Agence France Presse
Thousands of people from opposition political parties Tuesday staged a rally in New Delhi urging the Indian government to resist making new concessions under any fresh WTO trade pact.
Prominent leaders, including former prime ministers Deve Gowda and V.P. Singh, were among the estimated 5,000 people who shouted slogans against India's participation in the November 9-13 WTO ministerial meeting in Doha, Qatar, which is aimed at launching a new round of trade liberalisation talks.
"Under WTO's pressure our laws are being amended, policies are being changed and new laws are being enacted to suit the requirements of the multinational, particularly holders of monopoly rights in intellectual property," the demonstrators said in a joint statement to the Indian government. Small firms are facing ruin due to the liberalisation of trade, they said, adding that even medium and big domestic companies were finding it difficult to meet the stiff import competition.
"Worst of all, agriculture, the last bastion of the national economy, is facing unprecedented threat," the statement said.
"Even without the launching of a new round with new issues, we have enough to worry about in the continuing negotiations on agriculture and services," it said.
Opposition leaders demanded that the Indian government seek approval from parliament before agreeing to any fresh WTO commitments.
India's Commerce Ministry has already said it will not be pressured into a fresh round of trade talks until rich nations deliver on outstanding commitments from earlier talks, but opposition leaders fear the government may buckle under pressure.
Indian industry and the government are both opposed to a new round of WTO talks until rich and poor nations are given a level footing with equal access to each others' markets.
India is concerned that a new round of talks could lead to the linking of trade to issues such as the environment, labour and investment policies.
Indian Commerce Minister Murasoli Maran said recently that developing countries, which comprise up to two-thirds of the WTO membership, should effectively use their collective bargaining power on the global stage.:
