Activists Strategy Meeting for Coke-Pepsi Campaign

On July 29-30th July 2006 annual meeting for Coke-Pepsi Quit India Campaign was co-organized by Navdanya/ Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Environment and Azadi Bacaho Andolan at the ISI, New Delhi. On the 29th July session, the activists working at different Coke-Pepsi plants all over India presented case studies and the happenings in their areas. Strategies for the year 2006-07 were planned during the session on 30th July. Dr. Vandana Shiva and Prof. Banwari Lal Sharma co-chaired the sessions.

The participants for both the sessions included D.K. Tiwari, B. L. Gupta, Brijwasi Bhai (M.P.), Chandrashekhar, Thakur Moharsingh, SahendraSingh, Ranjit Kumar Singh, Anil Kumar Singh, Aflatoon, Ishwar Chand, M.R.P. Patnaik, Bhaskar Majumdar, Ram Dhiraj, Shiraz Kesar, Pradip Kumar, Nandlal Master (U.P.), Farook T.K. (Kerala), Krishna Murari Singh ‘Kisan’, M.K. Dangi (Bihar), Pashbir Arya (Haryana), Neeraj Jain (Maharashtra), Vinod Nanda (Chandigarh), Sawai Singh, Rameshwar Prasad (Rajasthan), Om Prakash, Chintamani Bhai,  Manisha Kanchan (Jhankhand), A.K. Aanta, Manoj Tyagi, Chand Sheikh (New Delhi).

All the participants updated the assembly about the reports and activities being held in their arrears. Nandlal Master and Aflatoon showed a short documentary on the protests activities being conducted in Mehendiganj Coke plant in U.P. The reports about the protestations and anti-Coke and Pepsi campaigns being held in various parts of the country were very motivating and heart whelming. About 5000 schools and colleges all over India have been declared Free Coke-Pepsi Zone. Many peaceful protestation walks have been organized in and around the areas affected by the Coke-Pepsi plants.

Strategies for the year 2006-07 were planned the second session. Among the main activities planned, a Jalyatra (a water walk) will be organized. It will begin in the last week of September at Varanasi and conclude at Jaipur on October 2nd 2006. It will cover the plants in Varanasi, Faizabad, Kanpur, Barabanki, Hathras and Jaipur. Tests would be conducted to check the water quality and groundwater levels in the areas surrounding the plants all over India. Hazards Centre, New Delhi and People’s Science Institute, Dehradoon will conduct the tests. This will be done in partnership with Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology/ Navdanya and local communities  and activists of Azada Bacaho Andolan.  A 5-day all India boycott and blockade of Pepsi-Coke will also be organized. Along with this, on- going campaign for creating Coke-Pepsi Free Zones would be continued and 5000 more schools and colleges would be included by November 2006.