Call to join dharna against displacement

Call to join dharna against displacement
To read this posting in Hindi language, click here
....................................................................................

Join hands to raise our collective voice against displacement & undemocratic, unjust, anti-people & pro-corporate The Land Acquisition (Amendment) Act, 2007 and The Resettlement and Rehabilitation Bill, 2007

Join Dharna at Jantar Mantar, Delhi
28 - 30 April 2008

Today, as the State continues with the mad frenzy in the name of 'development' and 'economic growth', rural and urban poor face displacement and dispossession at an unprecedented scale.

Not a day passes by when newspapers or channels in India does not have a story on yet another land acquisition, another resistance against corporate land grab or police atrocities on peaceful demonstrators. The government seems to have abdicated all responsibilities, even the pretence, of a 'Welfare State'.

It is now nothing more than a puppet of industrialists and capitalists, snatching all natural resources away from the people. On the other hand, for the multitudes-Dalits, Adivasis, agricultural workers, farmers, fish workers, artisans, forest dwellers- who have been facing the harsh reality of displacement and complete dispossession for years, there doesn't seem to be even the hope of rehabilitation now.

But be it in Nandigram or Jagatsinghpur, be it against uprooting people in the name of SEZs, mining or big dams or against the 'illegalisation' of urban poor, our country reverberates with voices of protest and struggle like never before. People are resisting the snatching away of the means of their lives and livelihood. They are resisting the theft and transfer of natural and common property resources into private hands for private profit. They are resisting the gross undermining of democracy and social justice that goes on in the name of development. It is in the midst of all this that the Central Government has brought forth two Bills-The Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill, 2007 and the Resettlement and Rehabilitation Bill, 2007. Introduced purportedly to strike a balance between the need for land for development and other purposes and protecting the interests of the persons whose lands are statutorily acquired, both the Bills will have far reaching impact if enacted. In effect, these Bills sanction displacement and loot of more and more land from the people for the profit of corporations and private investors.

The Land Acquisition Bill allows land to be forcefully acquired in favour of private companies and investors, thus including private purpose in the definition of 'public purpose'. It is more regressive and anti-people than even the original Colonial Act! While the government talks of protecting the rights of those whose lands are acquired, it is mere lip service. The R&R Bill doesn't even guarantee basics like land for land and alternative livelihood-based rehabilitation. The issue of urban displacement has been completely side-stepped yet again Today the demand of people's struggle across the country is one - a decentralised development planning process which ensures 'development' that is truly people centric and bases itself firmly on the principles of democracy, social justice and equity. Since concerns regarding development planning, land acquisition and resettlement and rehabilitation are intrinsically linked with one another and cannot be addressed in isolation, people's movements and organisations have, for several years now, been demanding the enactment of a Comprehensive Legislation on Development Planning,

No enforced displacement, and Just rehabilitation. In fact a draft of the same has also been prepared based on 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments which, in the true spirit of democracy, vest gram sabhas, municipalities with the right to formulate district and metropolitan level development plans. Ignoring these demands, the Government is keen on pushing these two Bills that, instead of ensuring minimum and no enforced displacement, endorse displacement.

There is no doubt that these anti-people legislations have been brought forth under the influence and for the benefit of big corporations and private industrial and capitalists interests. It is imperative that we, the people's movements and organisations, challenge and oppose this move. It is important that we, the rural and urban poor, those struggling for just rehabilitation and those who oppose forced displacement and destruction carried on in the name of 'development', join hands and raise our collective voices. We must question our elected representatives and bring them to understand and voice our positions on these issues. We must challenge the Central government and compel them to heed.

We call on you to join us for a massive dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi from 28-30 April 2008.

We request friends and comrades from across the country struggling on diverse issues to reach Delhi on these dates to discuss and voice their questions, issues and concerns at the national level. It is critical at this juncture that we come together and raise our collective voices against displacement and for a just development planning.

Please do let us know of you participation and details regarding arrival and departure in order to help us plan better.

We sincerely hope you will join us in this very important struggle!

