The People’s Resistance Forum against Free Trade Agreements and RCEP has announced a series of events opposing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) meet scheduled from July 24 to 28 in the city.
Planned between July 21 to 26, the meetings and workshops would discuss the negative impact of the fresh round of free trade agreements on e-Commerce, intellectual property rights, and access to medicine, on marginalised communities, agriculture, labour and social security, public services, and fisheries and trade.
A people’s convention on July 23, a day before the RCEP meet’s inaugural session, would be the highlight of the series of events titled ‘People’s Summit Against Free Trade Agreements and RCEP’, Kiran Kumar Vissa, from Rythu Swarajya Vedika, one of the organisers, informed at a press meet here on Thursday.
The convention would be held at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram at Baghlingampally, where people’s voices would be heard from across the sectors, including agriculture, industry, trade unions, women, Dalits, Adivasis, and nomadic tribes. Experts and leaders from across the country would address the convention, the organisers informed.
The following day, a rally would be taken out from People’s Plaza.
Speakers to address the summit’s workshop and people’s convention include Amit Sengupta from Jan Swasthya Abhiyan; Vijoo Krishnan from All India Kisan Sabha; Atulkumar Anjaan from CPI; Yogendra Yadav from Swaraj Abhiyan; Biswajit Dhar from Jawaharlal Nehru University; K. Ambujakshan from Welfare Party of India; Ashim Roy from NTUI; M. Kodandaram from T-JAC; Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao, S. Malla Reddy, and others.
The forum has over 30 organisations and coalitions as its members that include Telangana Rythu JAC, All India Kisan Sabha, All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha, Rythu Swarjya Vedika, All India Coordination Committee of Farmers’ Movements, Public Services International, All India Trade Unions’ Congress, Centre of Indian Trade Unions, Indian National Trade Union Congress, Telangana Medical Sales Representatives’ Union, Dalit Women’s Union, National Alliance of Dalit Organisations, Jana Vignana Vedika, Telangana Vidyavanthula Vedika, T-JAC, Dalit Bahujan Front, Doctors’ without Borders, National Alliance of People’s Movements, Telangana Praja Front among others.
The organisations have been decrying the negative impact of the RCEP mega-regional free trade agreement to be negotiated with 16 countries, on various sectors, including farming, industry and medicine.
