Singur Siege: Brand India, Internal corporate Imperialism and the Ways of Leftist Fascism!

[Palash]

Singur Siege: Brand India, Internal corporate Imperialism and the Ways
of Leftist Fascism!

Troubled Galaxy Destroyed Dreams: Chapter 55

Palash Biswas
http://troubledgalaxydetroyeddreams.blogspot.com/

Imperialism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Imperialism has two meanings, one describing an action and the other
describing an attitude. Most commonly it is understood in relation to
Empire building, ...
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New Imperialism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
New Imperialism refers to the colonial expansion adopted by Europe's
powers and, later, Japan and the United States, during the 19th and
early 20th ...
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Fascism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fascism is an authoritarian nationalist political ideology and mass
movement that is concerned with notions of cultural decline or
decadence, ...
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Definitions of fascism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
What constitutes a definition of fascism and fascist governments is a
highly disputed subject that has proved complicated and
contentious. ...
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pages
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Mamata suggests solution to Singur deadlock
31 Aug, 2008 [05:49 PM]

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said members of agitating
group will meet the Governor on Sunday to press shifting of Tata
Motors' ancillary units close to the Nano project site to end the
deadlock in Singur.
Read More
http://www.taratv.com/west_bengal.php



Calcutta Telegraph CII condemns Singur violence
Hindustan Times, India - 10 hours ago
Press Trust Of India Apex industry chamber CII on Friday condemned
violence at Singur, where Tata Motors is setting up plant for its Rs
one lakh car Nano, ...
‘Singur will resonate in India’s global image’ Hindu
CII speaks tough on Singur, says it is disconcerting IBNLive.com
Industry chorus to save plant Calcutta Telegraph
all 11 news articles »


Times Now.tv Singur impasse continues, WB Governor steps in
Hindu, India - 2 hours ago
Singur-Kolkata (PTI): As the impasse over Singur issue persisted, West
Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi on Sunday stepped into the scene
by suggesting a ...
Singur impasse continues, WB Governor steps in Press Trust of India
Singur crisis: WB Gov writes to Mamata Zee News
Will Mamata respond to WB Governor's call? Times Now.tv
Press Trust of India
all 11 news articles »


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Voice of America
West Bengal wants Tata to stay: NDTV poll
NDTV.com - 1 hour ago
West Bengal supports the Tata Nano factory in Singur. This is the
finding of an NDTV-GfK MODE opinion poll. Seventy five per cent of all
those surveyed in urban, rural Bengal and around Singur have said that
the coming of the Tatas is good for the ...
Nano will be beneficial for West Bengal: Pranab Economic Times
'Mamata's demand impossible;land can't be returned legally' Hindu
Hindustan Times - Press Trust of India - Moneycontrol.com - Sify
all 552 news articles » हिन्दी में »





Voice of America Singur will unleash fear, uncertainty in investors:
Murthy
Press Trust of India, India - 3 hours ago
Bangalore, Aug 31 (PTI) Software icon NR Narayana Murthy warned today
the deadlock in Singur over Tata's Nano plant following agitations
will "unleash fear ...
Youth fear loss of job scope if Tatas leave Singur Economic Times
Work at Tata Motors Singur plant comes to halt Hindustan Times
No end in sight for Singur stalemate (Roundup) SINDH TODAY
NDTV.com - Hindustan Times
all 552 news articles »

Voice of America
Who killed VHP leader? Hindus, Christians divided
IBNLive.com - 10 hours ago
VIOLENCE FLASHPOINT: The Naxals have been active in these forests of
Kandhamal for past many decades. What lies at the core of the tension
- religious conversions, poverty or growing intolerance?
Christians may form militia for self-defence: Church leader Economic
Times
Kandhamal crisis: Hatred through the cracks in Harmony Zee News
Hindustan Times - The Observer - Howrah News Service - BBC News
all 856 news articles »


Accord on Amarnath issue signed, Samiti suspends stir
Hindu - 53 minutes ago
Jammu (PTI): The more than two-month-long agitation in Jammu over the
Amarnath land transfer row ended on Sunday as the state government and
the group spearheading the movement signed an agreement allowing the
shrine board to make use of 40 hectares of ...
Amarnath Samiti to celebrate Aug 31 annually as 'Vijay Diwas' Times of
India
Samiti ends stir over land row, curfew lifted in Jammu NDTV.com
Sify - Kashmir Observer - MyNews.in - News Agency of Kashmir
all 559 news articles »


Fresh News
Revised draft exemption likely to be rejected: ACA
Hindu - 2 hours ago
Washington (PTI): The revised draft exemption for India to be
presented before the Nuclear Suppliers Group has not been modulated as
per the group's demands and is likely to be rejected, a top arms
control specialist said on Sunday.
India jittery about this week's NSG meet NDTV.com
India circulates revised draft among NSG members Economic Times
Daily News & Analysis - Chandigarh Tribune - The Statesman - Times of
India
all 411 news articles »


Separatists reject accord, sporadic incidents in Valley
Sporadic violence occurred in Kashmir with mobs, protesting among
other things the accord on the Amarnath land issue.
Bihar flood situation worsens as new areas go under water
With the water of river Kosi engulfing fresh areas in Bihar's North
Eastern 16 districts, flood situation in the state worsened.
Relocation of ancillary units will solve problem: Mamata
Mamata Banerjee said members of agitating group will meet the Governor
to press shifting of Tata Motors' ancillary units.
Deadline for Marathi signboards not extended: ThackerayOrissa:
Additional security personnel deployed in Koraput‘India may open
Srinagar-Muzaffarabad trade route’Two women get jail term for
'indecent acts' in Dubai
http://www.expressindia.com/ More


Brand India Ruling Hegemony led by CII and Global Market forces have
come out to defend NANO launching an unprecedented Misinformation
campaign.

Intelligentsia India stands rock solid with Singur Insurrection!

Meanwhile, the brand Indian Army led by C.K. Birla, Jamshyd Godrej,
Sunil Bharti Mittal and S.K. Munjal were some among the army of
industrialists who urged all involved to ensure that the Tatas weren’t
forced to pull the plug on the project..Venu Srinivasan and K.V.
Kamath, representing CII, also threw their voices behind the Nano
factory through separate statements. Mukesh Ambani had articulated his
support on Wednesday.

On Saturday, Kolkata intelligentsia assembled in Dhramatolla to
express their support to Ms Mamata Bannerjee in her agitation in
Singur! Tapasi Malik, the gang raped murdered teenager girl was once
again posted on the centre of a Banner of SANHATI SAMABESH.

"There is a one line solution. Everything will be settled if the
ancillary units are relocated to the land on the opposite side of the
small car unit," Banerjee said from her dharna platform, a day after
Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi sent a her letter asking her to call the
eight-day long stir.

Sticking to her demand that 400 acres of the land acquired for the
small car project be returned to the "unwilling farmers", she said the
plant could come up on 600 acres site.

"In that case both industry and agriculture will smile," she said.

SANHATI SAMABESH condemned the continuous Misinformation campaign
launched by West Bengal Government, Tata and Media against Singur
agitation. it exposed the Lame Excuse of Traffic Jam, deliberately
created to confuse general public and subvert the Land Agitation
creating artificial crisis of basic commodities in retail market. It
was explained that Durgapur Express Way does not carry any Caravan of
perishable Fishes, Vegetables or lifesaving drugs as focused on the
media led by Anandbazar group, Star Ananda and 24 Ghanta. It was
explained with graphic details that GT Road, BT Road and a ten more
ways lead to Kolkata via which commodities may reach Kolkata. A
resolution was passed to condemn this intriguing misinformation
campaign!

