Put up a united fight against SEZs: Medha Patkar

Mumbai, Jun 16 (UNI) Accusing the politicians and bureaucrats of favouring the corporate sector on the issue of setting up of the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Maharashtra, noted activist Medha Patkar today called for a united fight over the issue.

''The only solution is to unitedly protest forcefully against such a policy and making sure that politicians who backed SEZs were not elected in the forthcoming elections,'' Ms Patkar said here during a rally, organised to protest against the Maharshtra government's decision to set up an SEZ near Gorai.

Over 5,000 protestors had gathered in Uttan to join her at the public rally, organised by the Dharavi Beth (island) Bachav Samiti, along with activist organisations including the Catholic Secular Forum (CSF), besides others protesting against the SEZs.

Coming down heavily on the promoters and the state government, who are jointly developing the project, she said the SEZ policy was not just anti-environment or anti-people, but violated the very letter and spirit of the Constitution of India.

She said the basic idea was to cut the country into pieces and sell each off to the highest bidder, among the influential business houses in the country.

Ms Patkar said the founding fathers of the Constitution were clearly of the opinion that economic planning should aim at no concentration of economic wealth.

She went on to describe the double-speak of politicians, irrespective of their party affiliations, who passed the SEZ policy in Parliament, with little or no discussion, within a couple of days.

''On the one hand the government was wooing industrialists with the SEZ policy and on the other hand, it was fooling the voter saying that SEZs would come up only on barren land, which would not be acquired by force and in consulation with the locals,'' she said.

She also accused Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh of paying lip-service to public participation to stiffle opposition to SEZs, and added that Revenue Minister Narayan Rane was going ahead in implementing the policy, by initiating the process of land acquisition.

CSF general secretary Joseph Dias said the President A P J Abdul Kalam had forwarded their representation to state Chief Secretary Johny Joseph and they are awaiting a response from him.

He also stated that the issue would be taken up on various fronts -- legal, political, religious, government, economic, environmental and human rights.

By way of follow-up on the issue, CSF has also filed an affidavit with the state government and should there be no response, the organisation will organise a huge demonstration in the city next month, he added.

UNI