2007 Year End - Gathering storm of Protests and Social Unrest in Incredible India

2007 Year End sees gathering Storm of Political Protests and
Widespread Social Unrest in Incredible India -
The past few days witnessed interesting reports coming from ICRIER on
their - "ongoing survey" of the likely impact of the corporate retail
on the peoples livelihood. People protest continues.
1. In Kozhikode, Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi protested
before corporate retail outlets. Thousands of mathadi workers,
Traders,
2. Hawkers under the banner of Vyapaar, Rozgaar Suraksha Kriti Samiti
blocked the main traffic intersection of Navi Mumbai paralysing the
traffic in this satellite town of Mumbai on 18 December, 2007.
3. Today (29 December, 2007) Traders in Tamil Nadu would stage a day-
long hunger strike in Chennai to protest the entry of MNCs and
domestic industrial groups into the retail business under the banner
of recently formed State Retail Traders Protection Committee.
4. Save Agriculture, Retail and Livelihood Campaign Committee of
Karnataka is going to organize a public meeting on National Policy on
Retail on 1st January, 2008 in Bangalore. Rs 3,50,000-crore retail
market grew 7-8 per cent during the year, with the organised sector
recording a 25 per cent growth.
5. Reliance announces massive plans of expansion in sectors other than
fruits and vegetables; preparing to foray in Rs 2.5 lakh crore dairy
business in a big way; acquiring aeroplanes to ferry farm produce.
6. Birla, Tata, Bharti and others gearing up to grab a chunk of the
mammoth retail pie. India FDI Watch continues to get press (print as
well as electronic).

With Best Wishes!

Dharmendra Kumar

Director - India FDI Watch
More Stories :
1. Political parties united in seeking cover for small traders - The
BJP leader said he is against FDI in organized retail, since it will
not bring in know-how, expertise or new technology
http://www.livemint.com/2007/12/13000503/Political-parties-united-in-se.html
2. Big retailers say they offer better deals; opponents raise national
policy pitch -
Large cos say stopping them from entering retail will prevent farmers,
consumers from getting best prices :
http://www.livemint.com/2007/12/12235629/Big-retailers-say-they-offer-b.html
3. The year of the jholawallah - YEAR-END SPECIAL - Aditi Phadnis /
New Delhi December 28, 2007
http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage.php?leftnm=lmnu4&subLeft=2&autono=308927&tab=r
4. For 750 Million... Humans - The unilateral opening up of retail
holds few pluses for the country
Krishan Bir Chaudhary
http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20071231&fname=Cover+Story+(F)&sid=4
5. Protest against Reliance Retail outlets -
http://www.insidekerala.com/n/article/MainNews/11189/
Kozhikode: The city on Saturday witnessed fresh round of agitations
against the retail outlets owned by the big companies. This time it
was against the Reliance Fresh Outlets at Meenchanda and
Chakkorathkulam. The activists of the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana
Samithi, DYFI and AIYF took out march to the shop. Police prevented
the agitators from entering the shops. Traders closed their shops in
various parts of the city protesting against the permission given to
companies to open retail outlets
6. Reliance Retail kicks off massive recast - Sindhu Bhattacharya
http://sify.com/finance/fullstory.php?id=14571710
7. Tatas to up retail presence in south -
http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage_c_online.php?leftnm=10&bKeyFlag=IN&autono=31554
8. Reliance to foray in dairy biz -
http://www.moneycontrol.com/india/news/business/reliance-to-foraydairy-biz/19/37/318994
9. Pharma retailers join hands to take on big chains -
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Services/Retailing/Pharma_retailers_join_hands_to_take_on_big_chains/articleshow/2633250.cms
10. Reliance Retail to acquire 50-70 aeroplanes to ferry farm produce
-
http://www.indiaretailbiz.com/blog/2007/12/27/reliance-retail-to-acquire-50-70-aeroplanes-to-ferry-farm-produce/
11. Food processing minister expresses solidarity with organised
sector -
http://www.indiaretailing.com/news.asp?id=1451&topic=1
12 . Organised retail's biggest obstacle: Unorganised supply chains -
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/249286.html
13. New-borns - The years new-borns were Reliance, the Tatas and the A
V Birla Group which made a foray into the business announcing their
huge presence across the country, little realising that with grand
plans come the challenges and the turmoil.
Political issues wreaked havoc on food retail expansion plans in the
two troubled States, though companies are denying that they have
slowed down their growth footprint. âEUROOEWe may not expand in these two
States, but weâEURO(tm)ll stick to our target of 2,000 stores by 2010,âEURO
Bijou Kurien, President and Chief Executive, Lifestyle, Reliance
Retail, told presspersons in Bangalore recently.

Traders say to Corporate Majors ( Foreign and Indian ) - Quit Retail

One Lakh Traders, Mathadi Workers, Hawkers to Join “Quit Retail Rally” at Azad Maidan on 10th October 2007, 10 am.

To give war cry for
“Corporations Quit Retail”,
“Scrap Model APMC Act”,
“Oppose FDI in Retail”
“Implement National Policy for Hawkers”,
“Oppose the Bharti-Walmart Joint Venture”,
“Demand a National Retail Policy” and
“Scrap Wholesale Cash n Carry licenses issued to Metro and Shoprite”

About India FDI Watch

The India FDI Watch Campaign seeks to prevent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the retail sector in India. India FDI Watch is a national coalition of labour unions, trade associations, environmentalists, NGOs and academics that have formed to block attempts to allow foreign direct investment in India’s retail markets. FDI in retail will amount to job losses in the thousands as well as thousands more small businesses and kiranas being forced to close. It will continue the race to the bottom in wages and working conditions that Wal-Mart and other multinational mega-retailers have spread across the globe. Multinationals look at India, with its 1.2 billion people, as a vast, untapped market, but we do not want to become the next country to have our cultural traditions, worker's rights, environment, and independence destroyed by Wal-Mart. Contact us for more information.

For more information: download the India FDI Watch Brochure.

For more information, download the India FDI Watch Brochure (in Malayam).

For more information, download the India FDI Watch Brochure (in Kannada).

VYAPAR ROZGAR SURAKSHA KRITI SAMITI

Tuesday, 18th December, 2007

In a daring action more then 10,000 mathadi workers ,Traders, Hawkers blocked the main avenue in sector 17, Navi Mumbai today at 4pm , this traffic intersection is also known as Arenja Chowk, completely paralysing the traffic in this satellite town of Mumbai.The effect of this blockade was felt for several hours and the Traffic upto Mumbai was severely affected.

The sight of the 10,000 strong procession as it wound its way gathering momentum like a river comming down a mountain shocked the onlookers policemen who had gathered in hundreds to stop the procession from going to the main Mumbai-Pune highway as announced by the samiti, the look on the policemen said it all, as they wondered that if this disciplined procession were to decide to break the cordon and move to the highway the policeforce gathered would not have been able to stop them.

The procession was led by a Truck on which a live D.J belted out songs and slogans from the professional sound system ( which is normally seen in Ganpati festivals and carnivals) was a first of its kind seen in any protest procession in the city. The leaders led by Shri Mohan Gurnani, Shri Narendra Patil, Shri Sharad Maru, Shri Ashok Baria gave slogans and kept the crowd going.

The procession went thru all the wholesale markets of vegetable, grain fruits which supply the entire agricultural supplies to the 1,30,00,000 population of Mumbai, all the markets closed down their shutters and for the first time both traders and their employees joined the procession in response to the joint appeals and slogans of the Traders and workers.

With every passing market the crowd grew, as it reached the Arenja chowk the procession was surrounded by the waiting policemen and state reserve police and the samiti was asked to stop their procession and not proceed towards the highway, fearing largescale violence the organisers decided that they would end the procession in the middle of the traffic intersection and have a meeting , in a quick conversion one of the busiest streets of Navi Mumbai bccame the open air venue of a protest meeting to demand the national policy to protect retail trade and livelihoods of the workers.

As leaders from the Samiti climbed on to the traffic island which became a temprorary dias the crowd of 10,000 settled down and squatted on the streets, all the overlooking commercial buildings stopped their activity as business came to a standstill, there were people standing on their balconies and terraces watching this gathering in the middle of the intersection.