Intelligentsia India demands to disclose the Agreement between the
government of West Bengal and Tatas. It is never made public quoting
third party involvement and violating much hyped RTI Act.

Professor Sunand Sanyal spoke,` The metro is going to witness a Grand
Tamasha played by the hypocrite Left. They are organising a Grand
Procession against Imperialism!’

He said,`The Anti Imperialism Demonstration led by CPIM is quite
hypocritical as the Marxists in India have proved themselves the best
agents of Imperialism in this geopolitics. They continued the Congress
Government in the Centre to finalise the Strategic Re alliance led by
United States of America as well as the Nuke Deal. They withdrew
support just to dodge the Vote bank loyal!’

He further said,` Only Indigenous people like those based in
Nandigram, Singur and Kalingnagar lead the genuine Anti Imperialism
Anti fascism movements! The Ruling Gestapo of the Left, rather,
undermines the indigenous people uprooting them from their life and
livelihood and killing them mercilessly.He said,` The Left is
responsible for the Internal Imperialism to enforce Marxist capitalist
development for MNCs, creating Rightist Fascism!’

Dr Sanyal warned,` It will be a Himalayan blunder on the part of the
Masses as well as Intelligentsia India if they chose to detach from
Singur agitation due to this mischievous subversion created by the
Ruling Hegemony!’

Dr Sanyal spoke so well on Internal imperialism!

It reminded me the words of Dr Manager Pandey, the eminent critic from
JNU when he spoke on my novel `America Se Savdhan ‘(Be Aware of
America) way back in 1996. In fact, the Novel was being published
serially in Dainik Awaz published from Dhanbad and Jamshedpur
simultaneously. Shramajeevi Patrakr Sangh organised a seminar on the
Novel as fifty episodes were already published. Our friends Kripa
Sahnkar Chaube and Arvind Chaturved was behind the event. The venue
was JANSANSRA where selected audience was present and were hosted very
well by Geetesh Sharma known for his book,`On the Name of religion.’
He exposed Religion long before Taslima Nasreen.

The JNU Dean warned, ` Anti Imperialism provokes Blind nationalism
which blindly supports repression and annihilation of nationalities
and identities until you also protest Internal Imperialism!’

The episodes of the novel were being published countrywide in little
mags also and I had to answer and interact with readers on large
scale. They wrote me. They encountered me face to face. They called
me. Internal Imperialism was the topic on centre stage when I
experimented with Interactive Novel Writing as a Creative Anti
Imperialist Movement much before the Hindu Zionist White Strategic Re
Alliance materialised! Much before the Nuke Deal written! Much before
the war against Terrorism struck Asia and Middle east! Much Before the
War zone was shifted right into our Heart in this divided bleeding
Geopolitics of south Asia!

We were debating on internal Imperialism during the days of Thundering
Spring which annihilated the Naxalite Uprising. The ruling Marxists
were then aligned with Congress Gestapo of Siddhatrth Shankar Ray.
Internal Imperialist Trend of the Marxists was exposed naked in
Marichjhanpi Ethnic cleansing in January 1979.

Coincidentally, the Eye Witness of the Massacre, Sanjay Mitra, was
there in the Sanhati Samabesh with CDs of ` Marichjhanpi: Tortured
Humanity,’directed by Tushar Bhattachary and tele casted five times on
Kolkata TV. The CD was on sale and professor Sanyal quoted the Event
of First sunrise declared by then the minister of Police, culture and
information in Jyoti Basu ministry, Buddhdev Bhattacharya, the Gestapo
Head of the Brand India and marxists as well. Buddha declared
Marichjhanpi liberated after burning the children of the indigenous
refugees from Marichjhanpi, invited to settle in Marichjhanpi by no
one else but Jyoti Basu. buddha declared sunrise in Marichjhanpi after
dozens of the refugee women were raped and killed, their houses were
burnt and their Men were shot and made the fodder for the Royal Bengal
Tigers!

The Phenomenon of Marxist Internal Imperialism creating rightist
Fascism was introduced by Basu and Bhattacharya long before Neo
Liberalism introduced! Long before SEZ drive launched. long before the
shopping malls, retail chains, chemical hubs, nuclear parks, flyovers,
lock outs, retrenchment, LPG, Privatisation, disinvestment, FDI, Open
Market, IT, Mobile and computer Blue revolution came fore front.

Marichjhanpi created the launching pad of internal Imperialism and
Rightist Fascism in the Leftist Ruled India. It was the beginning of
Nadigram and Singur.

Friends, you might remember, I have posted an On Line Petition with
the Vedio of the `Marichjanpi: tortured Humanity’ in You Tube and
nadigramunietd, my blog besides so many more sites long before the
film was released!

Marichjhanpi genocide was committed during the time while eminent
economist Dr Ashok Mitra was the finance minister in Jyoti Basu
Ministry. Jatin Chakrabarti was not a rebel then. The left was
combined minus CPI. Subhash Chakrabarti had offered the refugees CPIM
umbrella to disassociate them the regional force, a constituent of the
Left, RSP! Refugees did not oblige. Ram Chatterjee and Kiranmoy
Nanda , the ministers of first Jyoti Ministry mobilised the refugees
of Dandakarany to create a Vote Bank for the Left, never stood with
the refugees. We the Refugees settled in UP, Uttarakhand , Assam,
Bihar, Jharkhand, Hariyana, Rajsthan and anywhere in North India did
not enter into the trap. Because my father, late Pulin Kumar Biswas
did not believe the Bengali Brahmin Marxists and were quite aware of
the Marxist Legacy of betrayal and Hypocrisy. he learnt it in Dhimri
Block Peasant uprising in 1958. he felt it In Assam in 1960, where he
landed to rescue his brothers, the Refugees.

The other parties habitual to enjoy the benefits being in Government
with minimum mass base, Forward Block, RSP, SP and so on, supported
the Genocide culture and the Gestapo.

Yes, it was the time just after the Tebhaga. Just after the Food
Movement. just after the Bangladesh Liberation. Just after the
complete surrender, disintegration and repression of Naxalbari!

Yes, it was the time while the Left front Government was engaged in
much hyped Land Reforms and Rural Development. The Marxists were
heading the mass movements of students, women, indigenous communities,
trade unions, peasants and workers. But the Marxists never hesitated
to kill the Class Enemies, the refugees, the Indigenous People. The
other left and secular parties were silent.

Civil Society was silent.

Intelligentsia India was silent.

The sage of Internal imperialism continues with fullest Volume!

We have witnessed Operation Blue Star!

We have seen ram Janma Bhoomi Movement.

We bear the Military Rule in Kashmir and Entire North East under AFPSA
umbrella! We never resisted. We never did address the Nationalities as
a nation! We always supported the merciless Military repression of
Identities and Nationalities. It is Blind nationalism provoked by
Internal imperialism as well as Rightist fascism. So, entire India is
fielded against Tamilnadu sometimes. Sometimes it is any state of the
North east Isolated, alienated! Some times it is Punjab. Sometimes the
communities belonging to minorities are targeted. The Sikhs felt the
Heat. The Kashmir People could never liberate themselves from the
bondage of second class doubtful citizenship. Tamils and Dravids nevre
became the part of the Nation as they happen to be most Vocal
nationalities empowered, organised and enlightened. We never cared to
know south India! WE press that the People from south should speak
Hindi. They, of course learnt Hindi. Kearla has always been a strong
base for Hindi. Even Manipur happens to be a strong base of Hindi. it
follows the legacy of the philosophy of love introduced by Krishna
consciousness as a mass movement against castism by Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu.

