An Interview
Questions
On 14/09/06, Arshad KHAN <arshad.k.ak@gmail.com > wrote:
Dear Aflatoon Bhai,

Hope you are well.

Please take the refrence of our telephonic conversation.

Can you please answer the following questions which I have drawn from the bouchers and leaflets of NAPM opposing Pepsi and Coca Cola.

1. According to the scientists the third world war will be held for the water, How?
\n \n2. Pepsi and Coca Cola are polluting the water and making the water level down of Indian land, are\n they doing the same also in Europe and America ? if no then how ? if yes then why the peoples of those countries are not opposing Pepsi and Coca Cola ?\n \n3. What are the financial sources of NAPM ? how you people are running country wide movement ?\n From where you people get money to meet your expences.\n \n4. What is the condition of agriculture and water level in the western countries around the factories\n of Pepsi and Coca Cola situated their ?\n \nI am waiting eagerly for you reply.\n\n \nArshad-- Aflatoon अफ़लातून અફલાતૂન,State President,Samajwadi Janparishad(U.P.),5,Readers Flats,Jodhpur Colony,Banaras Hindu University,\nVaranasi,Uttar Pradesh,INDIA 221005Visit http://samajwadi.blogspot.comURL : http://aflatoon4.tripod.com,URL: \nhttp://kashipursolidarity.tripod.com/Hindi Blog: http://samatavadi.blogspot.com/ \n--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~\nYou received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "stolengeneration" group. To post to this group, send email to stolengeneration@googlegroups",1]
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2. Pepsi and Coca Cola are polluting the water and making the water level down of Indian land, are
they doing the same also in Europe and America ? if no then how ? if yes then why the peoples of those countries are not opposing Pepsi and Coca Cola ?

3. What are the financial sources of NAPM ? how you people are running country wide movement ?
From where you people get money to meet your expences.

4. What is the condition of agriculture and water level in the western countries around the factories
of Pepsi and Coca Cola situated their ?

I am waiting eagerly for you reply.