In Solidarity,

Ashok Chaudhary, Roma (National Forum of Forest People and Forest Workers)
Gautam Bandhopadhyay (Nadi Ghati Morcha) Shaktiman Ghosh (National Hawkers Federation)
Ulka Mahajan (SEZ Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti)
Medha Patkar (Narmada Bachao Andolan & National Alliance of People's Movements)
Gabriele D (Pennurumai Iyyakam & National Alliance of People's Movements)
Mukta Srivastava , Simpreet Singh (Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan)
Rajendra Ravi (National Alliance of People's Movements)
Sr. Celia (National Alliance of People's Movements)
Sandhya Devi (Kalahandi Mahila Samiti, Orissa)
Bhupendra Rawat (Jan Sangharsh Vahini)
Suniti S R (Vishthapan Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti)
Geetha D (Nirman Mazdoor Panchayat Sangam)
Subhash Bhatnagar (NCCUSW)
Sandeep Pandey (Asha Parivar and National Alliance of People's Movements) --------------

Email: medha@narmada.org
-----------------------------

To read this posting in Hindi language, click here

Call to join dharna against displacement

Call to join dharna against displacement
To read this posting in Hindi language, click here
....................................................................................

Join hands to raise our collective voice against displacement & undemocratic, unjust, anti-people & pro-corporate The Land Acquisition (Amendment) Act, 2007 and The Resettlement and Rehabilitation Bill, 2007

Join Dharna at Jantar Mantar, Delhi
28 - 30 April 2008

Today, as the State continues with the mad frenzy in the name of 'development' and 'economic growth', rural and urban poor face displacement and dispossession at an unprecedented scale.

Not a day passes by when newspapers or channels in India does not have a story on yet another land acquisition, another resistance against corporate land grab or police atrocities on peaceful demonstrators. The government seems to have abdicated all responsibilities, even the pretence, of a 'Welfare State'.

It is now nothing more than a puppet of industrialists and capitalists, snatching all natural resources away from the people. On the other hand, for the multitudes-Dalits, Adivasis, agricultural workers, farmers, fish workers, artisans, forest dwellers- who have been facing the harsh reality of displacement and complete dispossession for years, there doesn't seem to be even the hope of rehabilitation now.

But be it in Nandigram or Jagatsinghpur, be it against uprooting people in the name of SEZs, mining or big dams or against the 'illegalisation' of urban poor, our country reverberates with voices of protest and struggle like never before. People are resisting the snatching away of the means of their lives and livelihood. They are resisting the theft and transfer of natural and common property resources into private hands for private profit. They are resisting the gross undermining of democracy and social justice that goes on in the name of development. It is in the midst of all this that the Central Government has brought forth two Bills-The Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill, 2007 and the Resettlement and Rehabilitation Bill, 2007. Introduced purportedly to strike a balance between the need for land for development and other purposes and protecting the interests of the persons whose lands are statutorily acquired, both the Bills will have far reaching impact if enacted. In effect, these Bills sanction displacement and loot of more and more land from the people for the profit of corporations and private investors.

The Land Acquisition Bill allows land to be forcefully acquired in favour of private companies and investors, thus including private purpose in the definition of 'public purpose'. It is more regressive and anti-people than even the original Colonial Act! While the government talks of protecting the rights of those whose lands are acquired, it is mere lip service. The R&R Bill doesn't even guarantee basics like land for land and alternative livelihood-based rehabilitation. The issue of urban displacement has been completely side-stepped yet again Today the demand of people's struggle across the country is one - a decentralised development planning process which ensures 'development' that is truly people centric and bases itself firmly on the principles of democracy, social justice and equity. Since concerns regarding development planning, land acquisition and resettlement and rehabilitation are intrinsically linked with one another and cannot be addressed in isolation, people's movements and organisations have, for several years now, been demanding the enactment of a Comprehensive Legislation on Development Planning,

No enforced displacement, and Just rehabilitation. In fact a draft of the same has also been prepared based on 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments which, in the true spirit of democracy, vest gram sabhas, municipalities with the right to formulate district and metropolitan level development plans. Ignoring these demands, the Government is keen on pushing these two Bills that, instead of ensuring minimum and no enforced displacement, endorse displacement.