But would we ask ourselves how many of us in North India cared to
learn a single south Indian language!

How many of us know Manipur and its culture!

How many of us know any Nationality in North East!

How many of us sympathise with the Kashmiri people!

How many of us know Jharkhand, Chhattisgargh, Bidarbha, Telengana,
Uttarakhand and Gorkhaland, the regions of discrimination inherent!

We have been witnessing the Hindutva Resurrection since 1984 Which is
strengthened further by Neo Liberalism and strategic re alliance with
Zionism and US Corporate War economy Imperialism and War against
Terrorism!

We have witnessed the demolition of Babri Mosque and following
Nationwide riots!

We have also witnessed Gujarat Genocide.

Irony is this that the Marxists were most vocal against internal
Imperialism, Fascism and United states of America. Though it supported
the Soviet aggression on Afghanistan! Though it never opposed the
sacred cow, soviet socialist imperialism!

Marichjhanpi, Keshpur or Nanur could not expose the Marxist Masks.

But Nandigram and Singur have succeeded to expose the Ugly faces of
the ruling Marxists and proved that the Marxists are also responsible
for internal Imperialism and rightist Fascism as the run blindly on
the super Highway of Marxist Capitalism projecting Brand India,
devastating Indigenous production system and killing our people, the
indigenous communities uprooting them from life and livelihood!

Mahashweta Devi has declared to give up writing Novels for Puja
Festival as he is engaged in mass mobilisation supporting the
Indigenous insurrections in Nandigram, Singur and Kalingnagra!

Bibhas Chakrabarti has rightly written that the Marxists are quite
unworthy Rulers as they tend to work as agents of MNCs, Corporates,
Builders, Promoters and Mafia!

The director of `Animal Farm’ , Shaoli Mitra exposes the phenomenon of
internal Imperialism so well.

Sahity Academy Awarded Writer known Nationwide for his poetry, ` Ei
Mritu Uptyaka Amar Desh Noi’( This Valley of Death is never my
Country’) exposed Brand India and MNC raj. He questioned the
justification of the logic of Nano! If TATAs go, West Bengal is going
to face a Doom`s day. He blasted the theory and the Illusion of Nano!

Former Land commissioner of Jyoti Basu Government, responsible for
Land Reforms, Debbrata Bandopaddhyaya asserted,`CPIM`s Red Flag does
not belong to Hay Market who won the classic battle with their blood
to ensure working hour for Eight years!’

He alleged,` It is a red flag colored with the blood of Indigenous
communities fighting for their land, livelihood and life in Nandigarm
and Singur!’

He said,` The interests of Brand India, CII or Tats are not public
interest. The Land Acquisition Act was misused to benefit Tatas. The
land acquisition is illegal!’

He suggested the solution for Singur Stand Off,` Just Cancel the
acquisition Notification an d return the Land!’

He described the episode involving Tapasi Malik!

Meeratun Nahar, the eminent educationist, Dilip Chakrabarti, Human
Right activist Sujat Bhadra, and Dr Anoop Mandal addressed the SANHATI
SAMABESH. he exposed the whole process of Industrialisation!

Dr Mandal presented graphic details of the dismal condition in West
Bengal Industries. He said that Fifty Six thousand factories have been
closed in Left rule . What happened to the land owned by those closed
factories. This Massive Land Property might be used for
Industrialisation. He discussed Food security, Starvation,
privatisation, disinvestment, Unemployment, Health Care, Price rise
and economy under Left rule.

He also shared his experience as a member of the Medical team
treating the wounded, gang raped Women of Nandigram.

On behalf of Doctors, health workers, Nurses and Junior Doctors as
well as medical students he pledged support to Indigenous
Insurrections against Internal Imperialism and rightist Fascism of the
Marxist Gestapo!



Meher sent this mail:

This appeal is about Sinngur. It was released to the press
at a rally for singur in Kolkata.

Mahasveta Devi, Samar Bagchi , Sumit Sarkar, Tanika Sarkar, Sumit
Chowdhury, Aditi Chowdhury, and myself as the drafter signed it last
nite

Saoli Mitra, Dr Aseem Rai Chaudhuri, Dipanjan Rai Chaudhuri, Sunanda
sanyal,Debabrata Badyopadhyay, Ladli Mukherjee, Saoli Mitra, Gautam
Sen, Sabyasachi Deb, Nilanja Datta, Joya Mitra and others whose names
have also done so.

Very many more are likely to when friends like you approach them.

please circulate the Appeal as widely as you can. get it published if
possible. do what you like, but get the message out. acknowledge my
name as
the appeal's drafter, or don't if that is more likely to work.

the message is the important thing. .

Thanks,

meher

*Appeal To Fellow
Citizens*

* *

*The May 2008 Panchayat Elections have been historic. The people of
West
Bengal have spoken out, as never before. All political parties, those
that
lost and those that gained, now know what the people demand. *

* *

*They demand an immediate full stop to the devious and shabby ways
that have
dominated politics in the State for much too long. *

* *

*They are not against change but demand an end to change done above
their
heads and in secret by a nexus of political parties and vested
interests. *

* *

*Change seeking shall henceforth be a process that intimately involves
the
people. Those who want change must be prepared to begin by seeking the
open
approval of the people concerned and, having got their approval, must
then
be equally prepared to accept a central role for the people, as
ever-vigilant monitors of the implementation process. *

* *

*That being so, we must: *

* *

*i)   **Support the ongoing and just struggles of
the people
of Singur against the forcible occupation of their lands; *

* *

*ii) **Reject the secret deal between the CPI (M)
dominated
West Bengal Government and the Tata Motor Company - both of who claim
to be
benign and people loving - that led to that occupation. *

* *

*iii) **Demand that any resolution of the dispute
surrounding
the Nano Car factory at Singur shall: *

* *

*a) **Start with an open admission, by the State Government, of the
series of mistakes that it made when it acquired 997.11 acres of land,
both
when it used an unjust law that should have no place in the
independent
Republic of India, and when it used criminal means - deceit, coercion
and
the beating up of unarmed and innocent protestors, mostly common folk,
the
greater part of who were women – to enforce that law.  *

* *

*b) **Continue with a genuine attempt, by all involved political
parties and civil society organizations to openly negotiate a
settlement to
the impasse that meets the just demands of the people of Singur. *

* *

*c) **Accept both the people of Singur and the migrant workers
who have
been part of the economy that Singur's multicrop agriculture has
generated
for years, as integral partners in those negotiations because it is
their
land and their livelihoods that are at stake, whether as land owners
or
bargadars or bhag chaashis or farm laborers. *

* *

*iv) Appeal to the alert and intelligent people of West Bengal
and
India to come together once more. The gains that they have made in
consequence of the many demonstrations of discontent that they were
witness
to, and participants in, for almost two years, not only on the streets
and
fields of Nandigram and Singur, and on the streets of Kolkata and
other
urban centers all over the state, but also in similar places elsewhere
in
the country should not be lost when negotiations happen. *