All the speakers from the samiti and the supporting organisations condemned the State and Central government for not being able to protect the livelihoods and stop the entry of national corporations i.e Reliance, Subiksha, More etc and multinationals i.e Wallmart , Metro etc. into the retail trade. They warned the State government and the chief Minister that if they did not get a response within 8 days , the samiti would take millitant action and block traffic in diffrent places and move the protests at the doorsteps of the Corporations.

The protest ended peacefully with a call fom all organisations to take a delegation to meet the C.M and demand action in the next few days , the meeting which was well covered by the print and electronic media ended in slogans of " Go Back Wall-Mart" and " Corporations Quit Retail".

Dare To Struggle Dare To Win.

Vinod Shetty. India FDI Watch

Big is NOT Beautiful - Rathke

Rathke's Take: Big is not beautiful in retail

Published in the Economic Times, 29 September

IS RELIANCE Retail going the Wal-Mart way? The opposition to Reliance’s retail business in India is quite similar to the opposition that Wal-Mart has generated in the US. This similarity becomes even more obvious when one looks at the ways in which activists have initiated their campaign. Not only is the modus-operandi common, even the people spearheading the activities are veteran anti-Wal-Mart activists.

Wade Rathke, undisputably the most prominent and vocal opponent of Wal-Mart internationally, has been in regular touch with the leaders of the India FDI Watch campaign. Mr Rathke is the chief organiser of Association of Community Organisations for Reform Now (ACORN) which also mobilised the public in South Korea and Germany, the two markets from where Wal-Mart subsequently withdrew. “I have been in touch with various stakeholder groups in India, including small traders, farmers and suppliers,” says Mr Rathke.

It is interesting to note that the campign is targeting farmers as well, because the biggest benefit ascribed to organised retail is that farmers will get a better price for their produce. However, Mr Rathke has a different take on this issue. “The farmers need to understand the long-term plan of these corporates. Once a farmer is into this vicious circle, may be 2-3 years down the line, he will be left with no option but to surrender his land to one of these corporate giants,” he says.

Mr Rathke has been a professional campaign organiser for the last 35 years and has founded a series of organisations on the issues of social justice and worker rights. He also spearheads a union of Wal-Mart workers, though the company has not accorded official recognition to the forum. ACORN is one of the largest community organisations in the US. Mr Rathke has been particularly vocal against Wal-Mart’s labour practises in the US, having initiated a series of litigations and labour movements against the Bentonville retailer, which has on many occasions, been in the line of fire for violating labour laws in the US, Canada and some European countries. In January 2006, Wal-Mart had to pay $135,540 to settle federal charges that it violated child labour laws in Connecticut, Arkansas and New Hampshire. Still earlier, in March 2000, the company was fined $205,650 for violations of labour laws in one out of every 20 stores in the state of Maine, US.

Thousands protest Bharti Walmart Retail Entry strategy

Thousands protested to oppose the Bharti-Walmart Joint Venture

On the heels of the announcement of the Bharti-Walmart joint venture, thousands of traders, hawkers, farmers and workers protested across India. Protesters also included a group of American students who demanded that Wal-Mart not be allowed into India. Mass-based organizations called on the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi to immediately stop the Bharti-Walmart Joint Venture and not allow Wal-Mart’s backdoor entry into India. There was also a strong united call on all corporations—both foreign and domestic—to "Quit Retail". The protests were timed to commemorate the start of the "Quit India" movement, which started on August 9, 1942, with mass-based sections of society drawing parallels to the East India Company and companies like Wal-Mart, Bharti and Reliance.

Agitations took place in the metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata along with other major cities including, Kalicut, Bhopal, Jaipur, Ranchi, Balia, Meerath, Sonipat, Nagpur, Nasik, Pune and Indore.

In Delhi, thousands of traders, hawkers, farmers and workers protested in Chandni Chowk, a historical market, and burned effigies of Wal-Mart, Bharti and Reliance. Dharmendra Kumar, Director of India FDI Watch and national coordinator of the Vyapaar Aur Rozgaar Bachao Andolan conducted the proceedings and told the agitators, "Both Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh have acknowledged the dangers of corporations entering into the retail sector. The Govt. has commissioned a report looking at the impact of the entire supply chain on livelihoods after Sonia Gandhi had written a letter of caution. Sonia Gandhi had also publicly refused to meet with Michael Duke, Wal-Mart Vice-Chairman during his visit in February after public demonstrations were held due to his arrival. However, both Sonia Gandhi and the PMO have remained silent on the Bharti-Wal-Mart deal and though they have publicly cautioned against corporations and commissioned a study, they have taken no subsequent actions. He demanded that the Wal-Mart Bharti joint venture should be immediately revoked and all corporations should be stopped until thorough study has been conducted by an independent special task force comprising of stakeholders."

