States has been >instrumental in imposing the unequal multilateral treaties on the developing >nations. Be it in the form of the trade agrements or the impending the >Agreement on Agriculture, the rights of the Third World countries are >seriously curtailed in such unequal treaties. > >We question the rationale behind the newly touted Agreement on Agriculture. >While the US. and European Union nations can have the state support to the >agriculture in their countries on various pretexts, the developing nations >are being told to cut subsidy and state support to agriculture which has >already been in doldrums. The food security of India is being jeopartdised >with the usurpation of the seeds, patents on bio-diversity, people's >knowledge and the monopolisation of the agribusiness in the hands of a few >conglomerates from the developed nations. > >The U.S. has been hypocritical in insisting on the labour and environmetal >standards about the imports from the Third World countries, while >encouraging the movement of capital and development pattern which has been >highly violative of the environmental norms and labour rights. The entire >gamut of 'globalisation' and WTO kind of development has been usurping the >resources like land, water and water bodies from the hands of the people in >this country and has been resulting in squeezing the employment >opportunities, causing large scale retrenchment and unemployment. The WTO >sponsored development pattern has given precedence to the monetary capital >at the cost of the human and natural capital. Third World countries like >India have been used as as dumping grounds and production grounds of >hazardous and unwanted products in the Developed countries. The onslaught of >capitalist development has posed a threat to the lands, land rights, >forests, fisheries and livelihood of billions of people in this country. > >The WTO and 'free trade' hype has been eroding the already minimal >decision-making powers in the nhands of local and national institutions. >Decisions have been taken somewhere else and the people and people's >organisations in this country are not at all being informed, let alone >consulted. Laws are being changed and the rights of the people being >curtailed. The Indian government too has been busy in consulting the >multinational companies, multilateral institutions, big business and >votaries of ' free market', but does not discuss the matter with the common >people and their organisations. We consider this as the serious erosion of >the rights of civil society in India. Civil society, the Indian powerholders >and their cohorts in media and international scene must understand, does not >consist of the big business and blue eyed IT brats, but millions of the >farmers, labourers, adivasis, dalits,fisherpeople and workers of this >country. We hold the United States as one of the responsible party for the >continued erosion of the democracy and powers of the civil society in India. > >We make it clear that the present policies of Indian government and the >bureaucrats, their cohorts in big business and big media do not represent >the priorities and concerns, opinions of billions of Indians in the towns >and villages, in the river valleys or on the sea coast. Their decisions, >policies and projects are being opposed and will be resisted tooth and nail >by the Indian people. Thus, though the American President and all the hype >that follows him is being given red-carpet treatment by the Indian >powerholders and big business, we the people of India oppose and resist it >all as a symbol of the hegemony, exploitation of the rights and resources of >the people and of this nation. We also warn the Indian government and all >the big business that any attempt to further usurp the rights and resources >of the people will result in fierce resistance. If it thinks that it can >overcome the resistance of the people with the aid of the multilaterla >conglomerates, big business and the powers like U.S. and WTO, it is seriusly >mistaken. We will not tolerate the attempts by these powers to erode rights >and exploit the resources ann lives of the people of India. > >Kishan Patnayak, Siddharaj Daddha, Gabriele Deitrich, Sunil, Vimal, Medha >Patkar, Sukhendu Bhattacharya, Ajit Narayan Bose, Aruna Roy (National >Convenors) > >Sanjay M.G. (National Co-cordinator) > >Thomas kocherry (National Coordinator) >--------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >FOR WIDE CIRCULATION TO ALL, INCLUDING PRESS > > >National Alliance of People’s Movements >National Office: c/o Chemical Mazdoor Sabha, Haji Habib Building, >‘A’ wing, First Floor, Naigoan Cross Road, Dadar (E), Mumbai 400 014 >Tel: 022-4150529 (O) 022-5369724 (Res.-Sanjay MG) >Email: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >Press release:12.3.2000 > > >People's movements oppose Clinton's visit: Question the neo-colonial regime > > >The power holders and the Indian capitalists, as also their followers, >expectantly await the proposed visit of Mr. Bill Clinton, the President of >the USA. Fastidious arrangements have been made, not only by the team of 60 >US officials who have taken pains to insure that the red carpet will be >extended to their President, but also by the Indian bureaucrats who see this >as a major event in taking India into the 21st century. > >While Mr. Clinton will be offered the traditional privilege of addressing >the two houses of Parliament, little will be said about his role in imposing >undemocratic sanctions against Iran and Cuba and also India. The fact that >he is President of the so called democratic United States of America will >mar the other basic fact that he also represents the interests of the >American MNCs and the world corporates, the World Bank and IMF and actively >supports the imperialist agreements of the WTO. In short, he has none other, >but the interests of the USA foremost on his agenda and this visit is one >among other attempts to achieve what America and other powers could not >achieve at Seattle. > >The NAPM has always condemned the neo colonial designs of the multilateral >lenders, multinational capital and the powers behind them. We feel this is >the time for the people of India to protest against this American-global >conspiracy and the Indian government's growing involvement in it. It is time >for all the people of India who are marginalised in this process to expose >this conspiracy and the undue pressure made on India to repeal democratic >space and to sign the CTBT while they themselves increase the stock pile of >nuclear weapons. > >Vajpayee government, claiming to be Swadeshi fighting against Videshi in all >forms -in economy as well as politics, - pretends to be naïve and ignorant >about Ms Mandeline Alb. Right's self-righteous statement on Kashmir >suggesting mediation by Clinton. Remember our Prime Minister's attack and >temper tantrums against Mandela's polite reference to Kashmir during his >visit to South Africa? The power that Clinton be, the sovereign ruler of >India has no comment this time! > >All this and much more suggests that we must fight this - neo American >imperialism that Clinton symbolizes and represents. His agenda this time is >certainly profit, profit and profit! Not being against social clause on >labour and environment, NAPM condemns both the attempts of Clinton and >Moron, our own foreign ministers, his Indian counterpart, towards >export-oriented production. Our rulers should at least stop being slaves if >they cannot gather strength and courage to lead an international force of >the non-developed countries! > >NAPM, therefore, cannot welcome Mr. Clinton! It condemns American >imperialism his brief of multi nationalism at the cost of local resources, >local needs and people. Retrenched labourers in the unorganized and >organized sector, especially women, displaced tribals, dalits, fish workers >and farmers … no one can remain silent any more. Tomorrow a rally is >organised in the valley of Narmada. Some representatives will join the >demonstration at Delhi on the 15th, to protest against the visit of US >President Bill Clinton. Between 20 - 25th, protest programmes will be >arranged in many places, including Bhopal, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Culcutta. The >Holi festival of this year (on 19th March) will be observed as 'Vedeshiyata >Holi'.. It pledges to a desi path to development. Clinton, keep away! >Beware!! A war is on … through battles, here and now! > > > >(Siddharaj Daddha) >(Kishan Patnayak) >(P.Chennaiah) >(Ram Kishore) >(Lata PM) >(Medha Patkar) >(Gabriele Deitrich) >(Thomas Kocherry) > >==========<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>========== > > > ............................................. > Bob Olsen, Toronto [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ............................................. > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
