Coca-Cola is coming in for some major protest this year. There have been vigils, protests, community resistance to CC in many parts of India. On January 15, 2005, over a thousand people are expected to take part in blockading the entrance to Coca-Cola’s single largest bottling plant in India – in Plachimada, Kerala – to demand that the bottling plant shut down permanently. January 15 also marks the 1000th day anniversary of a permanent dharna (vigil) that has been set up directly in front of the factory gates by the local community groups rallying against the Coca-Cola plant in the southern state of Kerala.
This reminds me of an allopathic drug which treats the symptoms of an ailment, never the cause. Closing down a CC plant; how is it going to change anything? What about all the people whose jobs depend on the plant? In a state like Kerala where the unemployment rate is so high, closing the CC plant is only going to worsen the condition. On the contrary, influencing change, even within CC, doesn’t that make more sense? Doesn’t change have to spring from the root itself? It isn’t some kind of a cancerous growth that cutting off the branch is going to cure the problem, is it?
Many people feel that the free-market principle is one which dispenses with the conscience sometime or the other. Reminds me of a question that someone had asked Guruji. He was asked, “Does a society ever need a spiritual leader?”. He replied, “If the leaders of the society are spiritual, then you don’t need one.”
99kanitas says:
Why do they want to close it down?
January 17, 2005 — 9:06 am
Lakshmi says:
http://www.indiaresource.org/press/2005/plachimadablockjan.html has some info on that.
January 17, 2005 — 9:11 am
harish_an says:
i dont think cc has a right to cause environmental concerns just because they are offering jobs…
In Plachimada, Coca-Cola is guilty of creating severe water shortages for the communities in the vicinity, polluting the groundwater and soil, and also distributing toxic waste as fertilizer to farmers in the area
am sure there are effective ways of going about business without doing any of the above.. it might be expensive( a few million rupees) but they are going to pass it on to the consumer.. i would rather have a few million people pay 1 rupee more for a bottle of coke… than have a
a few people may be out of jobs but a few thousands who dont have coke jobs are suffering too..
states like kerala and wb which has high literacy rate and awareness should set a path… am sure cc will move its plant to TN or karnataka and its going to be busines as usual… but the people should not be taken for a ride
January 17, 2005 — 4:50 pm
Lakshmi says:
Well, what if the more expensive AND cleaner business option is followed which will push up the cost of Coke, help the workers keep their jobs… and then the higher cola cost will act as a natural deterrent to many of the cola-guzzlers too. Ok, I am no economist and whatever I suggested may sound highly flawed… Tell me what you think?
January 18, 2005 — 7:30 am
harish_an says:
not flawed.. depends on how important the product is – the cost-consumption curve will compensate. total profit = quantity sold*(selling price- cost). companies choose the easy way out by reducing cost as it will increase quantity too in the process. they have the option of increasing the selling price along with the cost but quantity will suffer.
also most of the process change, probably, will be built into a one time fixed cost
also, its cc’s look out on how to sell it whatever cost…they can take the cut in their profit margin -(btw i think its a good thing if cola is costed high it will reduce consumption)
the society does not have to help businesses subsidise the cost of its product by taking the brunt of environmental issues caused by its processes. am sure they are using different technology abroad and can use that here too.
the only flaw will be if coke does this(increase price due to additional processes) and pepsi does not.
January 18, 2005 — 12:15 pm
Lakshmi says:
Like I told Sruthi, what is the point of the resistance if CC carts off its plant to some other state where it meets no resistance? Shutting down the plant is a short-term solution; that’s what I think.
January 18, 2005 — 7:37 am
harish_an says:
if all the other states/ people there are aware then cc will do something about it
January 18, 2005 — 11:56 am
srusrid says:
mmm…lakshmi..for some more views on corporate greed check the following out :
http://www.zmag.org
http://fundgence.blogspot.com/2005/01/human-life-35-30-off-walmart.html
Its a deep rooted issue.There are a lot of precedences ; a plant in Goa (chemical plan ousted by the local junta) and the shrimp farming in Kerala which won a supreme court case against industrialized shrimp farming violating basic environmental tenets.
In the name of poverty,superficial job creation and progress(which is mostly unsustainable) corporations and govt think they can attempt any venture.
The local civic bodies like NGOs are essential today when the gov control is slowly getting weaker.
In the fundgence blog , there are lots of links.
ps: Check out the origin of the zmag.Very very interesting….
January 17, 2005 — 6:53 pm
Lakshmi says:
I agree that NGOs are necessary to curtail the entire free-market process where anything seems to pass. But solutions which involve shutting-down and closure are rather short-term ones, don’t you think? Shouldn’t one think of smarter options? Put in place norms of cleanliness, waste disposal etc. and have them produce in a better manner. What is the point in shutting down a plant? What of other states where the community resistance is weaker? Won’t CC have a free rein in those areas? In that case, what good has your own community resistance done for the greater good?
Haven’t read your link yet, Sru.. Will do so pronto.
January 18, 2005 — 7:35 am
Lakshmi says:
I am not envisioning any change, DD… But I wish someone would.
January 18, 2005 — 6:46 am
Lakshmi says:
That’s what I mean to say, Chechi. The solution HAS to come from CC itself. They have to clean up their act and that is an infinitely better solution than them closing shop in Plachimada and continuing their *dirty* stuff elsewhere…
January 18, 2005 — 11:20 am
srusrid says:
There’s only one solution to prevent water from being privatized, don’t privatize water.The latin american countries are feeling the brunt ; we have just started.There’s a vast majority out there who have to pay for their land,now seeds (patent laws), their water, and perhaps sometime the air they breathe.
