People’s Caravan 2004 for Food Sovereignty:
Asserting our Rights to Land and Food
(continued...)
Update September 12, 2004
Route 1:
- The Caravan moves on through Tamil Nadu
- Speech by Sudheer Kumar of Kasargod, Kerala
- Victim Survivors tell their stories
The Caravan moves on through Tamil Nadu
|
For 30 days this month, the People's Caravan for Food Sovereignty will
hold
simultaneous resistance and solidarity actions in 13 Asian countries.
Be part of the journey! Join and support the People's Caravan!
Caravan Travels to Trichy and Puliyur In Karur District!
After the eventful kick-off in Chennai, the Caravan proceeded overnight to
Trichy, where it arrived in the early hours of September 9.
The event in Trichy saw over 580 participants, mostly landless women
labourers, gather in the hall of the All India Catholic University
Federation Centre (AICUF). They were treated to songs specially composed
on
the Caravan, Food Security, Food Sovereignty, the WTO and TNCs
(Transnational Corporations). The Viduthalai (Liberation) Cultural Team
presented a play entitled, "Do we need WTO? No to WTO!".
The play centered on the changing culture of food habits, social
interaction
and way of life, that was happening in India due to the unrelenting
corporate advertising push to sell anything and everything foreign to the
average Indian. Food, alien to Indian culture such as Kentucky Fried
Chicken, pizza, bread and so forth were being literally pushed down
people's
throats as the food to eat. As a result of the rush to globalise, the
people
have no rice, no oils, no food! Enter the WTO to tell countries to open up
their markets. The people are saying, "We want our food! We want to grow
our
rice! Our wheat! Our fruits! The WTO replies with, "Grow commercial crops!
Grow flowers! Do floriculture! Do aquaculture! Use Pesticides! Use
Pesticides!" In the play, the people rise up in resistance to symbolically
push the WTO down, and People's Movements are called upon to unite. The
alliance of People's Movements chases away the WTO, and the play ends with
the call, "Long Live the People's Movements!"
The play was followed by presentations and sharing by Caravan delegates
from
PAN AP, Malaysian plantations, and the Bangladesh women's movement
struggling for their rights and land.
Eswari told people about her work of assessing pest populations on one of
the oil palm plantation in Malaysia. This is a new job she has started.
Out
of the ten years she has worked in the plantation, she spent eight
spraying
pesticides. She has been exposed to various pesticides, but is able to
highlight paraquat in particular as it has eaten away most of her
fingernails and toe nails. She earns very little for her labour and pains.
She is very worried that after retirement, she will not have a home or
land
where she can live on and cultivate food. The plantation provides basic
housing that is often very cramped, but after an average of 30 to 40 years
of service, workers are expected to leave with a small token "retirement" fund and fend for themselves. Many women like Eswari are demanding land
and
proper housing from the plantations, which have profited immensely from
her
toil and sweat, and for the Malaysian government to recognise these
rights.
Anjama, also from a plantation in Malaysia, related her experience of 54
years as a sprayer. She has had to carry heavy, metal pesticide spray
pumps
in the course of her work. She too has lost her fingernails from the use
of
paraquat. In addition, her eyesight has greatly deteriorated, and she
suffers skin irritation and difficulty in breathing. She related how the
plantation management provides some protective gear, like face masks but
these are of no use to Anjama in the Malaysian climate. "I feel
suffocated,
I cannot breathe, and when they gave us eye goggles, we were blinded when
the spray mist covered these goggles. Whatever protective clothes they
give
us are useless as we could die of heat stroke while working under the
sun",
she explained.
Oswald Quintal of the Low External Input Sustainable Agriculture (LEISA)
network cited the cases of water scarcity in Tamil Nadu, land infertility,
and contamination due to pesticides and fertilizers. He explained why
these
were unsustainable and encouraged the women to get away from pesticides
use.
He also explained that "Water was being siphoned off for big business and
corporate tourist projects at the expense of providing safe drinking water
to the people". He noted that "People had no land, no work, and no life!".
He charged that the women gathered needed to assert their rights to their
resources. He encouraged them, to also boycott foreign seeds, and give
priority to their own saved seeds. They should resist agro-chemical
companies and the pesticides they are pushing.
Taksina Akhter and Salina of the Women's Farmers Movement shared
information
on the movement's struggle for women's rights in rural Bangladesh, and
especially the right to land. Up to 70% of farmers in Bangladesh are
landless, which is an irony in a country that is predominantly
agricultural.
Women face the worst problems, and many migrate to the cities to work as "day labourers", where they face problems such as harassment, sexual
abuse,
and other problems. In Bangladesh, crime levels are on the rise due to the
disintegration of the rural sector and loss of livelihoods in these areas.
