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Thousands of Indian protesters slam WTO, US-led strikes

Thousands of protesters paraded through the heart of the Indian capital on Friday to vent their anger against both the World Trade Organisation and the US-led air strikes on Afghanistan.

The demonstration, organised by the ultra-left Communist Party of India (Marxists-Leninist), was held on the day trade ministers from 142 nations were due to begin meeting in the Qatari capital, Doha, to decide whether to launch new trade liberalisation talks.

"Indian government -- leave the WTO," chanted protesters as thousands of red flags fluttered in the sunshine.

Rich nations, led by the United States, are seeking agreement to launch a fresh trade talks round they say would reinvigorate the global economy at a time when the world faces prospects of recession following the September 11 attacks on two U.S. cities.

But India, the world's second largest nation with more than one billion people, is staunchly opposed to new talks, fearing further liberalisation would expose it to more competition, hit its exports and hurt its vast rural economy.

"Save agriculture, stop the WTO and save us from hunger," shouted one of the protest leaders as police in riot gear manned barricades to stop protesters from marching towards parliament.

Tough stand

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Murasoli Maran, who is leading the Indian delegation, has taken a tough stand against the launch of a fresh round of trade talks.

India wants implementation of issues agreed in the Uruguay round of WTO talks, particularly commitments on cutting agricultural subsidies by developed nations.

"This WTO has taken away whatever little farm income we had. It has created havoc in the country's agriculture," said farmer Mithilesh Kumar Mishra from Bhojpur in Bihar.

The protest also had a strong anti-U.S. flavour with demonstrators condemning the U.S.-led assault on Afghanistan which has been strongly backed by the Indian government.

"Stop the bombing in Afghanistan. Take back American forces from Afghanistan," the protesters shouted.

Leftist union leaders in the eastern city of Calcutta also urged New Delhi not to give in to the pressure of rich nations at the WTO meeting.

"The WTO has nothing to give us. We should not give in at any cost to a system that is costing us the loss of hundreds of jobs every day," Chittabrata Mazumdar, general secretary of the West Bengal unit of the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), said.

The CITU is India's largest leftist union.

"We should even think of pulling out of the WTO, if necessary," Shankar Saha, a leader of another leftist union, the United Trade Union Congress, said.

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