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Serious agrarian unrest building up |
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With no let up in suicides by farmers across the country because of indebtedness and anger over acquisition of their land for setting up Special Economic Zones, SEZs, a situation is building up where several parts of the country may face agrarian unrest. The farmers are agitated at what they consider inadequate compensation for the land forcibly acquired from them by the government for handing over to private companies setting up the SEZs. They are raising the issue of why the government should acquire land on behalf of private companies when it is a votary of free enterprise. In their view it would be better for the companies to directly negotiate with the farmers and pay the price they want for their land. There are indications that the government and the political parties are finally making up to the farmers’ plight and taking a re-look at the policy of encouraging SEZs.
The latest flashpoint is Raigad in Maharashtra where the government is planning to acquire 10,000 hectares of land in 45 villages for the setting up of Special Economic Zones by the Reliance group of companies. Agitated over the move, farmers say that they will not accept it lying down. “We will commit hatya (murder), not atmahatya (suicide) like Vidarbha farmers,” said Jawant Madvi of Vashi village in Pen taluk in Raigarh district. Other farmers nodded in assent.
For two decades, farmers have been fighting for water from the Hetawane dam. Instead of the promised water, they have been offered a Sepcial Economic Zone. There are 52 villages in the command area of the Hetawane project, proposed in 1980 to irrigate about 5,750 hectares, and provide drinking water.
In over 20 of these 52 villages, the Government has served land acquisition notices. However, according to law, this is illegal. “There is a law that once land falls in the command area of an irrigation project, it cannot be used for any other purpose.” Most of the 1,200 farmers who have got notices for the SEZ, have opposed land acquisition.
In this area, most of the people are small and marginal farmers and about 30 per cent of them are landless. “The SEZ cannot give us jobs; we don’t have the skills or education. Finally, we will be displaced,” says Mhatre, a Gandhian. Surekha Dalvi of the Shramik Kranti Sanghatana, who has been helping farmers with information on SEZ, said. “This is a green zone according to the Raigad development plan which will be effective till 2011. Why is the government ignoring these existing development plans and going ahead with the SEZ in violation of law,” she asks.
Maharashtra has 48 of the 220 SEZs approved by the Union Government.
In the wake of the opposition, the State Government says that it wants to strike a balance between farmers' interests and industrial development. However, land acquisition proceedings are on; already, one of the three officers for the project has started hearing objections from the people in Pen taluka (district consist of many talukas or administrative units). “We are planning the Mumbai SEZ in such a way that it will be a world class city, which will ease the pressure on Mumbai. There is no question of displacement, and the Government will lease the land to us," a Reliance spokesperson said.
Sonia’s remarks trigger course correction : Sonia Gandhi’s remarks on the problems of farmers and the setting up of SEZs have set off a course correction over SEZs. Different ministries are now moving to quell the concern over SEZs gobbling up agriculture land with little benefit for farmers.
The Rural Development Ministry is examining whether the Land Acquisition Act can be amended to include a provision that would make it mandatory for the beneficiaries to develop wasteland in exchange for allocation of farm land. Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said that such a plan is under consideration.
Commerce Minister Kamal Nath said that the Centre has directed state governments to ensure that prime agricultural land is not given to SEZs. He said on Monday, September 25, land being a State subject, his Ministry had written to the States urging them not to get into land acquisition for private players. Speaking on the sidelines of a conference organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in New Delhi, the Minister said he totally agreed with Congress president Sonia Gandhi that good farmland should not be diverted for industrial purposes. Wherever possible, SEZs should come up on wasteland or on not very good farmland. The Board of Approvals decided that proposals for setting up SEZs on prime agricultural land would not be cleared.
CPI(M) for changes in SEZ Act : Ignoring criticism of the land acquisition for various projects in West Bengal, the CPI(M) has sought to promote what it called the Bengal SEZ model. Speaking at a meeting of the party’s Central Committee on Tuesday, September 26, general secretary Prakash Karat said there is need to amend the SEZ Act to protect the rights of farmers and farm labourers. He suggested the West Bengal model which stipulates that 50 per cent land acquired should be used for industries, 25 per cent for infrastructure and the remaining for other purposes. Under the Central scheme, only 25 per cent land is kept for industrial use while the rest can be used for export promotion and other purposes.
Addressing a press conference at the end of the three-day Central Committee meet, Prakash Karat said indiscriminate approvals for SEZs had serious implications for agriculture, food security, the interests of farmers, and economic sovereignty. The interests of agricultural workers, who were dependent on the land, had not been taken into account.
Adequate steps to compensate and rehabilitate those displaced must be taken, the party said, and suggested suitable amendment of the Land Acquisition Act. The SEZs, the party emphasised, should be set up only with the approval of the State Governments.
The Central Committee authorised the Politbureau to evolve a comprehensive stand on the issue, and mobilise support from other political parties for amendments and changes. Karat said the party would get in touch with other parties on the issue.
CITU opposes Bengal model : While the CPI(M) is promoting the West Bengal model of SEZs, its trade union wing, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) said that it found the State formula too compromising. CITU general secretary Chittabrata Majumdar said that promoters should not be allowed to use farm land acquired by the government for real estate business.
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