Poverty has driven people to crime. Drug abuse is increasing, and more
crimes are occurring to feed this burgeoning drug habit. The speakers also
revealed that water sources were being contaminated by pesticides and
other
chemicals, and whatever water sources that do exist are being channeled
for
industrial and corporate use. The women called for an end to the tyranny
of
the WTO and the dominance of corporate interests, which cause negative
impacts on the resources, land, people and culture of Bangladesh.
The event was topped by the formation of a long human chain that brought
the
issues of the Caravan to the streets of Trichy, especially at the Chatiram
bus stand. Curious on-lookers, bus loads of passengers and those caught in
the slow moving traffic were treated to slogans like, "Down! Down!
Pesticides", "Go! Go! WTO", "No pesticides, No GMOs!", and "We want our
land, our food, our culture!". Unsurprisingly, the exuberant human chain
drew the attention of the local police. In the glare of the mid-day heat,
the police personnel watched the human chain, which at its height involved
over 700 people, as the hall meeting participants had been joined by over
200 students. At one point there was one policeman for every 10 members of
the human chain. Not quite sure what to make of the event, the police
joined
curious on-lookers in reading the Tamil language flyers, which carried
information about the Caravan. At various points, stern faces and stiff,
mustached upper lips broke into smiles as the policemen were encouraged to
join in the human chain and chant along with participants, who were mostly
women. After a successful session lining the street next to Chatiram bus
stand, the group formed a circle, in which the cultural group entertained
all present with songs, dances and chants of encouragement. Father
Singarayar, the AICUF State Advisor and host to the Caravan activities in
Trichy, closed the event with a blessing.
The Caravan then proceeded 95 miles west to the town of Puliyur in Karur
district of Tamil Nadu, where a public meeting took place from 7pm
onwards.
The event took place in the open air with a stage, specially built for the
occasion, complete with chairs, put out to encourage participation of the
town's people. Admidst the honking of buses, cars and little three-wheeled
taxis, the public meeting was lead by the local chairperson Mr.
Periaswamy,
who reiterated the need to focus on sustainable, traditional and safe
forms
of agriculture. "Farmers are the backbone of Indian society", he stressed,
"and yet they are the worst affected. Water is a major problem; what
little
there is, is polluted". The town is also a center for the weaving industry
and all the waste pollutants from the factories flow into the river
Kaveri.
Mr. Subramaniam, a local leader, spoke about the numerous problems faced
by
farmers and yet nothing is being done by the state to prevent them. Water
levels are very low; sand is being taken away from the riverbed and the
river is not retaining water as it used to; sand thieves are not being
stopped. Furthermore, agricultural lands are becoming wastelands or
deserts.
Those working the land are becoming jobless and things have to change!
The highlight among the local speakers was Bhakialakshmi, a leader from
the
Society for Women's Alternative for Total Empowerment or SWATHI Women's
Movement, who spent 15 days in jail for protesting and stopping trucks
from
taking sands away from the dry bed of the river Kaveri, that runs through
the Karur district in Tamil Nadu. She spoke of how up to 1,500 sand trucks
had carted away tonnes of sand slated for shipment to Kerala, where the
best
quality sands are sold abroad. This area was hit by dry spells that left
the
riverbed bone dry for almost 3 years. So much sand has been stolen that
water is no longer retained when there are rains. Sand extraction has
become
big business at the expense of people's rights to basic resources like
water. She expressed the absurdity of the present state government in
trying
to re-introduce schemes, which it initially cut back, and asked, "Can the
government bring back the sands that have been stolen, and sold away, to
the
river bed?"
The Caravaners from PAN AP, Bangladesh and Malaysia also made
presentations
on the Caravan's issues of concern and its calls. A special addition to
this
part of the Caravan was the presence of three young men from the district
of
Kasargod, where aerial spraying of the pesticide endosulfan had caused
untold devastation to local biodiversity, livestock, and most importantly
the communities living in the area. Sudheer Kumar recounted the harrowing
experiences of what it is like to live and survive in Kasargod, and the
people's calls for justice (see his speech below). At the public meeting,
speeches and presentations were interspersed with drumming sessions,
presentations of specially written songs on the Caravan, and dances to
draw
more townspeople to the event.
The Hall event was topped by the formation of a long human chain
that brought the issues of the Caravan to the streets of Trichy.
Photo: J. Mourin/ PAN AP
Meeting in Dindigul
On September 10, a hall meeting took place in the Peace Trust Centre in
Dindigul, in the central part of Tamil Nadu. Over 100 participants were
present: mostly farmer leaders, organic farmers and members of the
Watershed
Association and local Panchayat (community) leaders. As with other places
visited, there were presentations by the local and foreign Caravaners.