There is no doubt that these anti-people legislations have been brought forth under the influence and for the benefit of big corporations and private industrial and capitalists interests. It is imperative that we, the people's movements and organisations, challenge and oppose this move. It is important that we, the rural and urban poor, those struggling for just rehabilitation and those who oppose forced displacement and destruction carried on in the name of 'development', join hands and raise our collective voices. We must question our elected representatives and bring them to understand and voice our positions on these issues. We must challenge the Central government and compel them to heed.

We call on you to join us for a massive dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi from 28-30 April 2008.

We request friends and comrades from across the country struggling on diverse issues to reach Delhi on these dates to discuss and voice their questions, issues and concerns at the national level. It is critical at this juncture that we come together and raise our collective voices against displacement and for a just development planning.

Please do let us know of you participation and details regarding arrival and departure in order to help us plan better.

We sincerely hope you will join us in this very important struggle!

In Solidarity,

Ashok Chaudhary, Roma (National Forum of Forest People and Forest Workers)
Gautam Bandhopadhyay (Nadi Ghati Morcha) Shaktiman Ghosh (National Hawkers Federation)
Ulka Mahajan (SEZ Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti)
Medha Patkar (Narmada Bachao Andolan & National Alliance of People's Movements)
Gabriele D (Pennurumai Iyyakam & National Alliance of People's Movements)
Mukta Srivastava , Simpreet Singh (Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan)
Rajendra Ravi (National Alliance of People's Movements)
Sr. Celia (National Alliance of People's Movements)
Sandhya Devi (Kalahandi Mahila Samiti, Orissa)
Bhupendra Rawat (Jan Sangharsh Vahini)
Suniti S R (Vishthapan Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti)
Geetha D (Nirman Mazdoor Panchayat Sangam)
Subhash Bhatnagar (NCCUSW)
Sandeep Pandey (Asha Parivar and National Alliance of People's Movements) --------------

Email: medha@narmada.org
-----------------------------

To read this posting in Hindi language, click here

Climate change has implications on public health in India

Climate change has implications on public health in India

To read this posting in Hindi language, please click here

The World Health Day this year (7 April 2008) focuses on the need to protect health from the adverse effects of climate change. The theme “protecting health from climate change” puts health at the centre of the global dialogue about climate change. The World Health Organization (WHO) selected this theme for the World Health Day in recognition that climate change is posing ever growing threats to global public health security.

The appalling conditions of health responses during civil unrest, violence and natural calamities like floods in India are well-documented. Also the disease outbreaks, especially water-borne diseases, have been posing an enormous challenge in such situations.

People requiring long-term ongoing care and treatment, are left with hardly any choice to adhere to their drug-regimens during civil unrest or natural calamities. For example people with tuberculosis (TB) who are required to adhere to the anti-TB drugs, often struggle to reach to the TB clinics and the risk to develop anti-TB drug-resistance is enormous. Similarly people living with HIV are struggling to reach to the clinics for the ongoing treatment, care and support services, particularly those who need anti-retroviral drugs and are not able to access them.

Moreover natural calamities escalate the risk of disease transmission and exacerbate the vulnerabilities of people to infectious diseases. With health systems disrupted and healthcare providers often at risk of facing violence themselves, it is a serious concern how to effectively improve health responses during civil unrest, violence and natural calamities.

According to the WHO, “through increased collaboration, the global community will be better prepared to cope with climate-related health challenges worldwide.” Examples of such collaborative actions are: strengthening surveillance and control of infectious diseases like tuberculosis (TB), ensuring safer use of diminishing water supplies, and coordinating health action in emergencies.

Overwhelming evidence shows that human activities are affecting the global climate, with serious implications for public health. Catastrophic weather events, variable climates that affect food and water supplies, new patterns of infectious disease outbreaks, and emerging diseases linked to ecosystem changes, are all associated with global warming and pose health risks.

