Friends,

The US and its allies are carrying out the most brutal forms of repression including massive aerial bombing of ordinary Iraqis because the resistance to occupation is growing and spreading. After Bush has been reelected, US aggression in Iraq is likely to intensify even further. The Iraqi people today need the widest possible solidarity from progressive people throughout the world. Indeed, such are the stakes that the US is playing for, that it knows a defeat in Iraq and a military-political withdrawal from the country will signal a decisive defeat of its empire-building project in the region. The heroic struggle of the Palestinian people will then receive a tremendous boost just as Israel and a host of US-dependent Arab regimes will be shaken to their roots. All the more reason, therefore, why the US’s imperial designs must be opposed and thwarted.

The popular revolt in Manipur is a legitimate struggle that should be supported by anyone concerned about upholding democratic rights. Unfortunately issues relating to Manipur and other states in the North-East receive little attention by civil society groups and the media. In a small step to support the people of Manipur, several organisations in Mumbai, especially womens groups, came together to organise 2 events in which noted human rights lawyer and activist Nandita Haksar and Artax Shimray of the North East Students Organisation (NESO) spoke. The meetings unanimously passed a resolution for the repeal of the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act.

This issue of FOI carries the citation for Former Indian Navy Chief Admiral Ramdas the recipient, alongwith Ibn Abdur Rehman of Pakistan, of the 2004 Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Understanding. A colleague in the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP), Admiral Ramdas has been in the forefront of the people’s initiative for peace between India and Pakistan.

The World Bank’s controversial Country Assistance Strategy for India (2005-2008) intends to scale up its operations upto 3$ billion a year. Several civil society organisations and national alliances got together in New Delhi o­n August 7 to study and respond to the document. They soundly rejected the Bank’s agenda to influence policies o­n crucial sectors such as energy, health, agriculture and trade. The document was widely disseminated internationally by the International Rivers Network and several groups wrote to the World Bank endorsing our rejection of the CAS.

In our series of articles to demystify the shenanigans at the WTO July 2004 General Council meeting we carry an article by Walden Bello and Aileen Kwa, which exposes how Brazil and India were unwittingly co-opted into putting the WTO back o­n track. Back from Geneva, the Indian Commerce Minster declared that India would aggressively look at Free Trade agreements with its trading partners to complement the WTO. The last article is a preliminary look at the possible implications of an India-US FTA.

Severely Condemns Bank’s Propriety in Influencing Government of India’s Policy

In a National Consultation held in Delhi o­n August 7, 2004, several civil society organisations in India including major national alliances o­n mining, forestry, dams and hydro power, rejected the World Bank’s Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) 2004 o­n the grounds of: