Pics: Rajesh Shetty

Mangalore Nov 8 (DHNS): What is called the Special Economic Zone (SEZ), in true sense, stands for Special Exploitation Zone and it is not in consonance with the spirit of democracy, said activist Medha Patkar.

Addressing the People's Audit of Mangalore SEZ on Sunday at Bajpe Church Hall, she said that unfortunately, with the SEZs, industries have ceased to be just industries, but they have grown into corporate giants influencing the policy making.

Stating that SEZ was leading worst of disparity between land and humanity, she said the Government has to realise that rehabilitation does not mean mere shifting of houses but it is much more than that. "The rehabilitation policy is, in true sense, destitutionalising, marginalising and cultural uprooting of the displaced families," she said. She called upon the public to stand united and oppose the MSEZL in Phase II even if it gets through Phase I due to grafting and corrupt politics.

On political will power to safeguard agriculture, which she termed ‘true desi culture,' Patkar said, the SEZ notification was first brought in by the NDA government which was followed by Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh and the CPM in West Bengal. Finally, the UPA brought in the SEZ Act in 2005. Activist Aruna Roy said that the right to property of a poor person is equal to that of the President of India but what has happened in the proposed SEZ areas is sheer violation of human rights. Audit of Government and its policy by the people is the real democracy, Aruna Roy said.

'MSEZ officials used deceptive tactics to acquire fertile land'

Karavali Karnataka Janabhivridhi Vedike (KKJV), Krishi Bhoomi Samrakshana Samiti organised ‘The People's Audit of Mangalore SEZ' at Bajpe church hall on Sunday.

The project displaced families of MRPL and I Phase of MSEZ kept forth their experiences of life in the rehabilitation colony and the process of being evicted from their own lands respectively.  The families living in the proposed II Phase of MSEZ spoke about the iron handed approach of the MSEZ officials and the deceptive tactics used by them to acquire their fertile agricultural land. The MRPL project displaced families narrating how they have been leading a helpless life in the colony said that though the company had promised to give them employment, they have not been employed yet leaving them struggle for livelihood.

Dinesh Kulal one of the victims said that whenever he had tried to speak about the problems faced by the MRPL project displaced families to elected representatives, they have always said that it is a closed chapter which does not need to be spoken about.

Responding to this, panelist Economic and Political Weekly Editor Ram Manohar Reddy said that these stories of the project displaced families only make citizens question if they are living in a democracy, and is there anything called human rights in India and is the government run by industrialists.

He said that when an elected representative says that ‘the chapter is closed' it means that his chapter is closed and not the chapter of the people.

Faulty reports

Hema Swaminathan from IIM Bangalore explained to the panelist how MSEZ had gone ahead vesting the responsibility of socio-economic assessment to one of the local colleges and how they managed to get a fabricated report as per their will and wish.

Panelist former Union secretary for power EAS Sarma said that the greatest fallacy here is that the developer funds the studies and hence the developer always has the scope to manipulate and mend the study.

"Black list the consultant who do study to satisfy the developer," he said.
IIM Bangalore Dean, Board Member Trilochan Sastry, Centre for Gandhian Studies Director D Jeevan Kumar, Petronet India Ltd Mangaing Director Anand Teltumbde, School of Planning and Architecture Urban Design HoD K T Ravindran, Journalist Kalpana Sharma, veteran journalist Nagesh Hegde and writer Vaidehi were the other panelists.

Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan and National Campaign of People's Right to Information founder member Aruna Roy and Narmada Bacho Andolan founder member Medha Patkar were the observers.