* *

*The people of West Bengal want radical change. They must have it. *

* *

*Signed, *

* *

* *

* *

Read this mail circulated by friends in the civil society, kolkata:

Agitation for urge to return of the excess lands acquisitioned for
Nano car factory at Singur
Readers r aware that the Bengal govt. has, in its anxiousness to help
a private industrialist to set up a factory n make profit at
taxpayers' expense thro' practically free supply of prime agricultural
land at Singur, of infrastructure, of use of a river being used by the
villagers, huge security personnel at site at Govt. expense and long-
term loan with a negligble rate of interest and additional lands at
other parts of Kolkata to faciltate Tatas' additional profit through
promoting, making an agreement with the Tatas contents of which r
being kept secret not only from the public but even from members of
the Govt.'s own cabinet of Ministers, have stooped so low an
inhuman, as to take recourse to even using police, cadres and hired
mercenaries to murder, rape and throw away the farmers from their
lands they have refused to part with and to accept compensation.
Naturally these immoral and cruel acts by the Govt and the Ruling
Party (claiming to be Communists, i.e. 'pro-poor') has evoked huge
upswell of mass condemnation. The Chief Minister shamelessly admits
that 'he did not know that the land was so fertile".But at the same
time he says that what has been done cannot be undone. That those who
r opposing the deal to help the Tatas, r against indusrialisation n
stand in the way of 'progress' of the state. (So there is no
punishment for the 'mistake' which has resulted in loss of prime
agricultural land from being available to produce multiple crops to
feed the state in the prevailing situation of scarcity and of high
cost of foodgrains n vegetables, and for the loss of lives, raping of
woman, unrest in civil society. For the sake of compromising with the
situation, the civil society demands that the factory can be set up in
600 acres, but the 400 acres of land procured beyond the requirement
of the factory proper, must be returned to the farmers who have not
agreed to part with their lands and refused to accept the compensation
cheques. But the Govt is adamant that the 400 acres of land cannot be
so returned. To press for this just demand (of return of 400 acres),
for the last 6 days, stages at different locations around the site
have been built and Sit-in demonstrations are being arranged, by the
opposition political parties, aggrieved farmers and large section of
members of the civil society including social activists,
intelligentsia, students and others. Now the Govt and the CPI-M
manipulated the situation so as to create a traffic snarl at the
highways near the site and at the same time unleashing a huge false
propaganda to create public opinion against the agitation, claiming
that urgent supplies,medicines, perishables are being spoiled being
inside the trucks caught in the traffic snarl. A person also was found
by the party to file a Public Interest Litigation in Kolkata High
Court to intervene in the hold up in traffic. The High Court has today
directed the NHAI(National Highways Authority of India) to take action
to clear the roads for movement of traffic and to take help of the
state govt . The Court has however said that this should be done
without use of force. The Court also agreed to the opposition lawyer's
suggestion that the identity of the person filing the PIL should be
discovered (whether he was a genuine person).Pl find in ther
attachment the report by investigating journalist of the most
respectable and non-partisan newspaper The Statesman, which goes to
prove clearly that the state govt., the pliant police and the ruling
CPI-M party have manipulated and created an unnecessary traffic snarl
to disrepute the agitation movement.



‘India, US need to increase trade scope’
Our Bureau


Chennai, Aug. 26 India and the US should pay special attention to
infrastructure, financial services, bilateral investments and
renewable energy to increase trade opportunities, according to US
Commercial Consul, Ms Aileen Crowe Nandi.

Though the bilateral trade between India and the US is growing by
leaps and bounds and crossed $50 billion last year, there are more
opportunities that need to be tapped, she said.

Speaking at a seminar on ‘Doing business with USA’, organised by
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Ms Nandi said there are a few
challenges that need to be addressed to realise the potential. A
delegation on renewable energy would be visiting India next month,
which would help both countries identify possibilities for
cooperation.

On their experiences in doing business in India, representatives from
Ford India and Caterpillar India had similar points of view. While
appreciating the conducive business atmosphere, especially in Tamil
Nadu, where their companies have manufacturing facilities, Mr Nigel
Wark, Executive Director (marketing, sales and service) Ford India,
and Mr Larry Stacker, General Manager (supply chain), Caterpillar
India, expressed concern about infrastructure, rail connectivity,
storage facilities in port and employable manpower. The Vice-Consul of
the US Consular Office in Chennai, Mr Paul Hinshaw, said the number of
visa applications has been growing at the rate of 20 per cent every
year. Chennai processed the largest number of H1B (temporary worker)
visas last year.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/08/27/stories/2008082750852100.htm






IIPM to come up at Rajarhat
Statesman News Service KOLKATA, Aug. 30: The Indian Institute of
Planning and Management (IIPM) a management institute is contemplating
to open up their, business school at Rajarhat. Speaking about th

‘Poor coal quality causing power cuts’
Snehamoy Chakraborty BAKRESWAR, Aug. 30: Power production at various
units of the Bakreswar Thermal Power Project (BTPP) may be affected
soon as the Eastern Coalfield Limited (ECL) has been providin

Industry push eases out literacy drive
Biswabrata Goswami TAMLUK, Aug. 30: The drive for increasing literacy
is losing ground in Midnapore East as Continuing Education Centres
(CEC) have remained non-operational due to the political turmoi

Slain caretaker’s kin threaten to gherao SP’s office
Statesman News Service MIDNAPORE, Aug. 30: The parents of Prasun
Adhikari (27), the slain caretaker of Ritz Bengal Lodge have
threatened to stage a sit-in demonstration at Midnapore West SP's
office

Priya raps ‘blockade’
KOLKATA, Aug.30: While deploring the blockade on Durgapur expressway
Union minister and the state Congress president Mr Priya Ranjan
Dasmunshi today urged the state government to call for an all party

Centre seeks to distance itself from Singur
NEW DELHI, Aug. 29: The Centre today sought to distance itself from
the ongoing stand-off between the West Bengal government and the
Trinamul Congress over the Tata’s small car project in Singur sayin

BRIEFS
Suchpur trial date SURI, Aug. 30: The trial for the Suchpur massacre
in which 11 landless farmers were hacked to death, allegedly by CPI-M
cadres on 27 July 2000, is scheduled to start on 5, 6 and 10

Drunk security guards molest woman at CMCH
KOLKATA Aug 30: Tension ran high at Calcutta Medical College and
Hospital (CMCH) tonight after some drunken security guards at the
emergency ward allegedly tried to molest a woman visiting a relative

Sick of politics, engineers quit KMC in hordes
Statesman News Service KOLKATA, Aug. 30: Higher salaries in private
sector and in state government service are luring Kolkata Municipal
Corporation (KMC) engineers away. Thirteen engineers have alr





