Interview by Magda Fahsi/Human Rights Tribune, Brussels - For more than 35 years, Rajagopal P.V – who is known by his first name and his initials in order not to reveal his caste, a system that he rejects – fights against exploitation, injustice and poverty. In the 80’s he taught young Indians to take their future into their own hands, telling them if they are poor it was not because of their karma but because of society. In order to coordinate various business activities, he created the association Ekta Parishad, which gathers together all those without a voice in India, the dalits (the untouchables) and the adivasis (tribal communities) including the landless and bonded agricultural workers. His favoured method of raising awareness was to hold peaceful marches. Between the 2nd and 29th October 2007, 25000 of the poorest of the poor walked 350 kilometres between Gwalior and New Delhi to call for their rights. An interview with an exceptional man.

Last October you organised your first major national march. Six months later what effect has that had?

This march taught us a lot. It showed that the poor can challenge the power of the state and that they can make things happen. There were a lot of young people there and I hope that they will over time be able to start a new type of politics that is based not only on power and possession but also on public service.

The march also showed that non-violence is a very powerful tool. We can succeed through non violent means. Finally the solidarity shown was remarkable. People fed us -25 000 participants- as we were underway for that month.

What did you achieve concretely?

The government agreed to set up a national commission for agrarian reform, tasked with formulating policy on land use. Once that has been done, the council, of which I am a member, will look at implementation.

On top of that, at the beginning of the year, a new law was adopted. Under it every indigenous family receives 2.5 hectares of land. The government has also agreed to no longer acquire land by expelling the farmers, a practice that was far too common in the past and led to a number of suicides.

Finally a law, that is currently before parliament, will ensure that people are no longer displaced without a proper plan for their relocation. This should considerably limit the number of forced evictions. So we can say that things are moving. It is perhaps not everything that we want but it is going in the right direction.

How have we got into this situation?

It is because of globalisation. It began by the attacks on indigenous people who were forced from their land when the extractive industries wanted to exploit the mines they found there and people kept silent because they did not feel concerned. Then the Indian government confiscated the farmer’s lands to give it to the multinationals and nobody said anything. Small businesses have disappeared and they have not been able to fight off the challenge of the supermarkets, but nobody has said a word. What I want to say is that globalisation will end up affecting everyone. A lot of people think they are safe and therefore don’t act. But they will also be victims of it one day or another.

The same problems are happening everywhere, in Brazil, Colombia, in the Philippines. Everyone is looking to survive in the face of the multinationals who seek to monopolise their natural resources. It is therefore absolutely vital that we get widespread support.

And in India?

In India, 65 to 70% of the population lives from agriculture. It is important to realise that land to us is not simply a piece of land. It is all about dignity, having an identity and it also above all about having the ability to feed ourselves. In the forests the tribal populations and the nomads live from harvesting berries and fruits and grazing their animals. The state is chasing these people from the forests. It is taking away the lands of the small farmers sometimes without compensating them in order to sell their land to big business and the multinationals. The result is that these small farmers, agricultural workers are finding themselves without any means of making a living and end up by settling in towns, in the shanty towns which are spreading and spreading. They are not only losing their lands but also their dignity and their identity.

It is a fight for natural resources, land, water and forest. We want to help people to be able to take control of the resources that give them a living. The farmers should have the right to decide what they eat and not the multinationals to do this for them. It is not possible to compromise on this.

What is your next move ?

We must keep up the pressure on the state. It has to face up to its responsibilities. The state is like an elephant. If it does not have a mahout (elephant driver) it becomes mad and destroys everything. We are playing the role of the mahout, so that we can lead the elephant. So if in three years the state doesn’t honour its commitments, it won’t be 25,000 but 100,000 people who take to the streets. Last year amongst the 25 thousand there were 250 people mostly Europeans and American who came to support us. In three years time we will need a thousand foreigners marching with us. So reserve your tickets!

Translated from French by Claire Doole