Monthly e-newsletter from Focus on the Global South, India


From 3-14 December, hundreds of policy makers, environmental scientists, media representatives and activists from 180 countries will descend on the Indonesian resort town of Bali to deliberate on what is arguably the single most important issue for the survival of humanity today; the climate crisis (better known by the euphemism of 'global warming'). Ironically the majority of those travelling to the crucial United Nations Climate Change Conference will do so by aircraft, one of the biggest contributors to the emission of green house gases. The global peasant coalition Via Campesina has a simple but powerful message to the Bali conclave; one of the key ways to cool the planet is small scale sustainable farming (see 2c)

But tempers were heated back home in Mumbai where there was a showdown between water activists and local municipal councillors. Six activists were arrested for 'unlawful assembly' when they raised questions on the World Bank funded move to privatise Mumbai's water supply. The press release in this issue demands the withdrawal of the flawed project and calls for improving the public utility to meet the needs of Mumbai's citizens.  

Remember the World Social Forum? Well its back again in a couple of months. In 2008 its avatar will be one global day of action on January 26. Groups and individuals interested to be part of the process can sign on to the statement (2a)

The India-USA nuclear deal has been in the cooler for a while now. The main stumbling block for the UPA Government has been the steadfast opposition from the Left Parties. We carry a report of a public meeting in Mumbai in which several prominent left leaders spoke against the deal. Two days ago the Left parties gave the go ahead for negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) but with the caveat that the safeguards agreement will be confirmed only after it has been cleared by the UPA-Left Committee on the nuclear deal.   

Nandigram, the proposed site for a chemical SEZ (plans for which had already been shelved) erupted in violence once again (after an initial round early this year). Prominent Marxist and former Finance Minister of West Bengal Ashok Mitra remains true to his conscience and appeals to the CPM in West Bengal to get its act together. We carry his edited article which appeared in Bengali in Anandabazar Patrika on November 14.

Contents:

1. NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
1.a. Roll Back Water Privatisation; No to Pre Paid Water Meters (Mumbai, India)
1.b. World Congress on the Future of Food and Agriculture, 12-16 May 2008, Bonn, Germany

2. STATEMENTS/ REPORTS
2.a. Sign on - Social Movements - Onward to Belém (WSF - call for the global days of action)
2.b. Demonstration in Mumbai against emergency in Pakistan organised by Pakistan-India Peoples' Forum for Peace and Others
2.c. Small scale sustainable farmers are cooling down the earth- A Via Campesina back ground paper on global warming
2.d. India-USA Nuclear Deal is an Attack on the Vision of India; Will Reverse our Standing in the Developing World - Committee on Independent Foreign Policy
2.e. Action Alert! Chengara Land Struggle in Kerala; Marking the 100th day; Please Intervene Now

3. ARTICLES    
3.a. You are not what you were - Ashok Mitra after 14th November, 2007 (on Nandigram)