Are SEZs islands of comfort for the rich and powerful?

Special Correspondent

PUCL-K holds seminar on changes in land ownership

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A new form of colonisation, says Ravivarma Kumar
Government contradicting itself: Lakshmipathi Kolara
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Bangalore: A slew of projects being promoted by the Government such as
the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and townships strike at the root of
the Constitutional guarantee of social and economic equality by creating
"isolated islands of comfort" for the rich and powerful, said former
Karnataka Backward Classes Commission Chairperson Ravivarma Kumar.

Speaking at a seminar on "Current Changes in Land Ownership in
Karnataka" organised by People's Union for Civil Liberties-Karnataka
(PUCL-K) here on Tuesday, he said SEZs, being promoted in the name of
creating new jobs, were in reality depriving people of the existing
means of livelihood.

"This is a new form of colonisation," said Mr. Kumar. The sorry state of
people uprooted by grand projects of the past, such as the Project
Seabird at Karwar, were proof of the failure of the rehabilitation
packages, he said.

"How can one set of people be rendered landless to provide more lands to
the rich, with the bonus of tax holidays and free resources?" he asked.

Activist Shivasundar said that concessions given to SEZs far outweighed
the claims of investment and employment generation. Citing Reserve Bank
of India statistics, he said that Rs. 1,75,000 crore concessions were
being given to SEZs in India, as against an investment of Rs. 1,00,000
crore.

The industries coming up in SEZs were technology-intensive and did not
create jobs to justify the concessions, he said. SEZs, which the
Government has declared "deemed foreign territory for all trade and
other commercial purposes", mark the loss of sovereignty of a nation,
said Mr. Shivasundar.

Writer Lakshmipathi Kolara said that the Government, which was on the
one hand making announcements about waiving farmers' loans, was
contradicting itself by welcoming projects that uproot farmers on the
other.

In the State, 32,000 acres of agricultural land was being acquired for
SEZs, which would affect 1.12 lakh farmers and agricultural labourers in
148 villages. Not one farmers' representative was on any Greater
Bangalore committees, he added.

R.P. Chandrashekhar's book "Abhivriddiya Kodalige Okkalutanada Koralu"
was released on the occasion. Various Dalit and farmers' representatives
participated in the seminar.

Apprehensions

The seminar saw farmers' representatives voicing their apprehensions
about loss of livelihood because of SEZs and townships. "Educated boys
and girls in our villages have jobs. They are now taking away what we
have. They are talking of giving new jobs. But to whom?" Appiah of Malur
taluk said and added "This is nothing short of legal robbery."

Gautam of Bairamangala said that one factor that was "pushing farmers to
the lap of land sharks" was the absence of market for their produce. "We
grow sugarcane in Bidadi but we do not have a steady market to sell," he
said.

Haidar Baig from Hoskote said that there was a nexus between politicians
and business interests in the formation of SEZs.

The lands of influential politicians had been marked out of SEZs areas,
while most small farmers lost their lands, he said.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/01/31/stories/2007013102530400.htm