"Why was there no action from the government despite the negative impacts
from pesticides, unsustainable development plans, and erosion of natural
resources?", asked a community representative. Others pointed out that the
farmer lobby is weak and can hardly influence government policies; their
achievements are generally limited to relief measures. Even when farmers
commit suicide, everyone becomes sensitized only for a short while and the
instances are forgotten quickly.
The farmers present realised that the transnational corporations (TNCs)
are
very powerful and use promotional tactics and advertising, which persuade
many farmers to do their bidding. By the end of the meeting, they pledged
to
get themselves organised, to build a network of farming communities in
different districts, particularly in the district of Coimbatore, to
pressure
the government and Members of Parliament to make policy changes, and
control
the TNCs preying on the lives of farmers.
This was followed by a meeting with the members of the media at the
Dindigul
Press Club, which was well attended by print media and television stations
including the influential Sun TV. Reporters and journalists were locked in
intense debates and discussions with Caravan representatives for over two
hours. One particularly interesting journalist was Mr. M.S. Dawood, who is
a
farmer and journalist!
Speech by Sudheer Kumar of Kasargod community, Kerala
My dear brother and sisters,
I am a representative of a locality whose people are not as lucky as you;
for I hope you come from places where there are flowers, bees, birds,
frogs
etc. etc., I mean all kinds of biodiversity.
My ancestors were also lucky like you. Kasargod, my homeland, had an
undulating topography gifted with a wide variety of flora and fauna. As
most
of the land had dense forest areas, the people had abundant natural
resources that could feed many fold of the inhabitants.
But presently, the scenario in the area has changed a lot, a change that
would break the heart of anyone who loves nature, a change that would
break
the heart of anyone who loves human beings, and a change that would cause
desperation in people - who long to survive. The "Villain" of this story
is
the pesticide, "endosulfan": a name that terrifies ordinary folk in my
village.
The Plantation Corporation of Kerala (PCK) has cashew plantations that
spread over about 4,600 hectares of land in the Kasargod district of
Kerala.
The cashew was planted in this area in 1968. From 1972-76, they sprayed
endrin on the plantations, first on the ground and then aerially.
Following
the ban of endrin, the authorities resorted to aerial spraying of
endosulfan
from 1976 onwards, thrice a year, every year. While spraying this poison
on
the unresisting mouths of biodiversity, they even violated the
precautionary
measures that should be strictly abided by while spraying pesticides
aerially. This mean action was quite unwanted, and without proper study
and
monitoring.
The excuse for this senseless action was to control tea mosquitoes, which
were not at all a big problem in the area. The more alarming side of the
story is that the silent killing of the area's biodiversity was to protect
the yield from the plantations, that form only a negligible part of the
state's revenue.
Soon after the spraying started the horrible "thandava" of this poison -
that rendered the area with irreparable damages of people's health and the
environment - that questions the very existence of living beings. Bees and
flies started to disappear, then the health hazards to livestock began,
which included congenital anomalies, externally located internal organs
etc.
The next victims were the people.
The health hazards to the inhabitants of the area include a wide variety
of
diseases caused by pesticides. The prominent ones are skin problems,
infertility, mental retardation, stunted growth and extraordinary growth,
outside growth of internal organs, cancer, congenital anomalies and
genetic
problems. Studies reveal that occurrences of such cases are increased
substantially in the areas where more spraying occurs as compared to other
regions in the district that are similar to the afflicted area in all
other
respects.
The control area was selected in such a way that it is similar to the
study
area in typography - climatic conditions, vegetation and even socio
economic
conditions of the inhabitants. Many of the victims are in a deplorable
plight.
One of the victims, Sujith, is six years old, but he appears only six
months
old. You can not lift him as you would lift a six month old baby because
his
body is so tender that it will get scratches even with only a little bit
of
pressure applied. You can leave him only with wet eyes if you meet him in
person. Fifteen years old Appu has never lain down in bed as we do. He
sleeps in a sitting position because of the position of his legs, which
permanently stretch parallel to either side, and he has no sex organs. The
baby Jayakrishnan could not move till he died at the age of six months.
His
mother prayed to all gods to hear some sound from him. But he never cried,
never smiled, he never laughed and he never produced any sound. Soon after
birth, his hair started becoming grey. Yes, he died with hair of that of
an
old man.
Who gifted his fate? It is high time that we ask such questions. The
stories
of Sujith, Appu and Jayakrishnan are only a few examples. If we continue
to
keep mum, our society will be full of Appu's, Jayakrishnans and Sujiths
and
their pains.
The ray of hope that shines in our mind at this stage is that the people
of
the area have become aware of the danger, and have started to respond.
Several political and non-governmental organizations have girded up their
loins to defend the community from danger. Rehabilitation measures are
also
undertaken.
But there has not been an iota of help from the side of the government.
Though the high court has banned the spraying of this poison, the
government
is still not ready to disown it. Their priority is in the pleasures of the
capitalistic countries.
