Home--Campaigns--Coca-Cola

March and Rally to Shut Down Coca-Cola Plants

People's organizations in the state of Uttar Pradesh are planning a 250 km march, between 2 Coca-Cola bottling facilities, to demand that Coca-Cola stop stealing water from communities. The march starts in Ballia on Monday, November 15 and ends with a massive rally in Mehdiganj on Wednesday, November 24.

KISANON NE MACHAYA SHOR

COCA-COLA PANI CHOR

DOODH DAHI KE DESH MEIN

PEPSI COKE NAHIN CHALEGA

*Translation: Farmers Shout!! Coca Cola is a Water Thief! In the Land of Milk and Honey, Pepsi-Coke -- We Don't Want Any!!

A MEGA RALLY OF PEOPLE’S MOVEMENT IN VIEW OF DIRECT ACTION TO CLOSE DOWN COCA-COLA BOTTLING PLANT IN MEHNDIGANJ – VARANASI

ON 24 November
JOIN US IN THE RALLY AT MEHNDIGANJ, RAJATALAB, VARANASI

In a Direct Action to CHASE AWAY COCA-COLA and SAVE OUR WATER

Dear Friends:

Thinkers have predicted that if another World War is waged it would be for water. The entire globe has already started experiencing the scarcity of water. Therefore giant multinational companies have started their most wicked efforts of grabbing control of water, and making criminal profits by selling this most valuable sustainer of nature at incredible prices.

Remember the recent order of Kerala High Court preventing the Coca-Cola plant in Plachimada village, from drawing underground water. This order was issued because the company was drawing out such an unimaginable amount of water for commercial purposes that the entire area, within a radius of three kilometers, has been under severe drought ever since the plant started functioning there. The wells, hand pumps and even tube wells of people have totally dried up. All the more, the water that is collected in these sources during the rainy season has been so terribly polluted that it is no more potable. The pollutants of the company cause so unbearable stink in the water that it is not only unusable for cooking but also awful for bathing.

The ruling of the Kerala High court is necessarily notable. It says that water is the birthright of people. Even if the surface land may belong to individuals, the underground water is a common inheritance of all living beings. All the administrative machinery has a responsibility to protect this invaluable treasure of nature. Thus save the underground water from being exploited and depleted.

The Coca-Cola plant in Mehdiganj, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh draws out more than 250,000 liters of underground water per day. Due to this horrible abuse of the source of life the water level of the area has receded from 25 to 40 feet under the ground. The immediate effect of it is visible on the poor people and farmers. The company pollutants have rendered many acres of agricultural fields infertile. The company has not bothered to compensate the poor farmers despite the clear instructions towards it from the administration.

Besides, the company has illegally occupied about 15,000 sq ft. of land belonging to the village panchayat of Mehdiganj. The farmers, youth and especially women of the area have been struggling long to force the Coca-Cola plant to close down. The District Magistrate had formed a committee to investigate the anti human and anti life activities of the company on 14th December 2003. But the administration did not take any action against the factory. The government of Uttar Pradesh itself had given assurance of serious action against the company, when a large group of thousands of people picketed at the Assembly building, for two days (9th and 10th June 2003) protesting on the injustice done by it. But in reality no action has been taken to this day.

The Coca-Cola company has been acting clever and crooked all over its installations by distributing a few blankets, utensils, medicine or even hard cash. These so called social and charitable activities have succeeded to mislead people for some time. But now the people of Mehdiganj are well aware of the vicious and deadly plans of the company.

It is well known that the district of Varanasi also has been declared drought hit due to lack of rain this year. This is only an added reason for us to protect every drop of water. But if the Coca-Cola company continued to extract the water of this area, we the simple people of Mehdiganj are heading towards a dangerous crisis of drinking water. Unfortunately we are not the only people who are victims of this fatal exploitation.

Therefore we appeal to all our brothers and sisters of the country, to pressurize the government to issue prohibition orders to all the Pepsi-Coke companies on the commercialization and depletion of water in India.

Therefore, a vast on-foot-march rally is being organized against Coca-Cola and Pepsi from the Coca-Cola factory at Sinhachavar, Ballia, to the same at Mehdiganj, Varanasi on Monday, November 15th, 2004. The march will conclude at the Coca-Cola bottling plant, Mehdiganj, Varanasi on 24th November. We expect the cooperation of thousands of our supporters to participate in the whole process and make it so powerful as to enforce certain direct actions, on the concluding day, against the Mehdiganj plant. We request your bodily, mental, financial and spiritual assistance in support of this mass movement against commercialization of the source of life itself by the multinational companies.

