Date:23/11/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/11/23/stories/2004112306091200.htm

National

Panel to mobilise opinion on Patent Bill

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, NOV. 22. A national colloquium on the proposed third amendment to the patent law today called upon MPs of all political parties to "break the conspiracy of silence'' and oppose the tabling of the Bill in Parliament during the winter session as it will "affect not only the health of the people but their very survival.'' So far, only the Left parties have opposed the Government's move to amend the patent law.

The meeting resolved to form a joint action committee (JAC) comprising farmers' organisations, people's movements, NGOs, concerned citizens and representatives of political parties, particularly from the Left. The JAC will mobilise opinion against the proposed amendments through signature campaigns and demonstrations. The mass mobilisation exercise is considered necessary to prevent the amendment from being rushed through Parliament and to compel the Government to set up a high-level independent commission to make recommendations as was done when the Indian Patent Act was enacted in 1970. A delegation will also call on leaders of the Left and exchange views with them.

The Left parties are expected to raise objections to the amendment during their proposed coordination committee meeting with the ruling United Progressive Alliance later this week.

Today's meeting termed the Government's reason for rushing through the amendment — that the date for introduction of product patents according to the Trade Related Intellectual Properties (TRIPs) was January 1 next year — "not only unconvincing but also misleading as issues of vital importance cannot be allowed to be pushed under the carpet in the name of compliance with the WTO system.'' Moreover, an appropriate legal solution can be found for the technical problem of giving effect to the amendment retrospectively.

A declaration adopted at the conference pointed out that in contrast to the growing opposition to TRIPs all over the world, the Central Government was "single-mindedly taking the route of making Indian laws TRIPs-compliant (while) ignoring the constitutional and other implications of following such a course.'' The Government was also failing to exercise its freedom to review TRIPs.

The colloquium was organised by the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology headed by Vandana Shiva, National Working Group on Patent Laws (Convener B. K. Keyala) and Azadi Bachao Andolan. The former Ambassador to GATT, S. P. Shukla, Bhartiya Kisan Union's Rakesh Tikait, Krishanbir Choudhury of Bharat Krishak Samaj, and Shafiqul Hasan Zaidi of Bharat Kisan Mazdoor Welfare Association attended it.