The People's Health Movement....(2)
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I too had a number of points about the experience of the PHM in
2000-5. But the extensive analysis in your previous message left
me dumbfounded. I agree fully with what is said. I am glad that
these views come on the eve of PHA-II. It has been very tought-
ful of our Latin American colleagues to have thought about it as
a follow-up of the Savar Assembly. I will merely comment on the
'Movement' aspects of the PHM.
1. There is virtually no 'people's movement' in East Asia (in-
cluding the giant China), South-East Asia, Central Asia, Africa
and most of Latin America.
2. In South Asia too, even if it is considered to have a health
movement, has had little impact on countries like Pakistan, Ne-
pal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
3. In India, even if one has reservations of calling it a 'peo-
ple's movement' the Jan Swasthya Andolan/PHM-India can claim
credit for launching movements in such crucial fields as the
population control programme, working with the Indian Human
Rights Commission to fight for health as a human right and more
recently, the controversial case of launching of National Rural
Health Mission by the government of India.
4. Obviously, our comrades from the rich countries are very much
a part of the PHM. However, they being more resourceful, ought
not to give them an unfair advantage in influencing the PHM.
4a. Their participation in the fight against oppression and in-
justice in poor countries is most welcome. However, they should
be ever vigilant against starting to pontificate (without proper
knowledge) and 'save the wretched heathens from their doom'.
4b. They have their own poor in their countries to organise PHM,
as was done by the March of the Poor in the US.
Ending with my response, I suggest that you think of writing a
more detailed account on PHM for publication in a learned jour-
nal.
With regards,
Debabar Banerji