Shyam Bihari Mishra, President, Bhartiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal refered back to the British Raj, stating, "The East India Company, the most powerful company at the time, came to colonize India’s people and domestic and international trade and now Wal-Mart, the world’s largest company is trying to enter India to do the same. Mr. Mishra said India has a history of resistance, our people threw out the British and sixty years later if millions have their businesses and livelihoods threatened we will do the same now. He announced that family members of traders would boycott corporate stores." Praveen Khandelwal, General Secretary, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said "The livelihoods of retail traders are at stake. If big retail giants like Wal-Mart and Reliance come into the country, small traders would be finished." A mass campaign would be launched to strike back and make corporations realise that we will not let them ruin our livelihoods, he said.

Vandana Shiva, Director, Navdanya said "India is a land of retail democracy- hundreds of thousands of weekly haats and bazaars are located across the length and breadth of our country by people’s own self-organizational capacities. In a country with large numbers of people, and high levels of poverty, the existing model of retail democracy is the most appropriate in terms of economic viability and ecological sustainability.".

Shaktiman Ghosh, General Secretary, National Hawkers Federation warned the government "about taking such strong stances against India’s millions of hawkers and small shopkeepers in favor of only a few huge corporations who seek to dominate the Indian retail market."

Mr. Indu Prakash of Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reform revealed the nexus between judiciary and corporate retail which led to the ceiling of shops of more than one hundred thousands of traders of Delhi and still goes on.

Mr. Bhati of Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh, Delhi, Harbhajan Singh Siddhu, National Secretary, Hind Mazdoor Sabha, Sunil Kansal, Secretary, Rashtriya Vyapar Mandal, Hakim Singh Rawat, General Secretary, Delhi Hawkers Welfare Association, Banwari Lal Sharma, President, Aazadi Bachaon Aandolan, R K Sharma, Secreatry, UTUC-Lenin Sarani and Venkatesh of Lok Raj Sangathan also addressed the protesters in Delhi.

In Mumbai, thousands of retailers, hawkers, workers and cooperatives participated in a one day trade bandh and a mass public event organized by the Vyapaar Rozgaar Suraksha Kriti Samiti, a joint action committee of trade associations, hawkers groups, trade unions and others. Leaders of Federation of Associations of Maharastra (FAM), Retail and Dispensing Chemists Association (RDCA), India FDI Watch, Mumbai Mahanagar Vyapari Seva Parishad (MMVSP), Mumbai Vyapar Mahasang (MVM), Apna Bazaar, National Hawkers Federation, Center of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and Hind Mazdoor Kisan Panchayat (HMKP) addressed the protesters. Mohan Gurnani, Convener of the Mumbai based Vyapaar Rozgaar Suraksha Kriti Samiti and President of the Federation of Associations of Maharastra (FAM) said "organised retaling would leave 20 crore people without jobs. Let the government first come out with a rehabilitation for these people and then it can open up FDI in retail". Kishore Shah, President of the Mobile & Telecom Retailers and Distributors Association (MTRDA), stated that around 12,000 retail shop-keepers deal in SIM cards and recharge vouchers of Air-Tel in Mumbai, generating business worth crores of rupees every day. Mr. Shah said "We have already informed all our members, distributors and wholesalers against selling any Airtel products". The Mumbai APMC—wholesale— market remained closed, along with thousands of retail shops across the city, including all chemists and druggists shops. Apna Bazaar, Maharastra’s largest cooperative store also downed its shutters and wholesale markets remained closed in Nasik and Pune.
At an evening event at Shanmukananda Hall in Mumbai mass-based groups laid out a future course of action and adopted a charter of demands. They called on the Center to immediately repeal the Wholesale Cash-n-Carry Permission, and all licenses granted under the permission; repeal the APMC Model Act, implement the National Policy on Street Vendors, take measures against predatory pricing and formulate a national policy on retail trade and small scale industries.