In this era of globalisation, people come not even second. We have planned
several forms of strikes that may extend for years, and we need the moral
support from all who are assembled here. Please be part of our struggle by
sending requests to the Prime Minister to urge for the banning of harmful
pesticides like endosulfan, and the rehabilitation of the poor victims in
my
community.
I pray that you should be with the generation who dreams of bringing back
peaceful and healthy nature.
I conclude. Thank you.
Victim Survivors in a Jaded Land
By Jennifer Mourin
Many of the participants at the hall meeting held in Chennai were 'Casual'
labourers. They are called as such not due to any casual attitude they
have
towards work but the fact that the decision on if and when they do get
work
depends on the rich landlords and businessmen. Calling themselves "coolies",
these labourers would be farmers but for the main problem of not having
access to, or not be able to afford, land!
 |
Kasamu, in her 40s, of Manpakam village in Tamil Nadu comes from a
contract
farming family, who leases land from a landlord to cultivate paddy. The
job
of spraying pesticides was for the most part done by her husband. He was
given the pesticides by this landlord, and told to use the various
concoctions and bottles of poison to ensure that no yield losses occurred
due to pest attacks. In the last two years, the use of pesticides
intensified. Her husband had been spraying the fields as usual one day
when
he suddenly fainted. Kasamu had to help her husband get back to their home
as he could hardly walk due to his weakened state. He remained severely
ill
for several weeks and then died. The doctor who treated him suspected that
the chemicals he was asked to spray were responsible for his death. They
had
to pay a lot of money for his treatment in hospital. Thinking back, Kasamu
now realizes all the signs and symptoms were evident from the start. Her
husband had complained of giddiness, and generally feeling unwell after
spraying, but felt he had no choice but to do what the landlord told him.
Kasamu herself has suffered exposure to these chemicals. She took over the
job of spraying pesticides when her husband fell ill. She has skin burns,
blurred vision and chest pains as rewards for picking up the burden of
becoming the sole bread winner of her family upon her husband's demise.
Ganesh, is only about 40 years old but he looks more than twenty years
older! As Ganesh tells his story his eyes burn defiantly bright out of a
once handsome face that topped a body of good physique. Now he is almost a
walking skeleton, and his hands shake from the ravages of severe
Parkinson's
disease. He complains of bad pains in his abdomen. Also a "casual
labourer",
Ganesh and his friend used to get work as sprayers in fields of rich
farmers
and landlords. His friend used to get chest pains after spraying and
Ganesh
used to suffer slight giddiness, but neither thought it was serious or
linked to pesticide use. His body started deteriorating in the last few
years as the tremors started. He can no longer work now, and has to depend
on the kindness of his family and friends to feed and house him, and to
pay
for the medication he desperately needs to quell the tremors of
Parkinson's.
When he is unable to get his medication, his health deteriorates. Once a
strong, proud and hardworking man, Ganesh is only able to wait out his
days
pondering the fate that brought him such pain.
Darmaveni, 32, is from Teritana village. She is a "casual labourer" from
the
Dalit community. Her job is to pluck flowers, specifically jasmine
varieties
that are transported to Madras for export to countries like Malaysia,
Singapore, UK, France and many others. She also does weeding, particularly
in the flower and groundnut fields. She believes she has been harmed by
the
pesticides that other workers spray while she plucks flowers and does
weeding - weeding takes place from early morning till 2pm, while plucking
flowers often starts at 6am and ends at 3pm. She has experienced giddiness
and nausea from the smell and breathing in the chemical tainted air. She
has
also experienced excess bleeding during her menses, and complained of
white
discharge oozing from her genitals. She managed to gather money to consult
a
doctor who told her she may have an abscess in her uterus. She spent
10,000
rupees of her own funds to try to treat her problem, which flared in the
last 2 years. She had no money to get treatment earlier and her family
borrowed money to help her out.
Sate, 35, worked as a casual labourer for most of his life. He has worked
in
sugarcane and groundnut fields spraying pesticides. One day, he was
spraying
pesticides in a cane field, when after one hour in the hot sun, he stopped
work and went home for a wash. Just after he washed, he fainted,
experienced
tremors, and he has noticed that his eyesight has since deteriorated. He
also experiences sharp pains in his back from having to carry heavy, metal
spray pumps which his employer provided. He has used highly toxic
pesticides
like the organophosphate FolidolŪ [methyl parathion produced by BAYER
CropScience], and many others. He was not given any protective gear.
Luckily
for him, his employer is more benevolent than most and paid for his
treatment at the hospital after his fainting spell. This benevolence will
not last, and Sate has learned to be more cautious. His health is not as
it
once was, and he has insisted on doing easier work in the field, like
transplanting work.