Arshad (corrospondent Indian Express ,Faizabad)
Answers
From: Aflatoon < aflatoon@gmail.com>Date: 15-Sep-2006 12:39Subject: Re: questions To: Arshad KHAN <arshad.k.ak@gmail.com >
Dear Arshadbhai,
Answer 1.At the dawn of the 21st century, a global water crisis is looming.According to the United Nations,1.3 billion people in the world lack access to clean water while 2.5 billion do not have adequate sewage and sanitation.No less than 31 countries are considered to be in water stressed areas.Worldwide demand for water is doubling every 20 years ,twice the rate of population growth.By the year 2025 demand for fresh water is expected to outstrip global supply by 56 percent.
For most people around the world ,water is not to be treated like any other commodity , water is essential for both life and nature .For this reason,water is considered to be a public trust.That's why water services are generally run by public and municipal systems in most countries today.
Yet,keeping water as a public trust is increasingly being tested.In recent decades ,a global water industry has emerged in which for-profit corporations are taking control of public water services around the world.These multinational corporations,regardless of how responsibly they try to carry out their business,are simply not designed to provide public services to all people on an equitable basis.Indeed,the delivery of water services is based on the 'ability to pay ',which means that poor communities frequently end-up without adequate services.Nor are corporations organized to conserve natural resources like water.Since maximising profits often means encouraging increased consumption , it is not in the interest of water corporations to promote water conservation.
\n This is the situation which creates struggles of organised communities against the multinational corporations.\n(Anil Ambani has proposed UPDC ,privatisation of water services in five major cities of Uttar Pradesh)\n2.Pepsi and Coke are not one of the water services corporations mentioned above still they are being opposed on the following grounds:\n(a) . Consumption is essential for life but consummerist culture creates demands for goods which are not at all essential,and in fact are harmful.Cola majors produce only such goods and make profit by aggressive advertising.Consummerist\n culture is a product of capitalism and is needed for protecting it too.\nLife and culture of people of the third world are directly dependent on the natural resources ,however their per capita consumption is much higher in the North.Number of people engaged in agricultural activities is less in North. \n\n Due to the above fact the opposition of Colas in EU and USA are on different grounds.Basic needs of majority of the people being satisfied and only small section of population being dependent on agriculture their opposition is not for survival but for seeking \'refinement\' in their consumption. \n\n(b). A strong community opposition of Colas in schools ,bottled water industry and privatisation of water services is growing in USA ,Canada and EU .These groups of the west support the community struggles in India(Plachimada,Kaladera,Mehdiganj or Mandideep[Pepsi plant near Bhopal] ) and some trade unions in USA are campaigning for prosecution of Coke for murders of labour leaders of Columbia).They get these issues raised in Annual shareholders meetings of these MNCs. \n\nIt is worth mentioning that no Indian can buy shares of Coke and Pepsi in India.\nAnswer3. NAPM believes in decentralisation,collects voluntary contributions in decentralised manner,spends it in a decentralised way.All accounts are annually audited by Charted Accountants .",1]
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This is the situation which creates struggles of organised communities against the multinational corporations.
(Anil Ambani has proposed UPDC ,privatisation of water services in five major cities of Uttar Pradesh)
2.Pepsi and Coke are not one of the water services corporations mentioned above still they are being opposed on the following grounds:
(a) . Consumption is essential for life but consummerist culture creates demands for goods which are not at all essential,and in fact are harmful.Cola majors produce only such goods and make profit by aggressive advertising.Consummerist culture is a product of capitalism and is needed for protecting it too.
Life and culture of people of the third world are directly dependent on the natural resources ,however their per capita consumption is much higher in the North.Number of people engaged in agricultural activities is less in North.
Due to the above fact the opposition of Colas in EU and USA are on different grounds.Basic needs of majority of the people being satisfied and only small section of population being dependent on agriculture their opposition is not for survival but for seeking 'refinement' in their consumption.
(b). A strong community opposition of Colas in schools ,bottled water industry and privatisation of water services is growing in USA ,Canada and EU .These groups of the west support the community struggles in India(Plachimada,Kaladera,Mehdiganj or Mandideep[Pepsi plant near Bhopal] ) and some trade unions in USA are campaigning for prosecution of Coke for murders of labour leaders of Columbia).They get these issues raised in Annual shareholders meetings of these MNCs.
It is worth mentioning that no Indian can buy shares of Coke and Pepsi in India.
Answer3. NAPM believes in decentralisation,collects voluntary contributions in decentralised manner,spends it in a decentralised way.All accounts are annually audited by Charted Accountants .
Regarding expences of the activists-None of the activist in the movement against Colas is given any stipend or salary from NAPM.They earn their livelihood from agriculture,small business,weaving,fishing ,free lance writing and some are associated with voluntary organisations which gives them stipend. \n\nAnswer4.Cola majors have to pay for underground water drawn in EU and USA, in some instances they even buy it from municipal water services.In India they pay only a small amount as Central Water Cess which goes to UPSPCB(In UP) .UPPCB is responsible for inspecting pollution in these units \ntoo.The JPC on pesticides residues has objected to the policy of not charging money for the underground water drawn by these MNCs and has recommended to Ministry of Water Resources to make a policy in consultation with state governments.(Please see answer 2 also for complete answer to question4. \n\n````````````````````````````````````````````````````\nPlease acknowledge my reply and you are welcome to ask further questions if needed.\nWith best wishes,\nYours sincerely ,\nAflatoon.Please visit my blogs(URLs are given below with my signature) and post comments too. \n\nOn 14/09/06, Arshad KHAN <arshad.k.ak@gmail.com \n> wrote: \n\n\nDear Aflatoon Bhai,\n \nHope you are well.\n \nPlease take the refrence of our telephonic conversation.\n \nCan you please answer the following questions which I have drawn from the bouchers and leaflets of NAPM opposing Pepsi and Coca Cola.\n \n1. According to the scientists the third world war will be held for the water, How?",1]
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Regarding expences of the activists-None of the activist in the movement against Colas is given any stipend or salary from NAPM.They earn their livelihood from agriculture,small business,weaving,fishing ,free lance writing and some are associated with voluntary organisations which gives them stipend.
Answer4.Cola majors have to pay for underground water drawn in EU and USA, in some instances they even buy it from municipal water services.In India they pay only a small amount as Central Water Cess which goes to UPSPCB(In UP) .UPPCB is responsible for inspecting pollution in these units too.The JPC on pesticides residues has objected to the policy of not charging money for the underground water drawn by these MNCs and has recommended to Ministry of Water Resources to make a policy in consultation with state governments.(Please see answer 2 also for complete answer to question4.
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Please acknowledge my reply and you are welcome to ask further questions if needed.
With best wishes,
Yours sincerely ,
Aflatoon.Please visit my blogs(URLs are given below with my signature) and post comments too.
Aflatoon अफ़लातून અફલાતૂન,State President,Samajwadi Janparishad(U.P.),5,Readers Flats,Jodhpur Colony,Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi,Uttar Pradesh,INDIA 221005Visit http://samajwadi.blogspot.comURL : http://aflatoon4.tripod.com,URL: http://kashipursolidarity.tripod.com/Hindi Blog: http://samatavadi.blogspot.com/