On 30^th November 1999 begins the Third Ministerial Level Meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at Seattle, USA. This meet is expected to formulate a draft declaration to be finalised at a full-scale meeting of the organisation to be held in the month of January 2000. A lot of heat has been generated by the reported moves by the developed nations to utilise this occasion to further oiling their own machines only. In fact, the history of the WTO is a history of machinations by the developed countries for depriving the developing and underdeveloped countries of their just and reasonable interests. In the name of high-sounding concepts of free-trade, globalisation and etc. the developed nations are virtually forcing the developing and underdeveloped ones to open their own markets for big bosses at the cost of their own interests. India is under tremendous pressure from the USA and the West European countries to open up insurance and bank sectors, to amend the Indian Patent Act, to stop subsidising agriculture and some other sectors concerning the poor.

The Govt. of India have, meanwhile, declared that it would stubbornly oppose the inclusion of new issues. But what role the BJP-led Govt. would play regarding other issues like patent etc. is not known. So-called free trade in goods and services and free-movement of capital and investments serve the interest of developed countries and their giant corporates. India has been told by the Disputes Resolution Tribunal of the WTO that India has only 15 months left to dismantle the remaining import quota restrictions. Moreover, India has been told to amount the existing patent act within the year 1999. All this would certainly go against India's own interests. The Central Trade Unions and Peasants Organisation of the country as well as left parties have launched nationwide movements against privation of insurance and bank sectors and on other issues. Even the BJP, the ruling party at the centre, have raised a voice of protest against including labour and enviromental questions. We shall have to wait a few days to see what comes out of WTO Ministerial Meeting.

29th November, 1999.