Report On World Fair Trade Day

It was really heartening & thrilling to watch such a wide coverage of the celebrations of World Fair Trade Day this year on several television channels and in prominent newspapers with special reference to Fair Tade Furum--India, courtesy Tara Projects. The major events of the World Fair Trade Day celebrations held at Agra on May 17th, 2003 under the auspices of Agra Bazaar and Tara Projects included welcome to the guests who were the part of the huge enthusiastic gathering of craftsmen, artisans and their families, social workers, educationists, students and school children; garlanding of the guests and producers; lighting of Fair Trade Lamp ceremony; speeches on fair trade and Fair Trade Forum-India; honouring of the craftsmen; address of the Chief Guest; a grand, more than one thousand strong fair trade rally from Sikandra to Agra Bazaar and a variety of cultural programmes, intermittent with cold drinks & snacks-sessions climaxed by a delicious community lunch. The large number of craftsmen joined the function from all over India with a large presence of artisans from Agra region.

The main speeches on fair trade and its importance in the present context were of Dr. Shyam S. Sharma, President, Fair Trade Forum--India and of the Chief Guest, Dr. Girish Kumar Saxena, Vice-Chancellor, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University, Agra. Prof. Sharma in his speech informed the audience of the newly emerging powerful fair trade phenomena of fair trade which he described as a live practical movement of fairness in the field of production & business dominated at present by widespread unfairness and exploitation. He told that trade is omnipresent and all powerful in the modern world and the possibilities of its utilization as a medium of development, particularly of the grassroots, has a tremendous ready potentiality. The large number of fair trade initiatives in India are separated by large distances and scattered in the absence of an effective national awareness. The emergence of an all India fair trade networking body to provide expression to Indian fair trade aspirations to make fair trade a powerful instrument of development in shape of Fair Trade Forum--India is absolutely significant. He gave several examples of the important role played by Fair Trade Forum--India when this forum was able to provide a true leadership and practical direction to the fair trade movement in India. He emphasized that the World Fair Trade Day should be celebrated widely all over the world being the true symbol of fair trade activities and aspirations of the world grassroots.

The introduction and the role being played by Fair Trade Forum--India towards bringing solidarity into the grassroots developmental efforts in India were widely appreciated by the audience and a beautiful memento was presented to Fair Trade Forum--India through Dr. Sharma as their appreciations and acceptance of important role being played in India by the forum.

Dr. Girish Chandra Saxena, the Chief Guest, admitted that he was not yet much aware of the Indian fair trade aspirations and accepted the importance of turning this movement into the true practice. He said that fair trade was never so important as it is now. In his opinion fair trade was a true practice of bringing fairness to the field of production and business infested by exploitation and dishonest practices at present. He told the audience and particularly to Fair Trade Forum--India that 'Grahak Panchayat Sangathans' are fast emerging in the villages to make consumers more conscious of their rights and requirements. It is important that more & more traders and consumers must become aware of the fair trade working in India to bring healthy changes into the present trade scenario. The trade is getting increasingly competitive for gaining more & more profits which is very harmful to the producers because their interests are not seen in this process of profit-mongering. Even a simple broom is being sold now-a-days through television advertisements projected by soap operas.. Thus the prices go up without any gain to the actual producers. and everything becomes funny and artificial to the gains of the middlemen only.

Dr. Saxena further said that Fair Trade Forum--India should give attention to such unfair aspects and practical anomalies of trade. He requested Prof. Sharma to further remind all connected with Fair Trade Forum--India that India has to become a developed country sooner or later but let us come together through such forums like FTF-I to expedite this important process. He exhorted Tara Projects to continue their business without any monetary lust with all fairness, fearlessness and confidence. Best attention must be given to make business free of selfishness. He was particularly happy to note that several such organizations like Tara projects are working along the length & breadth of the country and Fair Trade Forum-India has been working as a coordinating networking central federation implementing & monitoring the nine important principles of fair trade. He saw a great future of fair trade and of India along with the rest of the world. He wished well of all fair trade organizations in the world and offered his blessings to Fair Trade Forum--India, Asia Fair Trade Forum and IFAT in addition to Agra Bazaar, Tara Projects and all the fair trade organizations in India and abroad practically implementing the international fair trade standards into business.

Moon Sharma, President Tara Projects, heartily thanked the Chief Guest and other hon'ble guests, the producers who came from far & near, especially women participants and children, management and students of C-Impact Institute of Education, staff-members and volunteers and all who participated in the function in spite of extremely hot weather temperature running terribly high to 43 degrees centigrade. Moon Sharma promised to keep the fair trade work running more vigorously especially the work of joining the child labourers and other deserving children with education, liberating them from their life-long servitude as far as possible.

A beautiful memento was presented to Dr. G.C. Saxena from the side of Fair Trade Forum--India as appreciation of his quick grasp and instant understanding of fair trade and for his valuable input to strengthen the movement through his vast experience. His arrival as the Chief Guest encouraged and advanced the cause of fair trade further by flagging off the impressive fair trade Agra rally.

The event was covered by several national and local television channels like Sahara Samay, TV Moon etc. and reputed newspapers with wide circulation, a few of them having the largest readership in India like Amar Ujaala, Dainik Jagran and Aaj, published the wide details of the celebration with impressive Agra Fair Trade Rally photographs. The news of World Fair Trade Day Agra celebrations is being displayed on their web-sites with impressive & interesting captions. The cultural programme presented by the producers' groups came from different Tara production centers and school-children from the Tara Baal Shramik and Tara Baal Vidyalayas were the delightful highlight of the function followed by a well managed delicious lunch enjoyed by more than a thousand participants. The television channels showed special interest in telecasting the variety cultural programmes presented by school children and the cartoon posters on double standards in world trade.

The reports on different important aspects and performances may follow separately. The impotant speeches are not given in full. The producers' speeches and details of the cultural programme will be presented as minutes of the function. The highlights of Agra Fair Trade Rally will be described with photographs in the form of additional reports.

TARA TEAM