In Bangalore thousands protested at the town hall and burned effigies of corporate retailers like Wal-Mart and Reliance. The protest culminated in leaders presenting the Governor with a memorandum calling on the state to repeal the recent passage of the APMC Model Act. A Charter of Demands, same as was passed in Mumbai, was also placed before the District Collector. Smaller protests were organized throughout the state in different districts including Kodagu, Bijapur, Gulbarga and Davangere districts.

In Jaipur fifty American students joined with hawkers demanding that Wal-Mart leave India and demanding implementation of the National Policy on Street Vendors. The American students and hawkers demonstrated in the old city and held signs saying "Americans Oppose Wal-Mart Everywhere". Ms. Cheryl, an American citizen, learning Hindi at Jaipur said that Wal-Mart has a disastrous impact on small shopkeepers and neighbourhood communities in America and called Indians to learn from their experience and not to allow Wal-Mart to operate in India. Ms. Cheryl said that the world is moving from ‘Corporate to Cooperative’ and Indians should not corporatize their cooperatives.

In Kerala the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Egono Samiti organized protest marches in over 1000 places across the state. In Kalicut over 10,000 traders protested in front of the corporation’s office and submitted a memorandum demanding that corporations keep out of retail and the immediate halt to Wal-Mart’s backdoor entry and the repeal of the Wholesale Cash-N-Carry permission.

In Kolkata the Federation of Trade Organizations (FTO) of West Bengal organized protests in all the 12 districts of the city along with protests across West Bengal, including in front of malls. Tens of thousands traders participated in the protest. In the evening, thousands of hawkers took out a protest march from the city museum.

In Ranchi, Uday Shankar Ojha who led the vegetable vendors before Reliance Fresh in May and has only recently been released from Jail, led thousands of hawkers and vegetable vendors at Albert Ekka Chowk in Ranchi, demanding that Reliance Fresh and all other corporations leave the retail sector and "withdraw their sinister plans to displace millions of livelihoods".

In Bhopal there was a state-level protest meeting in the morning at Gandhi Bhavan and traders sat on a dharna at Roshanara Chowk in the afternoon and burn effigies of Wal-Mart, Bharti and Reliance. A call for Bhopal Bandh was given for 21 August to oust corporate from retail trade.

Similar protests were organized in other cities including Allahabad, Lucknow, Meerut, Bagpat and Sonipat.

Hunger strike against corporate retail in Chennai

	Mr. T. Vellaiyan, President of Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangankalin Peravai

June 15th 2007

Chennai, Tamil Nadu—At around 9am on 15th of June 2007 around 800 people gathered near the Chepauk Cricket Stadium opposite of the Government guest house shouting slogans against the WTO, neo-liberal trade agreements and the rise of corporate retail. The government of Tamilnadu has given permission to corporate retailers like Reliance, ITC and others contract directly with farmers and do business on a massive-scale, with out putting any restrictions that may protect the livelihoods of farmers and those already involved in the retail trade.

The hunger strike was organized by the Tamil Nadu Vanigar, Samgankalin Peravar (Tamil Nadu Traders’ Association Federation), headed by T. Vellaiyan. The Tamil Nadu Traders’ Association is a mass based organization, which has been resisting the entry of foreign retailers and growth of corporate retail for many years.

Traders from different districts of the state assembled at the venue. All the traders wore white shirt and white dhoti and created an atmosphere that resembled the days of the independence movement struggle. T. Vellaiyan addressed the media people about the purpose of the hunger strike.

T. Vellaiyan cited the examples of the WTO and other trade agreements supported by the Center government that are facilitating the entry of corporations into the retail sector. He said that “this is why our traders, hawkers and other stake holders are on the streets, today because big corporate companies are pushing us to the streets. We are opposing the state government and the central government in this regard.”

Mr. Vellaiyan, went on, “We know how to do business of tamarind, we know where the goods are coming to the state and our markets, how to supply and to do business has been learnt through our experiences of forefathers. We are not from different countries are born here and going to die here. We are not asking government to give loans or subsidies; in turn we pay regular taxes. The companies, which are entering in to retail are getting more benefits from the governments.”