(Secular Perspective May-16-31-2007)

The election results from U.P. have stunned even great pundits. All predictions by observers and analysts as well as exit polls have gone wrong. Everyone thought that there will be fractured mandate and that BSP will go no further than 150 seats. Some said that Mayawati will once again align with the BJP in order to become Chief Minister. Some said that Mulayamsingh will align with BJP, in order to avoid being arrested by the Mayawati Government. The BJP was, on the other hand, projecting itself as one who will form next government and projected Kalyan Singh as its chief ministerial candidate.

The people proved all these tall predictions wrong and gave Mayawati their clear mandate to rule. They were fed up with opportunistic alliances and horse-trading. The way earlier governments were formed by MLAs selling themselves to the highest bidders had angered people. Even the Election Commission was expecting fractured mandate and had required all elected MLAs to be carted away to a safe place to avoid horse trading. However, that was not to be and Mayawati romped home with simple but clear majority.

Peoples statement on the 40th ADB AGM, Kyoto- 7 May 2007.

As the 40th Annual Governors Meeting (AGM) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) concludes in Kyoto today, we, representatives from communities and civil society organisations from more than 20 countries reiterate our rejection of the institution. As in the past, deliberations in this AGM among the ADB's most senior leadership were business as usual. The ADB plans to continue to aggressively promote neoliberal economic policies on the people of the Asia Pacific region and facilitate profitable investments for its shareholders and private capital. This is unacceptable to us. The ADB has no place in our vision for economic and social well-being in the Asia-Pacific region based on democracy, ecological sustainability and genuine cooperation among our peoples and governments.

We have come together with Japanese friends as the Peoples Forum on the ADB in Kyoto. But we recognize that the frontlines of the battle against the ADB and its destructive development model are not ADB AGMs. Communities are challenging the ADB across the Asia Pacific region: in Phulbari (Bangladesh), in Mae Moh (Thailand), in Manila (Philippines), in Chattisgarh and Kerala (India), in Melamchi (Nepal) in Chashma and Rawalpindi (Pakistan), in Colombo- Matara (Sri Lanka) and Phnom Penh (Cambodia). This is where the real struggles for people-friendly, sustainable development are rooted.

On February 17th, India FDI Watch along with campaign partners organized a one-day workshop entitled "FDI in Retail and The Growth of Corporate Retail Chains: Impact on Unorganized Retail Sector & Agriculture". The workshop took place five days prior to the visit of Michael Duke, Vice-Chairman of Wal-Mart, and within the context of the daily announcements of the rise of corporate retail chains, both foreign and domestic.  

Over 100 leaders and members of Mumbai's trade and retail associations, hawkers groups, consumer cooperative stores, labor unions and other civil society organizations addressed the workshop and joined hands to fight the opening of FDI in Retail and the rise of domestic corporate retail chains such as Reliance and Subiksha.

MEDIA RELEASE                            
27 February 2007
Thiruvanathapuram

WIDESPREAD SUPPORT FOR KERALA ANTI ADB CAMPAIGN

Kerala's anti-ADB campaign received a shot in the arm as activists from outside the state under the banner of Peoples Forum Against ADB (PFAADB) came out in support at a press conference in Thiruvanathapuram today. Speaking about the disastrous experience with Asian Development Bank (ADB) loans in Karnataka, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal activists warned that a similar experience was in store for Kerala.

The press conference was held at a crucial time. On 22 February 2007 the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) state committee meeting came to the conclusion there was nothing wrong in sanctioning the ADB supported 1422 crore rupee Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project (KSUDP). 2 days later the 'Anti ADB loan campaign committee' filed a legal notice to the Government of Kerala citing several violations in the signing of the loan by Kerala Resident Commissioner Inderjit Singh in New Delhi on 8 December 2006. The Government is yet to respond to the notice.