Small example : Kerala shrimp farmers had an excellent system.During the time of the year when the salinity of the water was low near the sea ; they used it to irrigate paddy fields.When the salinity grew ; they used the same area for shrimp farming.The starch left from the paddy gave fodder to the shrimps ; the waste of the shrimp gave fertilizer to paddy.A never ending cycle of ecologically harmonious subsistence adopted ; and a well paying subsistence at that.
Come industrial trawlers and shrimp fishers.They take water from the sea into the land.Land starts bleaching.The usual arguement is to prevent poverty.But for each dollar produced, you lose 10 dollar worth of ecological resources.People went to the supreme court for these farmers.This is greater good.
Solutions which involve shutting down such plants are Long term solutions.
Make villages self sustaining.Gandhi had the nail on the head.Globalization is for the profit of few.The widening gap between the have and have nots will one day become live and live nots.The corporates do not see India as a nation ; they see it as a market.CC thinks there are billions of people who will be thirsty and coke will give them water.Thats’ the market they are aiming at.World bank,WTO and IMF, puppets with their grants as strings.
Govt should be the ones laying out legislation.India should have sterner patent laws ; firmer pollution control laws.We don’t and that’s what makes us a better market than the developed nations.These NGOs do not finish closing one plant and stop working lakshmi, its a never ending struggle.
It could be viewed as the next freedom struggle against this Corporate empire.
Sounds fantastic, but then the French revolution too would have sounded so at some point of time.
January 18, 2005 — 11:40 am
sat_chit_anand says:
“Globalization is for the profit of few.The widening gap between the have and have nots will one day become live and live nots.The corporates do not see India as a nation ; they see it as a market.”
The fact that we have to make the above assumption is a short term solution. How about nurturing the value system of youth so that they become better corporate leaders. You can fight tooth and nail to stop corporates but it doesnt do one bit to stop the mentality. Treat the person and the diseases wont be there. I know this is idealistic but it is the only real solution.
January 19, 2005 — 8:22 am
srusrid says:
We won’t have youth left to fight.
This may sound as a dismal and over-exaggerated picture ; but on a little digging in, it may not be so.
Right now, due to the patent issues ; our life saving drugs have increased ten fold in price.We do not have a safety net in place (an insurance scheme or a social security) to help those who cannot afford insurance.
When upper middle class people start having doubts ; one can write off the not so well off ones.
THis is just the start.
Mm…Iam a radical left wing optimist(if such labels hold any essence).
I agree with you that idealistic solutions may sometimes be the only ones left (in case of conflicts where no win-win situation is possible, israel,kashmir, the only solution left it the current state’s evolution vs the ideal state) ; and aren’t we all fighting for that ideal utopia!!
Question : Will it happen given the human mind? (after all these issues, its a strain on my belief in “human good”).
Answer : No.
The most ideal situation :
http://fundgence.blogspot.com/2005/01/human-life-35-30-off-walmart.html
January 20, 2005 — 6:49 am
sat_chit_anand says:
I am not sure how this ties into the discussion. But, when you say “Will it happen given the human mind?” I would like to restate it as “Will it happen given the current understanding of the human mind?”. The problem is that years of indepth knowledge on the nature of human mind and how to nurture it is being off loaded in favour of pseudo scientific assumptions. Coming back to what I was mentioning about nurturing humans and human value – How much of our educational system is dedicated to develop ethics and human values ? How many of us are made aware of the invaluable body of knowledge about human mind and it tendencies available in advaita and vedic texts ? Its time to reform and educate.
PS: I dont beleive in labels. Left, Right or Center. The need of the day is to transcend these labels.
January 20, 2005 — 1:43 pm
srusrid says:
Iam not sure whether you read the link.
The article in the link identifies the basic problem as the human mind’s evil.
The solution proposed is “benevolization of the human mind through genetic modifications”.
It can be construed as the helpless observer’s frustration at the rampant greed manifest as evil all around.
You have identified the same problem ; your solution is give the mind an ethical and moral framework which would make it inconceivable to it to think otherwise.
Both have the same answer, different approaches , benevolization of the human mind.
I agree, facing the present scenario, I do not have any belief in the human mind’s capacity for good.Also, I admit, I do not know about the teachings in advaita or the vedas.
If we can nurture young minds with benevolence so that such evil consumption and acts become abhorrent, I would consider that as moving into the next plane of evolution.Your theory does ring true.
Here’s hoping that such a future takes birth.
As regards to labelling,I never liked labels.Always tried to assimilate everything without biases or judgements.But, I realized that this notion was not in tune with many of my thoughts.My value system and beliefs were with the radical left as they are known today ; I cannot help but admit that.
And until I can truly “think” without labels, it remains.
Here’s hoping I too transcend labelling.
January 20, 2005 — 8:41 pm
sat_chit_anand says:
I read it and the only difference is that the genetic modification idea is hypothetical and there is an inbuilt assumption that science of implementing it wont fall into the hands of the gluttnous folks. In case of the ancient knowledge we already have it just a matter of realizing what ‘Locks’ once blogged about
“asangOham asangOham asangOham punah punah
sacchidanandaroopOham ahamevaahamavyayah II
Unattached, unattached, unattached am I, again and again; of the nature eternal Existence-Knowledge-Bliss am I; I am That. That am I, which is the irreducible, immortal, endless factor.”
An this realization can come through spiritual practises and meditation. Gluttony is not our nature, its delusion caused by social forces. Just a practise try eating a grape slowly …very slowly ..putting all your attention and awareness into it. You will realize that you enjoyed it more than you ever did eating a whole bunch. Its awareness …crystal clear awareness which makes the mind transcend gluttony, greed, lust and any kind of extreme emotions.
A point to think about!!!….Jai Guru Dev! (Victory to the Big Mind …once which is wise and yet child like and innocent)
January 21, 2005 — 7:02 am