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.

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