Jan Sangarsh Morcha
(A forum of people's organisations in Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh)

150 marchers against World Bank and Asia Development Bank policies and conference jailed, others prevented from reaching Bhopal

"Place of international funding organisations is in Development Forum and that of the people of Madhya Pradesh is in jail!"

Nearly 150 people from people's organisations in Madhya Pradesh were jailed while marching on the streets of Bhopal just before noon today. The representatives of people's organisations, including tribals and peasants from the Narmada Bachao Andolan, Shramik Adivasi Sangathan, Kisan Adivasi Sangathan, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangathan, and Ekta Parishad among others were arrested and picked up from a march while opposing the anti-people policies of the World Bank and Asia Development Bank. Many others were detained at several places outside Bhopal and prevented from reaching the protest site. The arrested people were detained under Sec.151. They were not released till evening. The arrested people refused bail. Those arrested included prominent activists Alok Agarwal of the NBA, Sunil bhai of Kisan Adivasi Sangathan and Shamim of Shramik Adivasi Sangathan.

It may be noted that the Madhya Pradesh government had organised a one day Development Forum in Bhopal where he had invited the World Bank, Asia Development Bank and various agencies of developed countries. The British Development Minister Ms. Claire Short is also present in Bhopal for the meeting.

The people's organisations were opposing the anti-people policies of the World Bank and the Asia Development Bank. Sunilbhai of Samajwadi Jan Parishad and Alok Agarwal of the Narmada Bachao Andolan said at the time of arrests that it is a matter of deep concern that the place of international funding organisations should be in the forum to discuss the development of Madhya Pradesh and that of the people of Madhya Pradesh should be in jail. They said that this repressive action of the government reflected the slavery of the Madhya Pradesh government to the multinational corporations.

They pointed out that the energy sector policies of the ADB promoting privatisation and corporatisation of the energy sector had led to prohibitively expensive power production by private corporations. This can only mean darkness for the people of Madhya Pradesh and loot of public money. For example, the privatised Maheshwar Project in the Narmada valley which will receive funds from the Power Finance Corporation (funded by the World Bank and ADB), will produce power at the rate of Rs. 7-10 per kWh- several times higher than the MPEB produced power.

The organisations also opposed the attempt of the multilateral institutions to seek control over the vast natural resources of Madhya Pradesh and marginalise and uproot the Adivasis through the controversial M P Forestry Project. In the last five years that the Forestry Project has been in operation, 4 tribals have been killed and 8 people have been maimed by Forest and police officials.

The people of Bhopal and Madhya Pradesh have already paid too large a cost for the criminal negligence and lack of accountability of multinational corporations such as the genocide caused by Union Carbide. The people of the Narmada valley have already paid a large cost when the World Bank continued to be involved in the destructive Sardar Sarovar Project from 1985 to 1993, despite clear social and environmental violations, until massive public resistance finally compelled them to withdraw from the Project.

The organisations stated that the newly passed Special Areas Security Act was at the instance of the multilateral institutions and global corporations and aimed to muzzle the voice of the people and popular opposition against the globalisation policies of the state.

In a separate meeting of the civil society organisations with the British Development Minister Ms. Claire Short, many participants expressed their deep apprehensions about the impact of funding from the multilateral institutions and the repressive regime that the Madhya Pradesh government will wreak on the people of the state in order to defend and protect corporate interests. Phagram of Kisan Adivasi Sangathan and Suddobai of Shramik Adivasi Sangathan vehemently insisted that "all international agencies have hitherto only pauperised the common people of Madhya Pradesh. These agencies must now leave Madhya Pradesh and leave the development of the state and the country to the people of the state."