Climate and weather already exert strong influences on health: through deaths in heat waves, and in natural disasters such as floods, as well as influencing patterns of life-threatening vector-borne diseases such as malaria.

Continuing climate change will affect, in profoundly adverse ways, some of the most fundamental determinants of health: food, air and water, according to WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan. Malnutrition, lack of access to basic sanitation including access to safe drinking water, and pollution are known factors to aggravate the risk to respiratory diseases including TB.

Areas with weak health infrastructure - mostly in developing countries - will be the least able to cope without assistance to prepare and respond. These impacts will be disproportionately greater in vulnerable populations, which include the very young, elderly, medically infirm, poor and isolated populations.

Increasing global temperatures affect levels and seasonal patterns of both man-made and natural air-borne particles, such as plant pollen, which can trigger asthma. About 300 million people suffer from asthma, and 255 000 people died of the disease in 2005. Asthma deaths are expected to increase by almost 20% in the next 10 years if urgent actions to curb climate change and prepare for its consequences are not taken.

The health impacts of climate change will be difficult to reverse in a few years or decades. Yet, many of these possible impacts can be avoided or controlled. There are established steps in health and related sectors to reduce the exposure to and the effect of changing climate. For example, controlling disease vectors, reducing pollution from transport and efficient land use and water management are well-known and tested measures that can help.

However government of India’s response in efficient land use and water management to mitigate the adverse impact of the global climate has been appalling.

The privatization of water, use of agriculture lands as special economic zone for rapid industrialization, heavy displacement of poor people with ‘development projects’ which put them at grave risk of infectious diseases, are certainly not going to help India in minimizing the harm of the climate change.

To read this posting in Hindi language, please click here

Published in

Assam Times, Assam, India

The Seoul Times, South Korea

Scoop Independent News, New Zealand

Central Chronicle, Madhya Pradesh, India

Climate change has implications on public health in India

Climate change has implications on public health in India

To read this posting in Hindi language, please click here

The World Health Day this year (7 April 2008) focuses on the need to protect health from the adverse effects of climate change. The theme “protecting health from climate change” puts health at the centre of the global dialogue about climate change. The World Health Organization (WHO) selected this theme for the World Health Day in recognition that climate change is posing ever growing threats to global public health security.

The appalling conditions of health responses during civil unrest, violence and natural calamities like floods in India are well-documented. Also the disease outbreaks, especially water-borne diseases, have been posing an enormous challenge in such situations.

People requiring long-term ongoing care and treatment, are left with hardly any choice to adhere to their drug-regimens during civil unrest or natural calamities. For example people with tuberculosis (TB) who are required to adhere to the anti-TB drugs, often struggle to reach to the TB clinics and the risk to develop anti-TB drug-resistance is enormous. Similarly people living with HIV are struggling to reach to the clinics for the ongoing treatment, care and support services, particularly those who need anti-retroviral drugs and are not able to access them.

Moreover natural calamities escalate the risk of disease transmission and exacerbate the vulnerabilities of people to infectious diseases. With health systems disrupted and healthcare providers often at risk of facing violence themselves, it is a serious concern how to effectively improve health responses during civil unrest, violence and natural calamities.

According to the WHO, “through increased collaboration, the global community will be better prepared to cope with climate-related health challenges worldwide.” Examples of such collaborative actions are: strengthening surveillance and control of infectious diseases like tuberculosis (TB), ensuring safer use of diminishing water supplies, and coordinating health action in emergencies.

Overwhelming evidence shows that human activities are affecting the global climate, with serious implications for public health. Catastrophic weather events, variable climates that affect food and water supplies, new patterns of infectious disease outbreaks, and emerging diseases linked to ecosystem changes, are all associated with global warming and pose health risks.

Climate and weather already exert strong influences on health: through deaths in heat waves, and in natural disasters such as floods, as well as influencing patterns of life-threatening vector-borne diseases such as malaria.

Continuing climate change will affect, in profoundly adverse ways, some of the most fundamental determinants of health: food, air and water, according to WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan. Malnutrition, lack of access to basic sanitation including access to safe drinking water, and pollution are known factors to aggravate the risk to respiratory diseases including TB.