It is very sad to note that these are only a tragic few drops in a
terrible
sea of exploitation, poisonings and inhumanity, which is becoming all too
common the world over.
For more information and pictures - please visit:
http://www.panap.net/caravan
PAN - Asia and the Pacific
P.O. Box 1170,10850 Penang, Malaysia
Tel:604-6570271/6560381 Fax:604-6583960
Web: www.panap.net
People's Caravan 2004 for Food Sovereignty
Update September 6, 2004 - Part 3
For 30 days this month, the People's Caravan for Food Sovereignty will hold
simultaneous resistance and solidarity actions in 13 Asian countries.
Be part of the journey! Join and support the People's Caravan!
People’s Caravan Addresses Migrant Workers
"Merdeka! (freedom) from inhumane treatment of Indonesian migrant workers!" This is the message conveyed by Irene Fernandez, Director of Tenaganita from Malaysia to more than two thousand Indonesian migrant workers gathered in Victoria Park in Hong Kong on September 5 to belatedly celebrate Indonesia’s Independence Day.
There are more than 240,000 Indonesian workers in Hong Kong, most of them domestic workers. "Indonesian migrant workers, most of them who are from peasant families back home are forced to migrate due to loss of livelihoods in their communities but are somehow "better-off" than their counterparts in Malaysia because they have the opportunity to organise themselves", Irene explained to the crowd.
Fernandez narrated that Malaysia hosts more than 230,000 Indonesian migrant workers who are not allowed to take a day off unlike the migrant workers in Hong Kong. Indonesian domestic workers are prone to abuses because the Malaysian and Indonesian governments do not uphold their rights as workers. In Malaysia, more than 18,000 Indonesian workers ran away from their employers last year due to physical and mental abuses.
Fernandez who is in Hong Kong for the People’s Caravan 2004 for Food Sovereignty, urged the workers in Hong Kong to continue organising and consolidating themselves and fight for the recognition of their rights as workers. Fernandez who was sentenced by the Malaysian Magistrates Court to one year in prison for defending the rights of migrants in Malaysia, told the crowd that "We will continue our struggle in jail or otherwise, because we cannot compromise on the rights of people". More than 1,000 of the workers present signed a petition demanding for her acquittal.
The post "Merdeka" Celebration was organised by the strong Association of Indonesian Migrant Workers in Hongkong (AIMW), it is a member of Asian Migrants Coordinating Body (AMBC), one of the hosts of the Caravan in Hongkong.
For more information and pictures -
please visit: http://www.panap.net/caravan
***************************************************************
PAN - Asia and the Pacific
P.O. Box 1170,10850 Penang, Malaysia
Tel:604-6570271/6560381 Fax:604-6583960
Web: www.panap.net
Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Asia and the Pacific
People's Caravan for Food Sovereignty
Update September 3, 2004
Indigenous Peoples’ lives poisoned
On its third day, The People’s Caravan 2004 reached an Indigenous People community in Selangor (Malaysia).
The community alleged that poisons used in palm oil plantations near their settlement are threatening their livelihood as the plantations are located along the river, which used to be a major source of food and income for them.
Representing the 400 indigenous members of the community, Diman,43, claimed that he could no longer rely on fishing as the rivers were "contaminated with chemicals".
Diman, who does now odd-jobs for a living, lamented that he could no longer continue the professions of his forefathers due to the problem. His father had been a fisherfolk for 40 years before passing on the skills to him. "The fishes are dead, and the river is muddy and full of sleuth," said Diman, who is a member of the Mahmeri tribe.
Meanwhile, a vegetable grower, who only wants to be known as Kok, said that the community had made a conscious effort not to work in the plantation sector as it uses harmful pesticides. "We saw it with our own eyes," said Kok, 54, referring to paraquat, the herbicide commonly used in palm oil plantations.
"Ever since the plantations came, we notice our families are becoming sick. We start having many health problems like skin rashes, headaches and aches in our bodies," added the father of eight children.
Many have resorted to growing their own fruits and vegetables to earn a living, which Kok says is barely enough to feed his family. However, their produce is gaining popularity as people flock to their markets to purchase pesticide-free fruits and vegetables.
For further information contact:
Sarojeni V. Rengam, Executive Director, Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Asia and the Pacific, Penang, Malaysia. Handphone: +60 16 478 9545 PAN AP Tel: +604 657 0271/ +604 656 0381 Email: panap@panap.net, saroj@pc.jaring.mySusan Loone, Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Asia and the Pacific, Penang, Malaysia. Handphone: +60 16-4133077 Irene Fernandez, Tenaganita, Malaysia. HP: +60 12 316 3011
For more information on the Caravan, please visit the Caravan website:
http://www.panap.net/caravan
***************************************************************
PAN - Asia and the Pacific
P.O. Box 1170,10850 Penang, Malaysia
Tel:604-6570271/6560381 Fax:604-6583960
Web: www.panap.net
For 30 days in September this year, the People's Caravan for Food Sovereignty
will hold simultaneous resistance and solidarity actions in 13 Asian countries.