Govt hints at crackdown on agitators

Statesman News Service
KOLKATA, Aug. 30: The state government is contemplating action to rein
in the agitators at Singur, indicated the commerce and industries
minister, Mr Nirupam Sen even as work at the Nano plant remained
stalled for the second consecutive day with Tata Motors saying the
situation is still not conducive to resume work at their plant.
Speaking on the sidelines of a programme organised by the Union Bank
Employees Association today, Mr Sen said: “Ms Mamata Banerjee's has
not even heeded the court order that asked her to clear obstruction of
the NH-2. If this is the way existing laws are violated the state
government would have to contemplate action to uphold the law . . . If
the court asks us tomorrow to take action to restore normalcy in the
area, we will have to take necessary action.”
He however, did not clarify whether the action would be to smoothen
the traffic flow on Durgapur Expressway or to remove the agitators
altogether. He reminded that the Calcutta High Court had upheld land
acquisition in Singur and the matter was pending in Supreme Court but
“till then they abide by the High Court verdict.”
“We have repeatedly urged her to sit and discuss the matter. She had
promised us that her agitation would be peaceful but she has deviated
from her promise too,” Mr Sen added. Several Tata Motors employees and
contractual labourers were detained inside the project area when
supporters of the Singur Krishi Jomi Raksha Committee blocked gate
number 4 of the project site on Thursday evening.
So far, other than issuing appeals to the Trinamul chief, Miss Mamata
Banerjee to end her agitation and sit at the discussion table, the
state government had refused to take any action to prevent traffic
snarls on the NH-2. However, it is evident the government received a
shot in the arm after the Calcutta High Court ordered the National
Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to take necessary action to ensure
free movement of traffic on the Durgapur Expressway.
Claiming that people of West Bengal were not supporting Ms Banerjee's
movement, the commerce and industry minister said: “It is the state's
image that has suffered because of this agitation. We have already
told Ms Banerjee that we are ready to speak with the displaced people
and see to it that their interests are upheld.”
Miss Banerjee meanwhile said she had received a letter from the
Governor, whose contents and her reaction she would disclose tomorrow.
She added the CPI-M has been caught in their own game plan. She
(Continued from page 1)
said that CPI-M has tried to discredit the agitation by instigating
the people on the plea that it had held up trucks carrying food items
but their plans have been thoroughly exposed.
Actually police at the behest of CPI-M district leadership put up a
blockade at Palsit, 65 km from the spot and another at Dankuni, 20 km
from here. “It was CPI-M's plan to obstruct our supporters which
failed thoroughly,” she said.
She said: "Why should we block the road? Are we fools? If we had
blocked the road our supporters would have been obstructed from coming
to the site.'' During the day, Mr Avadesh Kumar, project director
NHAI, met three Trinamul Congress leaders and the district
administration after the High Court directed NHAI to ensure movement
of vehicles along NH2.
Miss Banerjee said that NHAI authorities have expressed their
satisfaction that TMC did not obstruct the road. But NHAI authorities
and the district administration are learnt to be in a dilemma about
allowing heavy vehicles to run at night for fear of an accident. Asked
about his observation, Mr Kumar said, "I've sent the report to my
headquarters at Delhi. I'm waiting for their orders.''
Home secretary Mr A M Chakrabarti said that Mr Kumar had sought help
from the district administration but did not specify his demand. He,
however, said that both the state and the Centre would have to
implement the High Court order.

Police crackdown
The police resorted to lathi charge on the Trinamul Congress activists
at Chandra crossing near Asansol on NH-2 this afternoon when the party
men blocked the road. Three of the party men sustained injuries and
were hospitalised. The agitators blocked NH-2 for 15 minutes
protesting the arrest of party activist Joydeb Karmakar, a resident of
Kantagoria village in Jamuria PS area.
Karunanidhi: Putting an end to speculations that Tata might opt for
Tamil Nadu if it relocates the Nano manufacturing unit from Singur,
Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today said there was no move from either
side in this regard, reports PTI.
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=1&theme=&usrsess=1&id=220380


Industry chorus to save plant
OUR BUREAU

Ratan Tata with CK Birla. File picture
Aug. 29: A blizzard of appeals rose from Indian industry today to save
the Nano project in Singur, prompting some to hear a note of
foreboding in the unusual crescendo.

C.K. Birla, Jamshyd Godrej, Sunil Bharti Mittal and S.K. Munjal were
some among the army of industrialists who urged all involved to ensure
that the Tatas weren’t forced to pull the plug on the project..Venu
Srinivasan and K.V. Kamath, representing CII, also threw their voices
behind the Nano factory through separate statements. Mukesh Ambani had
articulated his support on Wednesday.

Rarely has Indian industry issued such a raft of statements on a
single investment project, fuelling some to speculate that the fate of
the Singur plant is hanging by a thin thread and only a contingency
could have prompted the chorus.

A factor common to several of the statements was an apprehension that
a Tata pullout would have its repercussions not just in Bengal but
across the country.

The most striking statement of the day was that of C.K. Birla, the
Hindustan Motors chairman, whose vocal endorsement brings together
“Tata and Birla” — once a catch-all phrase to describe the entire
Indian private sector.

“Tata’s Nano project is a prestigious project for India and for the
state of West Bengal.… It would be unfortunate if issues other than
economic and social come into play and force the Tata management to
consider pulling out from Singur,” said Birla.

Mittal of Bharti, a Tata rival in telecom, said: “The Tatas pulling
out of West Bengal will be unfortunate for India.… Immediate political
dialogue to find a solution towards keeping the project in West Bengal
is imperative.”

“If the House of Tatas, known for its values and care for society, can
face such resistance, the much-needed fresh wave of industrialisation
in the country would suffer,” he added.

Jamshyd Godrej, the chairman and managing director of Godrej and
Boyce, said: “Nano’s moving out would be a setback for not just West
Bengal but the entire country. It is very unfortunate that the entire
project is facing a political situation which it does not warrant….
The political parties involved must do their best to ensure that the
concerns and issues of all the stakeholders are kept in mind,
including the companies in question and the original owners of the
land.”

Hero Corporate Service chairman S.K. Munjal, too, stressed the
national cost. “It is in the interest of both West Bengal and India
that the Tata Nano project is not moved at this stage. Withdrawal of
the project will severely affect West Bengal’s image, and it certainly
won’t do India’s image any good. Political parties must rise above
partisan lines….”

He said the “investing en-tity has a responsibility to take care of
the interests of all stakeholders, including people who are displaced
or re-employed”.

Like Birla, Munjal spoke of the Tatas’ credentials. “Indeed, given
their level of social commitment, I have no doubt that the Tatas are
fully aware of their responsibilities in Singur as they have
demonstrated in many of their companies.”

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers said it would like to
see an early resolution of the tangle. It warned that “global
attention” was on the developments as the Nano was seeking to
challenge all conventional theories about car making.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080830/jsp/bengal/story_9764415.jsp

Englishmen and zamindars

Oil paintings in the collection of the British Indian Association have
been restored. Picture by Pabitra Das
Few if any had noticed the demolition of the old building that housed
the British Indian Association in the street named after it a few
years ago. The street has already been renamed after Abdul Hamid and a
brand new office building has come up in place of the old one.

The association occupies several rooms on the third floor of this
building at the head of Barretto Lane. The association still possesses
a rich collection of books and paintings and other artefacts, among
which are the portraits of local Indian dignitaries who were
association members, and two busts of Radhakanta Deb and Kristo Das
Paul, besides a priceless collection of books that needs to be looked
after.

The association was originally a political organisation that had a
role in the creation of the Indian National Congress, whose early
meetings were held in this building.

From a political organisation it became a landholders’ organisation,
although it also took up causes that affected Indians in general.
After the abolition of the zamindari system in the early 1950s, its
functions may have been curtailed but over the years it has become a
repository of valuable research material.