Areas with weak health infrastructure - mostly in developing countries - will be the least able to cope without assistance to prepare and respond. These impacts will be disproportionately greater in vulnerable populations, which include the very young, elderly, medically infirm, poor and isolated populations.

Increasing global temperatures affect levels and seasonal patterns of both man-made and natural air-borne particles, such as plant pollen, which can trigger asthma. About 300 million people suffer from asthma, and 255 000 people died of the disease in 2005. Asthma deaths are expected to increase by almost 20% in the next 10 years if urgent actions to curb climate change and prepare for its consequences are not taken.

The health impacts of climate change will be difficult to reverse in a few years or decades. Yet, many of these possible impacts can be avoided or controlled. There are established steps in health and related sectors to reduce the exposure to and the effect of changing climate. For example, controlling disease vectors, reducing pollution from transport and efficient land use and water management are well-known and tested measures that can help.

However government of India’s response in efficient land use and water management to mitigate the adverse impact of the global climate has been appalling.

The privatization of water, use of agriculture lands as special economic zone for rapid industrialization, heavy displacement of poor people with ‘development projects’ which put them at grave risk of infectious diseases, are certainly not going to help India in minimizing the harm of the climate change.

To read this posting in Hindi language, please click here

Published in

Assam Times, Assam, India

The Seoul Times, South Korea

Scoop Independent News, New Zealand

Central Chronicle, Madhya Pradesh, India

Filmstar Shatrughan Sinha suggests herbal farming instead of tobacco

Filmstar Shatrughan Sinha suggests herbal farming instead of tobacco

In a news published in the Patna Daily, the noted film-star of Bollywood Shatrughan Sinha, who was also India’s former health minister, said that “by 2020, 13% of total deaths in India would be directly related with mouth and lung cancer caused by prolonged smoking and use of other tobacco products.”

"There is an urgent need to spread the awareness about the deadly effects of tobacco products in the nation, particularly in rural areas where most people still remain ignorant to the ill effects of tobacco," said the film-star Shatrughan.

Most importantly he advised the tobacco growers to turn to other crops instead of tobacco, like herbal products. He suggested herbal products because the demand of herbal products is growing ‘exponentially throughout the world’.

Last year in July 2007, when the 148 nations' Conference on parties (COP-II) meet on global tobacco treaty was held in Thailand, India had demonstrated leadership on behalf of countries in South-East Asian Region to integrate agricultural diversification and alternative crops to tobacco in the comprehensive tobacco control.

Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is the first global corporate accountability and public health treaty in the world.

Though transnational tobacco corporations like Philip Morris/Altria, British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco use sophisticated public relations machinery to claim that tobacco-related agriculture creates jobs and boosts economic development, the facts speak otherwise.

Transnational tobacco corporations have created a supply system that exploits farmers while assuring growth in corporate profits.

Support to farmers and tobacco growing countries is vital.

Only five of the 125 tobacco exporting nations derive more than 5 per cent of their export from tobacco. These five nations are concentrated at the bottom of UNDP's 2006 Human Development Index: Uganda , Zimbabwe , United Republic of Tanzania, Malawi , and the Central African Republic .

Far from being a path to prosperity, tobacco production paves the way to poverty.

Photo credit: bollywood village

Published in My News, India

Filmstar Shatrughan Sinha suggests herbal farming instead of tobacco

Filmstar Shatrughan Sinha suggests herbal farming instead of tobacco

In a news published in the Patna Daily, the noted film-star of Bollywood Shatrughan Sinha, who was also India’s former health minister, said that “by 2020, 13% of total deaths in India would be directly related with mouth and lung cancer caused by prolonged smoking and use of other tobacco products.”

"There is an urgent need to spread the awareness about the deadly effects of tobacco products in the nation, particularly in rural areas where most people still remain ignorant to the ill effects of tobacco," said the film-star Shatrughan.

Most importantly he advised the tobacco growers to turn to other crops instead of tobacco, like herbal products. He suggested herbal products because the demand of herbal products is growing ‘exponentially throughout the world’.