Be part of the journey. Join and support the People's Caravan.
Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Asia and
the Pacific
PRESS RELEASE
Food Sovereignty Caravan Launched!
Peasant, Women and Workers Movements Demand Rights to
Land and Food on International Day of Farmers Struggles
(Kathmandu, Nepal)--Pesticide Action Network Asia and
the Pacific (PAN AP) joins peoples’ movements of
Asia to launch the People’s Caravan for Food Sovereignty
to assert their rights to food, land and productive resources.
The Caravan kicks off with a Public Launch and Press Conference,
as part of activities to commemorate International Day
of Farmers Struggles this April 17, organised by the All
Nepal Peasants Association (ANPA) and Rural Reconstruction
Nepal (RRN).
"Food Sovereignty has been a rallying call for many
grassroots organisations particularly peasant groups for
many years now. The Caravan will advocate for genuine
agrarian reform that gives poor peasants access and control
over land, seeds and water; yields which are free of pesticides
and genetic engineering (GMOs); guarantees an ecological
production for present and future generations; supports
the rights of women farmers; and strengthens the communities
in rural areas", explains PAN AP Executive Director,
Sarojeni V. Rengam. "The focus on Food Sovereignty
is to assert people’s and communities’ fundamental
right to determine their food and agricultural policies
that affect their lives and livelihood," she adds.
Current figures show that there are 500 million people
in Asia-Pacific who suffer chronic hunger. Women and children
are the most affected by hunger and poverty. For women,
it is largely a result of gender inequality and their
lack of economic and political rights. As noted by Josephine
of the Tamil Nadu Women’s Forum, "Rural Women
bear the burden of long hours of working for low wages,
and face "multiple work days" as they juggle
agricultural work and responsibilities in the home. The
health of the rural women, especially their reproductive
rights, are violated. Where they do get work on the farms,
they have to do the most back-breaking, work and are poisoned
by the use of harmful chemical pesticides. In cases where
unemployment is rife, many women are pushed into the sex
trade."
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is the biggest threat
to Food Sovereignty as it undermines the fundamental right
of the people to food and to determine their own agriculture.
Surging food imports have hit farm incomes and had severe
employment effects in many underdeveloped countries in
Asia. Unable to compete with cheap food imports, and in
the absence of any adequate protection measures, income
and livelihood losses have hurt women and poor peasants
the most. The self-immolation of the Korean farmer, Lee
Kyung Hae during the WTO Cancun Ministerial in September
2003 to protest of the havoc caused by WTO agreements
on peasants and farming families, is tragic testimony
of the impact of the WTO on small farming communities.
He believed that, "if the negotiations go through,
it will be the death of the Korean farmer". Mr. Lee’s
third daughter Lee Ji hye, 23 years, was invited to the
Caravan launch to share her fathers’ struggle and
circumstance, to draw attention to the plight of struggling
farmers in Korea and the rest of Asia. However she was
unable to attend due to unforseen circumstances. The launch
will stop for one minute of silence to commemorate the
peasants and farmers who have died in the sruggle, including
the memory of Mr. Lee.
"Peasants spend all their days toiling the land but
cannot make a living, many are dying of hunger. The WTO
and especially the Agreement on Agriculture has facilitated
the dumping of heavily subsidised cheap food from developed
countries into our countries. This has only benefited
the multinational corporations, and not the peasants and
rural communities. This is why we are mobilizing peasants
in a campaign to take WTO out of agriculture, and to assert
our call for food sovereignty", explains Prem Dangal
of the ANPA.
At the centre of these problems are fundamental issues
such as lack of access to land and other productive resources,
structural adjustment programmes and multilateral trade
and investment agreements brought about by globalisation—all
of which continue to wreck havoc on what remains of the
rights of people of most Asian countries.
"One crucial factor in food production is Land,"
asserts Biplap Halim of the Institute for Motivating Self-Employment
(IMSE), "the incessant cycle of poverty and hunger
experienced by the most marginalised groups in our societies
is due to the lack of genuine and pro-people land reform
measures. For these communities the right to productive
resources such as seeds and water are also vitally crucial
to ensure food sovereignty".
The problems wrought by the WTO assisted trade liberalisation
and globalisation are compounded by the World Bank and
IMF’s imposed poverty reduction programmes that
further promote liberalisation, deregulation and privatisation.
These programmes do not address the problem of massive
hunger and poverty but instead exacerbates it, particularly
among peasants, women and children. Additionally, the
unchecked growth of corporate power together with policies
that support and benefit Agrochemical TNCs have had a
devastating impact on communities’ food, agriculture,
nutritional needs and on their health and environment.
