Tens of thousands of small retailers protested against FDI in Retail and FTA under the banner of Bhartiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal. More than 10,000 traders from Kerala belonging to the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi led from the front. Protestors were arrested by the Parliament Street Police Station.

Click for Press Release

News Coverage of the event.

The Economic Times

Times of India

ACORN music project that works with kids from Mumbai’s Slums to help them see a life beyond their harsh conditions is featured in the Feb 10th edition of People Magazine in India as a featured “People Hero.”

Please click to view article, From Rags to Raagas

Bangalore ~ The vendors and farmers of the K.R.Puram market took a protest march from the market to the State BJP unit to submit a memorandum to Mr. K.S. Eashwarappa the BJP State president on the 17th of Dec. The members of Akhila Karnataka Raitharu mattu vyaparigala sangha vendors and farmers of the K.R.Puram market assembled at the market with gunny bag dress started the protest march at 9.30 AM. The march after covering the streets of K.R.Puram, took the Old madras road to reach the BJP state party office at 2.00 PM covering a distance of 30 KM. The media covered the march all along the route. Mr Vice president BJP State unit and President BJP BBMP unit received the memorandum and assured to look into the issue and get back to us with in a weeks time.

Weekly meetings at lingarajapuram, Mahadevapura and Ambedkar Nagar were held.

In Hebbal 6 meetings were held. The street vendors met the local Police Inspector to urge him to look in to the police constables harassing them for Haftha. The vendors got registered as Akhila Karnataka raithara mathu vyaparigala sahnga – Hebbal. The vendors also decided that they will contribute money to open a office in Hebbal. It was also decided that there will be some demonstration to urge the government to implement the National Hawkers policy.

In Yelahanka New town I had 1 meeting with the traders in yelahanka New town traders association.

Two meeting with the shivajinagar vendors was held. The vendors discussed about pressurizing the government to implement the National Hawkers policy in the state.

In K.R. Puram 8 meetings was held. On 17^th Dec, the vendors took a protest march from the market to the State BJP unit to submit a memorandum to Mr. K.S. Eshwarappa the BJP State president. The vendors wore the gunny bags (bags used to packaging the vegetables and food grains for the purpose of transportation) as the dress and participated in the march. The memorandum was submitted to Mr. Nirmal Kumar Surana, Vice president BJP State unit and Subbaniah, President BJP BBMP unit received the memorandum and assured to look into the issue and get back to us with in a weeks time. The vendors walked a distance of 30 KM from the market at 9.00 Am to reach the party office at around 2.00 PM. On 18^th and 19^th of Dec, we had a meeting at the Local MLA’s house which the MAL had called and assured the vendors that the market will not be demolished and the commercial complex will not be built. Along with this he convened a press meet and clarified the press about the action taken in response of the protest. The thashildar along with officials of the BBMP, and other officials were present. He also assured the vendors that the facilities at the market place like toilet, drinking water will be provided. In the following meetings it was decided that the vendors will protest to get the National Hawkers policy implemented at the earliest.

I had a meeting with the farmers and the vendors in Hoskote. Here also the discussion was on putting pressure on the government to implement the National hawker’s policy.

Photos from the BJP Protest December 17th, 2011

If you want to provide community service and even better can get credit or fulfill a requirement, ACORN International would love to be the place for you! Here are a couple of programs that are breaking ground with us already – get in touch right away if you’d like to add your school to the list.

George Brown College – Toronto: “George Brown College- School of Social and Community Services- Students seeking a Diploma in the Social or Community Services fields are able to take advantage of placement opportunities with ACORN International. Students will help with research, outreach and various other aspects of campaigns that ACORN is supporting.”

York University – School of Social Work – Toronto York has approved ACORN International as a placement location for students seeking either a Bachelor in Social Work (BSW) or a Masters in Social Work (MSW) beginning the 2011-2012 school years. Students would help on outreach, communication, and research working with various immigrant communities in Toronto on the Remittance Justice Campaign.

Georgia State University School of Social Work – Atlanta A similar set of placements is being organized in a partnership between GSU in Atlanta and ACORN International on communities in Georgia.

Tufts University – EPIIC Program — Boston Beginning in 2008 we inaugurated a partnership offering opportunities for internships through the program with ACORN International as part of the global studies program at Tufts. One student spent the summer working as an organizer and research with ACORN India in Mumbai.

Brad Rockwell is a seasoned environmental lawyer based in Austin, Texas. His firm has a sabbatical program. We were delighted when he approached ACORN International about spending two months with us in what turned out to be a great experience for him and for ACORN India in early 2011 when he spend the time in Delhi helping on everything from the India FDI Watch Campaign to the ITO communities dislocation which our Commonwealth Games Campaign had not been able to stop.