Last year in July 2007, when the 148 nations' Conference on parties (COP-II) meet on global tobacco treaty was held in Thailand, India had demonstrated leadership on behalf of countries in South-East Asian Region to integrate agricultural diversification and alternative crops to tobacco in the comprehensive tobacco control.

Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is the first global corporate accountability and public health treaty in the world.

Though transnational tobacco corporations like Philip Morris/Altria, British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco use sophisticated public relations machinery to claim that tobacco-related agriculture creates jobs and boosts economic development, the facts speak otherwise.

Transnational tobacco corporations have created a supply system that exploits farmers while assuring growth in corporate profits.

Support to farmers and tobacco growing countries is vital.

Only five of the 125 tobacco exporting nations derive more than 5 per cent of their export from tobacco. These five nations are concentrated at the bottom of UNDP's 2006 Human Development Index: Uganda , Zimbabwe , United Republic of Tanzania, Malawi , and the Central African Republic .

Far from being a path to prosperity, tobacco production paves the way to poverty.

Photo credit: bollywood village

Published in My News, India

Will alcohol and tobacco companies continue with surrogate ads in India?

Will alcohol and tobacco companies continue with surrogate ads in India?

Indian laws do not allow alcohol and tobacco companies to advertise, but a few of these advertisers have extended their brands to other categories purely in an attempt to advertise.

Surrogate advertising happens when the brand extension is seen as a guise for a product that is almost non-existent in commercial terms.

An interesting article in the Mint asked the most valid question: Will Kingfisher Airlines be allowed to advertise?

Kingfisher is also the brand-name of an Indian alcohol (beer). Kingfisher alcohol existed long before the Kingfisher airline came into existence. Similarly Indian Tobacco Company’s (ITC) had their flagship brand cigarette ‘Wills’ and then opened Wills Lifestyle stores (readymade garments) across India when Indian tobacco control Acts tightened the clamp on tobacco advertising.

Another alcohol brand ‘Royal Challenge’ (beer) sponsors a sport-event (Indian Premier League matches) which are broadcasted on Sony television. This time, Sony TV is likely not to screen such programmes since tobacco or alcohol sponsorship of sport events is also banned in India.

Enforcing such tobacco and alcohol advertisement bans are in extreme interest of the people, public health and the country’s welfare. Studies have proven how tobacco and alcohol ads use glamour and lifestyle imagery to promote their products and catch youth’s fancy for their capital interests. The deadly health-hazards of tobacco and socio-economic disaster which alcohol spells on families are a reality we deal with in our day-to-day lives.

However advertisement firms are going to lose Rs 250 crores of the revenue which was earlier coming from tobacco and alcohol ads. They ask: “Why is the [tobacco and alcohol advertisement] clamp not extended to other media, such as sponsored ground events, outdoors, point-of-purchase advertising etc., which will reap our losses?”

The question is indeed very valid. These bans on alcohol and tobacco advertisement should be extended to sponsored ground events, outdoors, point-of-purchase advertising etc as well. Actually the Cigarette and other Tobacco Products Act (2003) does extend the ban on tobacco advertising (direct, indirect and surrogate) to sponsored ground events, outdoors, but allows tobacco advertising at the point-of-purchase with conditions: the size of the board is fixed by law and also the content: tobacco advertisements on point-of-sale cannot display any graphic or picture or any brand name, and should only mention the kind of tobacco being sold there with 25% of board area dedicated to health warning (Tobacco causes cancer or Tobacco kills) in local language.

In the year 2000, the government formed a committee headed by the then additional secretary of the Information and broadcasting ministry which included prominent broadcasters to look into the issue. The committee recommended that products with real production and distribution channels cannot be called surrogate. However tobacco and alcohol companies have been promoting their products under the garb of non-tobacco or non-alcohol products with same brand names. Such surrogate advertisement does have a brand recall impact since most of the viewers associate a particular brand with the main product. For example, Royal Challenge is an alcohol for most consumers or potential consumers and not a sport!