As a first step to hold the government accountable and to support a transparent process for the consideration of amendments to the Patents Act, public interest groups are organising a People's Convention on the Patent (Amendment) Bill in all major cities of the country. The meeting in Mumbai is to be held on November 30th at Dhuru Hall, Dadar Sarvajanik Vachanalaya Building, Dadar (West).

According to the organisers, the Patent (Amendment) Bill totally ignores the flexibility available within the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and compromises accessibility and availability of medicines, agro-chemicals, seeds, pesticides, etc. It will undermine farmers' rights to have affordable seeds and citizens' rights to have affordable food, since both plants and genetic material are now patentable subject matters. "High costs of seeds have already pushed thousands of Indian farmers to suicides. The Bill proposed by the government will deepen the agrarian crisis and destroy India's food security," they bemoan.

The Third Patent Amendment Bill (Bill) is to be tabled in the parliament during the winter session. "The Bill in its present form seriously compromises the accessibility and availability of medicines, two important components of the right to health. Public Interest Groups working on health, food security and farmers' rights are gravely concerned that India, through the Bill, will trade away from its right to protect the public health who need access to low-cost, quality generic medicines. It will also compromise the food security of the country," the organisers said.

The protestors feel that the government of India, being a signatory to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the 'Doha Declaration' (November 2001) on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, should (is obliged to) implement the TRIPS Agreement in a manner, which is supportive to facilitate access to medicines for all.

The speakers at the meeting at Mumbai are Anand Grover (Director, Lawyers Collective HIV/AIDS Unit), Raghav Narsalay, (Focus on Global South), Dr. Sanjay Nagral (Jana Swasthya Abiyaan, Mumbai), Dr. Purvish Parikh (Dept. of Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital) and representatives from health groups and trade unions.

The convention is organised by the Affordable Medicines and Treatment Campaign (AMTC), Focus on the Global South, Mumbai, Jan Swasthiya Abhiyaan, Mumbai Chapter, Lawyers Collective HIV/AIDS Unit, National Alliance of Peoples Movements, Mumbai and Mumbai Grahak Panchayat.