About 20 years before the establishment of the British Indian
Association, Dwarkanath Tagore, Prasanna Kumar Tagore, Radhakanta Deb,
Ramkamal Sen, Bhabani Charan Mitra and the then editor of The
Englishman had formed the Zamindari Association in 1831. It was later
renamed Landholders’ Society and was considered “the first
organisation of Bengal with a distinct political object.” Englishmen
and Indian landholders met here “on an equal footing”. But after
Dwarkanath passed away the society too was as good as dead.

A few years later, William Adam, who became friends with Raja Rammohun
Roy during his visit to India, decided to take up India’s cause on
returning to England. He was the moving spirit behind the formation of
the British Indian Society in 1839. George Thompson, who was also
involved in its formation, went on to help create the Bengal British
India Society. It was meant to further the interests of all classes of
Indians through its recommendations and measures which had to be
“consistent with pure loyalty to the person and government of the
reigning sovereign of the British dominions”.

Indians felt alienated when Europeans vehemently opposed John Elliot
Drinkwater’s efforts in 1849 to bring all British-born subjects of the
crown under the jurisdiction of the local law courts. The government
was forced to withdraw the “Black bill,” as the Europeans called it.
Thereafter, the Landholders’ Society and the Bengal British India at a
meeting held on October 29, 1851, at Kasaitola (subsequently Bentinck
Street) decided to form the British Indian Association by merging the
two bodies to highlight the grievances of Indians.

The first committee of the association was composed of Radhakanta Deb,
Kalikrishna Deb, Debendranath Tagore, Digambar Mitra, Prasanna Kumar
Tagore, Peary Chand Mitra and Sambhunath Pandit. Besides rajas and
maharajas and zamindars, Derozians and the intellectual aristocracy of
the Bengal Presidency also held important positions on the committee.
Traders and businessmen were also members. But membership was strictly
confined to Indians.

The objects of the association “were related partly to improvements in
the local administration of the country and partly to the system of
Indian government laid by Parliament”. Joteendra Mohan Tagore and
Joykrishna Mukherji enabled the association to have a home at 18
Raneemoody Gully, whose name was later changed to British Indian
Street.

The association had “an all-India outlook” and in a petition to the
Parliament in UK, it criticised the British government for not
allowing the Indians “the smallest share in the administration of the
affairs of this country.” Among its demands was “the separation of the
Legislature from the Executive, and the inclusion of some Indian
members in the Legislature.” It supported the move to bring all
British-born subjects under the jurisdiction of the ordinary courts.
It welcomed the formation of the Mohammedan Association of Calcutta in
1856 as the association wanted to give new shape to the Indian polity.

During the Indigo Rebellion of 1859-60, the association sympathised
with the ryots and pleaded with the government to appoint a commission
of inquiry to solve the problems of indigo cultivation. The
association tried to impinge on social and living conditions by
suggesting measures on epidemics, floods, famines, taxation, the
practice of Sati, burning ghats and property and inheritance.

It championed the causes of the Indian people at a time when there was
no strong political body in the country. The association in 1874
“suggested that public opinion in India should be taken into
consideration before enactment of any legislation concerning India”.
The association gave the people the first lesson in the art of
fighting constitutionally for their rights and giving expression to
their opinions. All bills were sent to the association for comment,
some of which were quite incisive.

The second meeting of the Indian National Congress was held in the
association building on December 28, 1886. M.K. Gandhi, Bar-at-Law
from Durban, visited the association in 1891 to draw the viceroy’s
attention to the plight of Indians in South Africa.

Now that there aren’t any landholders the association will support
research work with its meagre funds, said I.P. Singh Roy, the honorary
president of the organisation. The library which contains important
books, some dating back to 1783 like Ayeen Akbery in translation and
others belonging to the 19th century and early 20th century, will be
preserved. Many of its collection of large oil paintings have been
competently restored by Narayan Srivastava. In our times, British
Indian Association can survive as an institution promoting excellence.


http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080831/jsp/calcutta/story_9753086.jsp

Govt allays industry’s fears on slowdown










No slowdown signs: The Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, and the
President, Confederation of Indian Industry, Mr K.V. Kamath, at an
interactive session with CEOs of select CII member-companies in the
Capital on Tuesday. - Kamal Narang


Our Bureau

New Delhi, Aug. 26 India Inc has demanded proactive solutions from the
Government on its concerns of increase in interest rates and signs of
slowdown in consumer demand, with exorbitant interest cost impinging
on its future investments.

The Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, however, brought little cheer
on the interest rate front during his meeting with select group of
chief executives of CII member companies here on Tuesday even as he
made it clear that industry’s fears on signs of slowdown in demand
were misplaced, sources privy to the meeting said.

Strong on schemes


Mr Chidambaram is understood to have asserted that the Government was
pumping money into the economy through its spending on various schemes
and that this would take care of the demand issue. The Finance
Minister maintained that demand was quite strong and that credit
growth was stronger than what the Government and the RBI want it to
be, industry sources said.

RBI to decide on rates


On interest rates, Mr Chidambaram conveyed that there was no scope for
the Government to look at interest rates and that RBI would do what it
wants on this front.

The Finance Minister also ruled out cut in taxes, noting that this
would result in higher borrowings for the Government and thereby
impacting interest rates. Mr Chidambaram expressed confidence that the
economy would be on track in the first half of 2009-10 and that
inflation would soften by mid-November when the base effect is likely
to wear-off.



At the meeting, the CII President, Mr K.V. Kamath, said that even
though the current pipeline of investments remained intact, fresh
investment proposals were being affected by the rising costs of
inputs, rising interest costs and signs of slowdown in demand.

On the positive side, Mr Kamath said that there was no problem with
liquidity and that banks currently have sufficient funds, although the
availability of long-term funds remain an issue.

The Finance Minister agreed that there could be some holding back on
new projects due to high interest rates, but pointed out that credit
off-take across sectors continued to be strong. He said that as long
as inflation continued to be high, it would be difficult to moderate
interest rates.
http://www.blonnet.com/2008/08/27/stories/2008082752010100.htm

Oil decontrol on the boil
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Mumbai, Aug. 29: The Reserve Bank of India today urged the government
to allow greater decontrol of petroleum tariffs, rationalise taxes and
ensure a gradual pass-through of prices to avoid a sharp spike in
headline inflation.

“In view of the large dependence on crude oil imports, limiting the
adverse impact of higher international oil prices would require
adopting strategies of greater decontrol of petroleum product pricing
with targeted subsidies, rationalisation of applicable taxes and
duties to appropriate levels, and gradual but regular pass-through of
prices to consumers so as to avoid the risk of large one-off
adjustments in headline inflation,” the central bank said in its
annual report for 2007-08.

Against the almost 134-per-cent increase in the prices of
international crude oil (Indian basket) from $56.6 per barrel in
February last year to $132.3 per barrel in July, the RBI said the
prices of petrol and diesel had increased only about 14 per cent since
February 2007 and, therefore, there remained a large overhang of pass-
through from past increases in international crude oil prices.

The RBI also said issuing oil bonds to state-owned refiners would
impact public debt. It said the interest expenditure on these bonds
would widen revenue and fiscal deficits and hurt financial markets.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080830/jsp/business/story_9764005.jsp



Tata Steel shifts gear at Kalinganagar
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Muthuraman in Calcutta on Friday. A Telegraph picture
Calcutta, Aug. 29: Tata Steel has finally started work at its
Kalinganagar project in Orissa.

