On the occasion of the Ninth Ministerial Meeting of
the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Bali, Indonesia, several farmers’
organisations, trade unions, mass organisations and peoples’ campaigns resolved
to support the Indian Government’s position to not trade away national food
security.
The group welcomes the decision of the Indian Cabinet
on 28th November to reject any peace clause that does not guarantee
a permanent solution. The peace clause has been widely opposed by the
Chairs of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce and Agriculture,
several political parties including the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Left
parties, and mass organisations.
However, the group cautioned the Indian negotiating
team headed by Commerce Minister Mr. Anand Sharma, to not bow to any pressure
to weaken India’s position on defending and upholding national food security as
a sovereign right. The group declared that the safeguarding and promotion of
the country’s food security, rural employment and livelihoods are
non-negotiable, and that food security cannot be ensured without supporting
agricultural production by small and marginal farmers.
The group reminds the WTO members that no country
needs to be defensive about protecting the right to food and fighting hunger in
their countries. And that aggressively upholding the rights of its
citizens is not tantamount to collapsing the ministerial talks. On the
contrary, such pressure tactics must be exposed as a conspiracy to keep people
hungry and poor.
It was decided that the group would closely monitor
the negotiations during the ministerial meeting to ensure that the interests of
the poor and hungry are not compromised in any way.
Bhartiya Kisan Union
Bharatiya Krishak Samaj
Bharatiya Majdoor Sangh
Focus on the Global South India
Great Mission Group Consultancy
Public Services International
Right to Food Campaign
Shram Seva Nyas
South Indian Coordination Committee of Farmers’
Movements
Swadeshi Jagran Manch
Third
World Network India
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