Shabana opposes ULC Act repeal

Mumbai, May 23 (UNI) Actress Shabana Azmi today said she opposed to proposed decision of the Maharashtra Government to repeal the Urban Land Ceiling (ULC) Act.

Speaking at the release of the Amnesty International Report 2007, Ms Azmi said the state government had not repealed the ULC over the last many years. But now the pressure of the Centre is growing and it has taken such a decision, she said.

''I strongly oppose it. Reservation of land for the economically weaker sections of the society was a must. If the Government did not have land with itself, where would the poor go. There can be no economic progress by uprooting the poor from their present habitat.

There is an unrest over SEZ in the country because there is no proper rehabilitation policy in place,'' she felt.

Ms Azmi said rehabilitation should be part of the land acquisition policy. ''Progress of few cannot take place at the cost of many. If I am giving away my home and land for development, I should be the first beneficiary of the progress,'' she said.

Noting that the issue of slum proliferation in cities cannot stop by just demolishing them, Ms Azmi said 60 per cent of the people in Mumbai lived in slums spread over 13 per cent of the total area of the city.

''Demolition of slums will further worsen the problem if the issue is not handled in a humane way. Its impact can be felt on women, children rights and their health,'' she said.

She felt the need for NGOs and organisations like Amnesty International to create awareness among people about their work and make the Government take note of their suggestions and recommendations. These organisations also need to be alert and aware to what is happening around them.

Ms Azmi said India had a good network of human rights organisations, but there were some shortfalls. ''Perpetrators of violence in Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir go scot free and it is a matter of pain,'' she said.

She also opposed the demand of death penalty for rapists.

''Capital punishment is a barbaric act. Crime will not end with death penalty, but with conviction,'' she added.

UNI