B. Muthuraman, managing director of the company, said preliminary work
had begun a few weeks back. The company hopes to start production in
three years.

“We started construction in a small way. Boundary wall is being
erected, structural fabrication is being done,” Muthuraman said on the
sidelines of the Tinplate annual general meeting in Calcutta.

Tata Steel is running way behind schedule at Kalinganagar as about 700
families refused to vacate the site.

However, some of the families have moved out and work has started on
the land where they used to reside. The affected families had even
taken part in construction work. “They are the people who are doing
the work,” Muthuraman said.

The company has placed orders worth Rs 6,500 crore for the first phase
of the six-million-tonne plant.

On allocation of iron ore mines for the project, Muthuraman said the
state government would give its recommendation to the Centre in the
next two to three months.

Tinplate recast

Muthuraman said Tinplate planned to restructure its balance sheet,
though he declined to give any details.

Tinplate director Koushik Chatterjee said the aim of restructuring was
to ensure that the company could take up bigger projects on its own.

The process could be completed by next fiscal, he said.

On Tinplate merging with parent Tata Steel, Muthuraman said he could
not comment.

He said last fiscal was an unusual year for the company because of an
increase in the prices of raw materials.

“Globally, most other tinplate firms suffered losses. Corus (a Tata
Steel entity) closed its tinplate facility. Given the scenario,
Tinplate has done well,” he said.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080830/jsp/business/story_9763854.jsp

Commodity prices in unwind mode







--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The role of speculative funds lay in amplifying supply-demand
mismatches, where they existed, and buying up large chunks of the
commodity on paper without ever taking delivery and thereby
disproportionately jacking up prices.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




— G. Krishnaswamy

India has managed to relatively insulate itself from the speculative
froth built up in global commodity markets.

Harish Damodaran

From all available indications, it looks as though the extended global
bull-run in commodities is over. Since March-April, there has been a
falling trend in prices of base metals such as copper, lead, nickel
and zinc, alongside an easing of wheat, rice and palm oil from their
peaks. The past few weeks have seen a similar unwinding in oil, gold,
corn and soybean. The speculative frenzy that had over the last couple
of years launched commodities into stratosphere appears t o be finally
cooling off.

Table 1 shows the extent of rise in world prices of 15 commodities
from December 2005 to July 2006. These range from 36 per cent in
aluminium and cotton to over 370 per cent for coal. The only exception
has been sugar, which actually recorded a drop, for reasons to be
explained later.





The dollar slide


The huge price increases in most commodities have partly had to do
with the dollar’s decline as a global reserve currency — a reflection
of the growing loss of US manufacturing competitiveness and also the
undermining of its geopolitical hegemony following the costly war
(both in monetary as well as foreign policy terms) waged in Iraq.
While in December 2005, a dollar fetched 0.84 euros, in July 2008 it
averaged a mere 0.63 euros.

What this means is that the 124 per cent dollar-denominated jump in
crude petroleum prices between December 2005 and July 2008 was only
worth 68 per cent in euro terms. Likewise, the 99.6 per cent and 160
per cent rise in dollar prices of wheat and corn translated into less
than 50 and 95 per cent, respectively when measured in euros. But even
after discounting for the dollar’s precipitous free-fall, the fact
remains that never before in history have commodity prices surged on
as widespread a scale as they have done in the recent period.

This is evident from the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) indices
of primary commodity prices in SDRs or special drawing rights. The
latter, representing a basket of currencies (dollar, euro, yen and
pound sterling), corrects for any distortions arising from the
dollar’s vicissitudes and enables one to gauge better the ‘real’
increase in global commodity prices.

The IMF’s ‘all primary commodities’ price index in SDRs, which
averaged 100 in 2005, amounted to 197.7 in July 2008. The ‘food’,
‘metals’ and ‘energy’ indices went up correspondingly to 160.3, 170.2
and 224.1. Commodity prices have, on the whole then, doubled within a
space of two-and-a-half years and are now apparently entering the next
‘Great Unwind’ stage.

Distinct ‘asset class’


This extreme price volatility is mainly an outcome of commodities
emerging as a distinct ‘asset class’ on a par with equities, bonds,
currencies and related financial derivatives — making them attractive
to not just the direct stakeholders (farmers, processors, wholesalers,
shippers, etc) but to a range of institutional investors from hedge
funds, pension plans and exchange-traded index funds.

For these investors — the big funds based on the S&P Goldman Sachs
Commodity Index and the Deutsche Bank Liquid Commodity Index were, in
fact, floated only in 2006 — commodity contracts are not simply
hedging tools against adverse future price movements, but like any
other financial instrument. The big difference though is that while
the impact of rising (or falling) stock prices is largely limited to
the shareholders concerned, the rise or fall in corn prices also
affects farmers and households who are not investors in these
contracts.

On the other hand, price volatility is a sine qua non for investors
having no direct stakes in the underlying commodity either as producer
or consumer. The so-called fundamental factors — supply disruptions
due to unfavourable weather conditions, diversion of arable land for
bio-fuels or the assumed demand pressures from China and India —
merely serve as pretexts for pouring in or pulling-out monies and
sending prices way beyond their intrinsic values.

Speculative forces


In late March, the Economics Editor of Barron’s, Gene Epstein,
estimated that index funds accounted for 40 per cent of bullish bets
on commodities. “The speculative juices are even more plentiful —
nearly 60 per cent of bullish positions — if you count the bets placed
by traditional commodity ‘pools’”, he wrote, while predicting a 30-50
per cent drop in commodity prices in the months ahead (that seems to
be happening now).

It is this speculative element alone that can explain how
international palm oil prices touched $1,350-1,400 a tonne levels in
March 2008 — a more than 100 per cent year-on-year jump — and
subsequently slid below $750 a tonne. This is not to say there were no
fundamental triggers, such as edible palm oil being converted into bio-
diesel and its prices getting linked to crude petroleum.

The role of speculative funds, however, lay in amplifying supply-
demand mismatches, where they existed, and buying up large chunks of
the commodity on paper without ever taking delivery and thereby
disproportionately jacking up prices.

In sugar, it was the opposite. The huge production glut, especially in
India, meant there was little fund buying interest in the commodity.
Instead, they sold heavily, so much so that raw sugar fell from over
18 cents a pound in February 2006 to nine cents by May 2007.

Relatively insulated


India, on its part, has managed to relatively insulate itself from the
speculative froth built up in global commodity markets. The domestic
wholesale price indices (WPI) for most commodities have risen by a
much lower extent than world levels (Table 2). Again, a weak dollar
has helped, with the greenback falling from Rs 45.65 in December 2005
to Rs 42.84 in July 2008.





But the greater contribution has come from government policies. These
have extended from administrative vetoes on price hikes (as in petro-
products) to tinkering with import duties (edible oils) and ban on
exports and futures trading (wheat and rice), which have prevented
international price pressures from transmitting into the domestic
market.

In other words, a forced de-globalisation of sorts. Only in rubber and
cotton have domestic prices gone up more than world prices. And this
has been courtesy exports, benefiting Indian farmers at the expense of
tyre manufacturers and textile millers.

What’s in store?


What now? Well, if present trends are any guide and the sell-off by
funds in commodities continues, the shoe could well be on the other
foot. The Government may, for instance, have to re-impose Customs
duties on edible oils to protect domestic oilseeds growers against any
downturn during the ensuing kharif harvest season.

