| Date: |
20-11-2015 |
| Subject: |
For India, WTO is the second name for East India Company |
|
ALIGARH: "World Trade Organization is the like the East India Company. It is targeting our higher education system in order to make it a tradable commodity," said Professor Nandita Narain president Federation of Central Universities Teachers' Association on her visit to Aligarh Muslim University. She was present in Aligarh today to create awareness about the dangers of WTO-GATS. The massive rallies and Jail Bharo slated for 24th an 26th November need the involvement from all quarters of the country, as India is expected to sign the WTO-GATS at a final meeting at Nairobi on December 15.
Narain pointed out that the methods East India Company used are being emulated by the World Trade Organization today - "The methods of trade and treaty are used to capture the immovable resources of a country and to impinge on their sovereignty," she said and added "WTO focused on the goods and when the possibilities of commoditizing goods got exhausted they shifted their attention to the services like, health, education." The agreement intends to bring education under the ambit of tradable commodities.
The teachers raised the demand that there should be immediate withdrawal of government's offer of regulation of higher education by WTO-GATS. With its revised order the government has shown that it is ready to allow education traders from 160 member nations of WTO to establish colleges and universities as commercial ventures in India. The government is not looking at the countries that give education services for free, "Look at Germany, Finland, France they have made education free but our government is looking at the American model of education - where the formal education is in danger. The reason is to not have poets, thinkers and philosophers coming out of our education system. The focus is on skills and not cognitive capabilities," added Narain. The WTO will recognize modes of trade in education services, also take away domestic regulation by establishing Trade Policy Review Mechanism - a legal instrument to regulate institutions and annually review trade policies, suggest changes etc. "This is an attack on our sovereign freedom to formulate our own policies," she said.
WTO-GATS threatens our right to struggle for education. She said, "If our education system is brought under the regime of WTO-GATS, the people's right to struggle for quality education for all, for which the government is constitutionally accountable, will be taken away." At Aligarh the teachers from Delhi voiced their concerns on higher education, as under this regime the government will be legally bound to protect the interests of the foreign and Indian corporations.
The AMU Teachers' Association shared their grievances with FEDCUTA members present. The university land deals being contemplated by the administration, the suspension of AMUTA secretary Mustafa Zaidi, favoritism showered on some teachers by the administration was also discussed at the Aligarh meet. After hearing the grievances Narain said, "The teachers from across will unite to counter any attack on the rich traditions of AMU. We will fight to counter the mafia raj in AMU."
Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com
|