On March 23, around 500 members of the Mehdiganj community, near Varanasi in northern India, began an indefinite vigil against a Coca-Cola bottling plant. The protesters are vowing to maintain the vigil until the plant is permanently shut down, accusing Coca-Cola of creating severe water shortages and polluting the local environment. More than 20 villages have been affected by the water crisis and pollution has affected agricultural production and the health of local residents. The company has been found by the courts and local government authorities to have acquired land illegally and evaded taxes. The community has been protesting against the plant for almost five years. Another Coca-Cola bottling plant, in Plachimada, south India, has been shut down since early 2004 due to community opposition. Students at colleges and universities in Britain and the US have been campaigning for their campuses to cancel contracts with Coca-Cola until the demands of the Indian protesters are met. On January 1, the University of Michigan suspended its contract with the company. For more information, visit <http://www.IndiaResource.org>.

From Green Left Weekly, March 29, 2006.
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