The 39th Asian Development Bank Annual Governors meeting was held in Hyderabad from 3-6 May 2006. In parallel, a forum came together to organize a counter summit at Hyderabad during the same time. This forum consisted of various groups from India and other countries in Asia and has come together under the banner Peoples' Forum against ADB (PFAADB). The Peoples Forum against ADB concluded its activities with a 'Hyderabad pledge' to support peoples movements across Asia in their efforts to reclaim democracy, sovereignty and self-determination. The Forum also resolved to strive towards democratising the state so that it serves and responds to the aspirations and priorities of its people.

WE'VE EXPOSED THE ADB - PEOPLES FORUM

The Peoples Forum against ADB concluded its activities with a 'Hyderabad pledge' to support peoples movements across Asia in their efforts to reclaim democracy, sovereignty and self-determination. The Forum also resolved to strive towards democratising the state so that it serves and responds to the aspirations and priorities of its people. The day began with a plenary on militarisation and development with speakers from Manipur, Nagaland, Jharkand, Chattisgarh and Orrisa. This was followed by a film screening and cultural activities performed by activists from across India and Asia. Films screened included KP Sasi's 'A Valley refuses to die' on the Narmada issue and 'Expressway' on the Mumbai-Pune? express highway.

'In North-East? India the Government increasingly relies on the military to protect the implementation of development projects, many of which are financed by IFIs', said Jitn Yumnan from the North East Civil Society Initiative on IFIs based in Manipur. Citing the example of Mapiticel Dam in Manipur he added, 'The deployment of the military to protect the dam has led to grave violations of the rights of local communities. The problem is further complicated because it is impossible to get justice for the victims given the impunity the army enjoys. But neither the military nor IFIs can destroy our spirit; we will expose the deep links between the military and development'.

Zulaikha Jabin from Nadi Ghati Morcha in Chattisgarh spoke about a different kind of violence perpetrated on women by the development model. 'Industries are forcibly taking over agricultural land with state and police support. In Chattisgarh a substantive percentage of agricultural labour is women and the intrusion of agri-business into our land has led to loss of livelihoods, increasing cost of living and distress migration'.

'It is only by protesting we can demilitarize societies and strengthen the process of democratization', said Sandeep Pandey of the National Alliance of Peoples Movements.

'The Peoples Forum came to Hyderabad with a mission to expose the ADB and we've accomplished that', said Souparna Lahiri of the Peoples Forum. 'President Kuroda was unable to provide any answers to the questions we raised. Reports from the AGM indicate that the ADB will continue to focus on the free-market model as the answer for development issues - this further underlines the point we've made consistently over the last 4 days - that this institution is un-reformable'. It is also shocking that the ADB's Auditor General had the audacity to tell civil society groups that the ADB can never be corruption free', he added.

The groups resolved to take the message of the 'Hyderabad pledge' to various parts of India and Asia. The work plan from Hyderabad includes strengthening peoples rights to environmental and livelihood resources and ensuring that those who depend on these resources have the first right to govern them. The group also pledged to halt the intrusion of IFIs in their communities, economies and institutions, and work towards demilitarisation.

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Statement Against Govt. Intervention Against Anti-ADB Film Festival

Statement by film makers, intellectuals, journalists, writers and concer

ned people against police closure of anti-ADB film festival

We strongly condemn the sabotage of the film festival 'Images of Resistance- Asian Destruction Bank' , scheduled to be held at NISIET, Yusafguda, Hyderabad from May 3rd to 6th 2006 by the Andhra Pradesh government.

The festival, organized by the 'People's Forum Against ADB' a coalition of 97 organizations from different parts of Asia, had to be called off due to severe pressure from the Hyderabad police.

The reason given for canceling the booking of the festival venue by the directors of NISSIET, an institute owned by the Indian government, was that 'we cannot allow anti-government activities from government premises'. Since when has opposing the ADB become synonymous with opposing the Government of India?

Instead of resisting pressure from institutions like the ADB and World Bank to implement economically and ecologically destructive projects government the AP government is instead cracking down on the democratic rights of ordinary citizens.

The closure of the film festival constitutes a grave attack on the freedom of ex-pression of not just film makers but also that of dalits and adivasis, whose struggles for protection of traditional resources, and public sector workers, whose fight against privatisation, the films portrayed.

We express our support for the right of everyone to communicate these voices among all available platforms. We call upon concerned groups, individuals, media people, filmmakers and other civil society organisations to protest against the violation of democratic norms by an elected government acting on behalf of the Asian Development Bank.

Dr Vandana Shiva - Environmentalist
Dr K N Panicker - Historian
K T Mohammed - Playwright
Mahesh Bhatt – Film Maker
AnandPatwardhan – Film Maker
K.P.Sasi – Film Maker
P Sainath – Journalist
Sasikumar - Televison personality
Rakesh Sharma – Film Maker
Alan Snitow – Film Maker
Deborah Kaufman – Film Maker
Satya Sivaraman – Journalist/Film Maker
Paful Bidwai - Journalist
Gireesh Mishra Prof M N Vijayan - Writer
C V Sreeraman – Writer
Sachidanandan - Secretary, Kendra Sahitya Academi Sadanand Menon - Journalist
T V Chandran – Film Maker
Lenin Rajendran – Film Maker
Venkitesh Ramakrishnan – Film Critic
B Ajith Kumar – Film Editor
Amudhan R P – Film Maker
C.Saratchandran – Film Maker
Sukla Sen – Peace Activist
Dr B Iqbal – Former Vice Chancellor, Kerala University
Sarah Joseph - Writer
Anivar Aravind – Software/Activist
Saba Dewan - Film maker
Rahul Roy – Film Maker
Sagari Chhabra – Film Maker
Sherna Dastur
Pradeep Esteeves - Activist
Abhivyakti, Media Action Group
Open Space – Media Action Group
GAIA Thrissur – Activist Group
Media Renewal Trust – Media Action Group

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