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Sjm Goes Global With Wto Protests

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Our Political Bureau BUSINESS STANDARD

After putting up a strong resistance to globalisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-sponsored Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) has decided go global with protests against the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

With preparations for the next round of WTO talks are under way, the SJM is keen to network with international NGOs to channel its protest against the multilateral trade organisation.

In all probability, the SJM will dispatch a delegation to the fifth WTO ministerial to be held at Cancun, Mexico, in September.

But it maintains that it will not be a part of the government delegation. The proposal was reportedly made by Commerce Minister Arun Jaitley.

 

The delegation's brief would be to co-ordinate with various NGOs and oppose the clauses in the WTO negotiations that can harm developing nations' interests.

A senior SJM leader said the idea was to put pressure on the government to not concede ground to the developed nations.

The SJM and the Bharatiya Majdoor Sangh (BMS), the RSS' trade union wing, are given to understand that Jaitley would carry forward the spirit of the Doha rounds articulated by his predecessor Murasoli Maran at Cancun.

Jaitley had tried to convey this message at a recent meeting with various constituents of the Sangh Parivar.

Though the SJM-BMS combine is busy preparing its agenda for the WTO talks, a fresh round of discussion between the government and swadeshi leaders will be taking place shortly to bring about convergence of views on contentious issues.

That the swadeshi combine will network with the international NGOs will put additional pressure on the government not to concede ground on investment-related issues.

What assumes significance is the fact that the SJM line is endorsed by a powerful section of ministers in the government.

This was reflected in an address by Union Human Resources Development Minister MM Joshi in a workshop on "The Self-Reliant Village" on Friday.

Joshi made it clear that the WTO rounds were heavily loaded in favour of the rich nations while keeping developed countries in poverty.

Another aspect that might worry the government is the fact that its new policies related to privatisation are increasingly challenged from within.

Alliance partners, Samata Party and Shiv Sena, apart, senior ministers in the government such as Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, Joshi and Petroleum Minister Ram Naik have publicly shown their aversion to privatisation and said disinvestment was not the only answer to make a unit financially viable.

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First Published: May 20 2003 | 12:00 AM IST

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