Appeal by:
Lok Samiti Varanasi
Gaon Bachao Sangharsh Samiti Mehndiganj
Coca cola Bhagao-Krishi Bachao Jan Sangharsh Samiti, Sinhachavar
National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM)

MARCH-ON-FOOT AGAINST PEPSI-COKE EXPLOITAION

15 NOVEMBER – 24 NOVEMBER

Route of the March from Coca-Cola factory at Sinhachavar, Ballia to Coca-Cola factory at Mehdiganj, Varanasi

 

Date

Time of Halt

Halting Place

Contact Person

15-11-04

11am.(Starting)

Inauguration of the March at Coca-Cola factory Sinhachavar Ballia

Baliram

(phone no.05491-223213)

15-11-04

Evening

Matihi

Dalit Vikas Prashikshan Samiti (ph. 05493-282109; 282052)

16-11.04

Afternoon

Dehma

As above

16-11-04

Evening

Lattoodih

Pratigya Prashikshan Sansthan (Rajkumari Gandhi

17-11.04

Afternoon

Rajapur

Rajendra/Brijesh Srivastav

17-11.04

Evening

Muhammadabad

Rubina Gulzar

(mob.9415616549)

18-11.04

Afternoon

Gauspur

As above

18-11.04

Evening

Kathva Modh

Brijesh Kumar (Sarvangeen Vikas Samiti)

19-11.04

Afternoon

Gazipur

Saroj Mishra/ Dayashankar

19-11.04

Evening

Fateh Ullahpur

Vishwesh Jivandan Samiti

(Mob. 9839582292)

20-11.04

Afternoon

Nandganj

As above

20-11.04

Evening

Devkali

As above

21-11.04

Afternoon

Saidpur

As above

21-11.04

Evening

Kaithi

Vallabhacharya Pandey

(mob. 9415256848); ph. 0542-2618201; -301; -401; 2616289

22-11.04

Afternoon

Umarahan (Khanpur)

Surendra/ Ramachal (Loksamiti) ph. 0542-26162289

22-11.04

Evening

Pandeypur

Sudhakar Mahila Degree College

23-11.04

Afternoon

Gandhi Adhyayan Peeth, Maldahiya, Varanasi

Suresh/Mukesh Lok Samiti

(mob. 9839017693; 9415300520)

23-11.04

Evening

Mohansarai (Kaneri)

As above

24-11.04

11 am.

Direct Action on Coca-Cola Bottling Plant, Mehdiganj

As above

For participation in the above movement of people, please contact:

Lok Samiti, Mehdiganj, Rajatalab, Varanasi – 221311. (mob. Nandlal: 9415300520; 0542-2632433; mob. Suresh:9839017693; mob. Vallabh: 9415256848; email: napm_up@yahoo.com

Baliram, Vill. & P.O. Sinhachavar Kalan, Ballia, ph. 05491-232135

Sandeep Pandey, NAPM, A.893, Indira Nagar, Lucknow – 16, ph. 0522-2347365, mob.Mahesh:9838546900; mob.Boby Ramakant:9839073355; email: ashaashram@yahoo.com

International participants and journalists may contact Amit Srivastava, India Resource Center, San Francisco, US. Tel: +1 415 336 7584 Email: amit@IndiaResource.org

Organizers:
Lok Samiti Varanasi Sajha Sanskritimanj, Varanasi
Gaon Bachao Sangharsh Samiti Mehndiganj
Coca-Cola Bhagao-Krishi Bachao Jan Sangharsh Samiti, Sinhachavar
National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM)

Yours truly,

Nandlal Master

An Appeal for Cooperation, Collaboration, Participation and Assistance to the On-Foot-March rally to protest against the exploitation of water, by the Multinational companies, Pepsi and Coca-Cola, to be undertaken by the victim villagers, from 15th to 24th November 2004, between two of the factories in Uttarpradesh: at Sinhachavar, Ballia and Mehdiganj, Varanasi.

Dear Sir / Madam:

We the affected people of Mehdiganj and Sinhachavar, with the support of the undersigned organizations and under the direct leadership of Nandlal Master are organizing a huge rally march between two factories of Coca-Cola in Sinhachavar and Mehdiganj, from Monday, 15th November to Wednesday, 24th November 2004. Your esteemed presence and participation would make this resolute movement of ours more public and powerful.

Therefore, may we invite you and your organization to join us in support of this symbolic march, so that this effort of ours opens the eyes of the administration, conscientize people for solidarity against multinational exploitations, and empower this people’s movement with your energy and experience.

We request you to support us with various types of your resources, like your personal and your organization’s presence with us, sharing of your own experience and convictions with us, and assisting our movement with the much needed financial aid.

May we appeal for your special participation on the concluding day of the march rally, at Mehdiganj, Varanasi on 24th November. We do expect a powerful gathering of many thousands of our supporters to take certain effective actions to force the factory to close down its units.

Among the many important invitees for this occasion, the prominent are: Surendra Mohan (Socialist), Aruna Roy IAS (Magsaysay awarded), Sandeep Pandey (Magsaysay awarded), Raghu Thakur (Lok Tantrik Socialist Party), Siddhraj Dhadha (Sarvodaya).

Kindly reach us at the following address:

Office, Lok Samiti
Mehdiganj
Rajatalab
Varanasi – 221 311 U.P.
Contact us by Phone: 0542-2632433; 9415300520
Email: napm_up@yahoo.com

Yours truly,

Nandlal Master




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