How and where food is grown is determined by a handful
of Agrochemical TNCs whose main goal for existence is
corporate profit, not food security for the majority of
the people. The poisonous impacts of hazardous technologies
such as the pesticides are well noted, and new developments
in genetic engineering will increase these negative impacts
on agriculture and food production.
"The Peoples Caravan is set to hit the road this
September to tackle the fundamental issues impacting communities
in Asia, and their struggles for food sovereignty. It
involves the peasant sector, women, indigenous people,
and other grassroots groups and support NGOs from Asia.
We anticipate a gamut of activities ranging from seminars
to public meetings, rallies to film festivals, seed exchanges
to food festivals, as we assert the call for Food Sovereignty",
Rengam concludes.
For 30 days in September this year, the People's Caravan
for Food Sovereignty will hold simultaneous events and
solidarity actions in 10 Asian countries.
-------------- Ends ----------------
Contacts:
Sarojeni V. Rengam, PAN AP, Tel: (+604) 657 0271. Email: saroj@pc.jaring.my,
panap@panap.net,
Hand Phone: (+60) 16 478 9545
Jennifer Mourin, PAN AP. Contact Tel. No. in Nepal from
April 15-20 c/o RRN: (+977) 1-444 3371/4415418 /4422153
/ Email: Jennifer.Mourin@panap.net,also
jenmourin@yahoo.co.uk
Rural Reconstruction Nepal, contact Person: Mr. Mukunda,
Tel. No: (+977) 1-444 3371/4415418 /4422153 / Email: mukunda@rrn.org.np
All Nepal Peasants Association, contact: Mr. Prem Prasad
Dangal, Tel. No: (+977) 1-4288404 / 548971 / 5537795.
Email: anpa@mail.com.np
-----------------------------------------------------
Note to Editors:
1. Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific based
in Penang, Malaysia, is the regional base for Pesticide
Action Network (PAN), an international coalition of citizen’s
groups and individuals opposing the misuse of pesticides
and support reliance on safe, sustainable pest control
methods. PANAP is linked to more than 150 groups, working
consistently with some 50 groups in 18 countries in the
Asia Pacific region.
2. For more information on the Caravan’s Themes
and Focus Issues, the Routes it will take and the groups
involved please refer to http://www.panap.net/caravan/
3. After the massacre of landless on the 17th of April
1996 in Brazil, La Via Campesina declared this day the
International Day of Farmers' Struggle. La Via Campesina
is an international movement, which coordinates peasant
organizations of small and middle-scale producers, agricultural
workers, rural women, and indigenous communities from
Asia, Africa, America, and Europe. See: http://www.viacampesina.org
4. Short Biodatas of Media spokes persons will be made
available at the Peoples Caravan Launch Press Conference.
Peoples’ Caravan Delegates Arrested
Activists Rounded up in Post Caravan March with
Nepali Democratic Movement
April 17 (Kathmandu/Nepal)---Pesticide
Action Network Asia Pacific (PAN AP) Executive director,
Sarojeni V. Rengam; South Asian Peasants Coalition secretary
general, Biplap Halim; and All Nepal Peasants Association
(ANPA) chairperson, Bamdev Gautam who is also former
Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal, were
hoisted unto police trucks during a Solidarity March
and Rally that proceeded the public Launch of the Peoples
Caravan 2004 at 5pm.
Also arrested were Keshav Lal Shrestra,
Vice Chairperson of ANPA (the former Nepali Minister
of Local Development), and Bidya Bhandari, chairperson
of the All Nepal Peasant Women’s Association (ANWA)
and former Minister of Environment, and Population.
Caravan organizer Gilbert Sape of PAN AP, ANPA secretary
general, Prem Dangal, and numerous other supporters
of ANPA and the democratic peoples’ movement of
Nepal were also rounded up by police.
Around 100 delegates who had attended
the Public Launch of the Peoples Caravan for Food Sovereignty
gathered in a peaceful demonstration near Ratna Park
in downtown Kathmandu. Occupying the main road in a
sit-in action, the delegates waved flags and chanted
slogans, “Long Live Democracy!”, “Down
with Autocracy!” and “Long Live Peasants
Struggle!” Within 10 minutes of the action, about
150 police swarmed the area and encircled the protestors,
hurdling them towards nearby police trucks. The protestors,
both foreign and local, were then pushed unto the back
of the trucks and taken to Police Headquarters where
many were questioned about the action. They were released
later in the evening.
“We took to the streets for three
reasons, firstly to take the issues from the Peoples
Caravan launch and Day of Peasants Struggle to the people
of Kathmandu; secondly, to join the peoples movements
in Nepal in their struggle for democracy; and thirdly
to assert the Nepali peasants’ calls for food
sovereignty and social justice”, explains Prem
Dangal of ANPA.
Protest actions have become a daily
occurrence on the streets of Kathmandu. And just as
pro-democracy movements have intensified, so have incidences
of police suppression of these actions. “The right
to freedom of expression is a central part of democracy,
and in absence of these rights the only just avenue
for the people is a continuous struggle on the streets”,
comments Rengam. “The action we took today to
commemorate International Day of Farmers Struggle was
also part of peoples struggle for food sovereignty,
it is the right to decision making at the local level
on food and agriculture policy” she adds.
Originally pulled into the truck with
the men, Rengam herself became the object of protests
led by women peasant leaders who insisted that she not
be bundled off in the male designated vehicle.
The delegates who had just participated
in the Caravan Launch at Tribuvan University, in the
Kirtipur district of Kathmandu had undertaken the March
to support and assert the rights and concerns of the
Nepali peasants’ movements in their struggle for
democracy.
Commenting on the protest action Rengam
stated, “This was in solidarity with the peoples’
struggle for democracy, including food democracy and
right to decent livelihoods. We believe in and support
the Nepali Peoples struggle that lies at the very heart
of the movement for a fair and just society based on
human rights and democracy”.
“The peoples’ republic
should be introduced and the genuine demands of the
people for a democratic system of governance should
be respected. We come in solidarity of the peoples struggle!”
asserts Biplap Halim of the South Asian Peasants Coalition
and the Institute for Motivating Self-Employment (IMSE),
on his arrest.
The main speakers from the launch took
part in the March, and extended their support and solidarity
for the Nepali peoples struggle for democracy. As noted
by Josephine Sagayam of the Taminadu Women’s Forum,
“Food Sovereignty is not possible unless the people
have rights over decision making and have a say in the
policies that affect them. Therefore it is imperative
for the people to attain their democratic rights.”
Earlier in the afternoon, over 400 people
filled the Auditorium Hall at Tribuvan University to
attend the Public Launch of the Peoples Caravan for
Food Sovereignty. Hosted and organised by ANPA, ANWA
and the Rural Reconstruction Nepal (RRN), the launch
highlighted the concerns and issues of the peasants’
movement in Nepal on their Day of Struggle.
Food Sovereignty has been the rallying
call of many grassroots movements the world over, and
in particular the peasants movements. The Caravan will
advocate for genuine agrarian reform that gives poor
peasants access and control over land, seeds and water;
yields which are free from pesticides and genetic engineering
(GMOs); guarantees an ecological production for present
and future generations; supports the rights of women;
and strengthens the communities in rural areas.
For 30 days in September this year,
the Peoples Caravan for Food Sovereignty will hold simultaneous
events and solidarity actions in Malaysia, Indonesia,
the Philippines, Cambodia, Korea, China, Japan, Sri
Lanka, India, Bangladesh, and Nepal; with the possible
participation of groups in Thailand.
-------------- Ends ----------------
Contacts:
Sarojeni V. Rengam, PAN AP, Tel: (+604)
657 0271. Email: saroj@pc.jaring.my,
panap@panap.net,
Hand Phone: (+60) 16 478 9545
Jennifer Mourin, PAN AP. Contact Tel.
No. in Nepal from April 15-20 c/o RRN: (+977) 1-444
3371/4415418 /4422153 / Email: Jennifer.Mourin@panap.net
,also jenmourin@yahoo.co.uk
Rural Reconstruction Nepal, contact
Person: Mr. Mukunda, Tel. No: (+977) 1-444 3371/4415418
/4422153 / Email: mukunda@rrn.org.np
All Nepal Peasants Association, contact:
Mr. Prem Prasad Dangal, Tel. No: (+977) 1-4288404 /
548971 / 5537795. Email: anpa@mail.com.np
-----------------------------------------------------
Note to Editors:
1. Pesticide Action Network Asia and
the Pacific based in Penang, Malaysia, is the regional
base for Pesticide Action Network (PAN), an international
coalition of citizen’s groups and individuals
opposing the misuse of pesticides and support reliance
on safe, sustainable pest control methods. PAN AP is
linked to more than 150 groups, working consistently
with some 50 groups in 18 countries in the Asia Pacific
region.
2. For more information on the Caravan’s
Themes and Focus Issues, the Routes it will take and
the groups involved please refer to http://www.panap.net/caravan/
3. After the massacre of landless on
the 17th of April 1996 in Brazil, La Via Campesina declared
this day the International Day of Farmers' Struggle.
La Via Campesina is an international movement, which
coordinates peasant organizations of small and middle-scale
producers, agricultural workers, rural women, and indigenous
communities from Asia, Africa, America, and Europe.
See: http://www.viacampesina.org
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