In sugar, the global supply position is tightening (this time, due to
India’s considerably lower cane crop); but in the absence of fund
buying interest, prices may not spurt the way they would have done a
year ago.

As far as oil goes, in the event of crude falling below $100 a barrel
and the Government unlikely to rollback diesel and petrol prices to
their earlier levels, the public sector oil marketing companies could
even see their fortunes turnaround.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/08/27/stories/2008082750520900.htm

The Doha Round impasse


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Though no country wants the multilateral trade negotiation and dispute
settlement mechanism of the WTO to break down, much of the world
economy is in serious trouble and in no mood for trade liberalisation.
Thus, the chances of any real breakthrough in the Doha Round talks do
not look bright at this moment, says ALOK RAY.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------






The Commerce Minister, Mr Kamal Nath… Let down by failure of best
efforts.

Despite nearly three dozen trade and commerce ministers meeting at
Geneva last month to save the Doha Round, the trade talks broke down.
The principal players turned out to be the EU, the US and the
developing world, led by India and China. The US Trade Representative,
Ms Susan Schwab, openly expressed her opinion that “a handful of big
emerging countries (read India and China) really threaten this round
for the rest of us.” On the other side, the Commerce Mini ster, Mr
Kamal Nath, put the blame squarely on the US with his rhetoric that he
cannot negotiate the livelihood concerns of millions of poor Indian
farmers against the commercial interests of the US.

One may ask: Why try again to flog a dead horse, especially now? The
US President, Mr George Bush, is on his way out. Moreover, he has lost
the so-called fast-track authority under which the President can take
a simple ‘yes or no’ vote in the US Congress on a trade Bill, without
detailed clause-by-clause ratification.

The US economy and much of the world economy (except the major oil-
producing States such as Russia and Saudi Arabia, which are either not
members of WTO or are marginal players) is in serious trouble and is
in no mood for trade liberalisation.

In India, the Government has narrowly survived the Indo-US nuclear
deal. Then, who is interested in restarting the trade talks which
could not succeed even under more favourable economic and political
conditions? Several answers are possible.

Restarting trade talks


First, it would be even more difficult to strike any complex
multilateral WTO trade deal for the new US President in the initial
years of his presidency. But if the outgoing President Bush can come
close to striking a WTO trade deal, it may be easier for the next
President to give some finishing touches and get it through the
Congress.

Second, without the constraints imposed by the Left partners of the
coalition, the Indian Government may now want to strike a more
reformist posture. However, with general elections round the corner,
this does not seem very likely — specially if it is a question of
reducing tariff barriers on agricultural imports, which affects
millions of small farmers.

Third, the long-term costs of failed WTO talks could be substantial.
Hence, all efforts should be made to bring about even a minimalist
agreement to save WTO as an institution of multilateral trade talks.
The other option is bilateral or regional trade agreements which have
substantially weakened the multilateral negotiations machinery.

Fourth, there could be a stronger case for negotiated multilateral
trade liberalisation agreements when the world economic system is in
trouble. In times of recession and job loss, there will be more
pressures to revert to protectionism and beggar-thy-neighbour
policies.

Chances of progress


So, one should not grudge the efforts or the timing. But, what are the
chances of any progress in the future?

It should be noted here that a substantial agreement was reached at
Geneva on 18 out of 20 issues put on the table for negotiations. The
two contentious issues on which no agreement could be reached were the
agricultural subsidies by the developed countries and the Special
Products (SP) and the Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) for
agricultural imports by the developing countries.

The US was willing to cap its trade-distorting agricultural subsidies
at $15 billion which is way above its actual level of subsidies in
2006 ($11 billion) and 2007 ($7 billion). Since these were years of
unusually high global farm prices and, hence, low levels of subsidy
payouts, the US wanted to keep the door open to raise subsidies if
agricultural prices plummet in future.

Gaps in negotiating positions


India wanted to put the cap on US subsidies at its current level. On
the other hand, it wanted to have the right to hike its (already high)
import duties on sensitive agricultural products (SPs) if imports
reach 10 per cent of domestic market for such commodities. The US
wanted to set the SSM trigger at 40 per cent of imports. Given these
wide gaps in the negotiating positions of the two camps on these two
issues, the talks had to collapse.

The WTO decision-making relies on consensus and not majority voting of
any kind. Hence, if an exception is demanded by a member, no agreement
is reached unless the exception is either accommodated or dropped by
consensus. This has made WTO negotiations increasingly complex and
time-consuming.

It should also be noted that there is a difference in the position
taken by US and EU in this connection. The EU is willing to cut back
some of its agricultural subsidies provided countries such as India
reduce restrictions on imports of industrial products and services.
That is easier for India to accept. But the US farm lobby is willing
to allow reduction in farm subsidies only if the US agriculture gets
additional market access in countries such as India.

Given the livelihood concerns of millions of small farmers and the
potential political fallout, it is nearly impossible for the Indian
government to liberalise imports in sensitive agricultural products.
Thus, the chances of any real breakthrough in Doha talks do not look
bright at this moment.

There could still be a breakthrough if the developed countries
eventually accept — though grudgingly — the stand of developing
countries that though they gave a lot of concessions in the Uruguay
Round, the agricultural subsidies in the developed countries have not
materially changed (except that some subsidies have been de-linked
from production).

So, this time, the developed countries should unilaterally cut farm
subsidies without expecting any significant reciprocal reduction in
agricultural protection on the part of developing nations.

Areas of (dis)agreement


India has already expressed its willingness to open up more in some
service areas such as telecom and financial services provided the
developed countries allow additional concessions in the movement of
temporary work-related personnel.

The areas of disagreement in the manufacturing sector are mainly over
whether the reciprocal tariff reductions would take the form of small
cuts on a wide front or larger cuts in some specific sectors, leaving
other sensitive areas (like the “infant” automobiles sector for India)
unaffected. Such disagreements can be narrowed down with more
negotiations.

WTO negotiations do not take place over high moral principles.
Ultimately, multilateral trade agreements are the products of hard
bargaining. Most countries start with apparently rigid positions which
gradually soften after a lot of behind-the-door deal making.

It is clear that no country — especially the poorer and weaker nations
— wants the multilateral trade negotiation and dispute settlement
mechanism of WTO to break down. In fact, with the signing of more
FTAs, the difficulties of enforcement of rules are increasingly coming
out in the open.

Even in the US, politicians, including the Democrat Presidential
candidate, Mr Barack Obama, are voicing concern over the implications
of NAFTA and other FTAs with the neighbouring nations. They want to
bring in other issues, such as labour and environmental standards,
into the agreements.

In a recent international conference in New Delhi attended by the WTO
chief, Mr Pascal Lamy, Mr Kamal Nath and other bigwigs, strong
sentiments were expressed against the proliferation of regional trade
arrangements. A proposal was mooted that there should be a ‘sunset
clause’, setting a time limit on preferential tariffs allowed to
members.

At the end of the term, the same preferential tariffs will have to be
extended to all WTO members. Regionalism, even if permitted
temporarily, will eventually have to give way to multilateralism.
Hence, all is not lost yet.

(The author is a former Professor of Economics at IIM Calcutta.
Responses to blfee...@thehindu.co.in)
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/08/27/stories/2008082750480800.htm





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