round table on SEZ (Dec2006

ROUND TABLE on SEZ ( 6 Dec 2006)

Concerned citizens and citizens’ organizations representing various sections of society today unanimously expressed their concerns about the implications of having foreign enclaves within local territory in the guise of special economic zones. The meeting saw the convergence of concerns of various organizations including the Tribes of Goa, Bailancho Saad, Alternatives, Peaceful Society, PMCA (People’s Movement for Civil Action), Goa People’s Forum, AITUC (All India Trade Union Congress), CITU, NTUI (New Trade Union Initiative), Goa Can, Goa Heritage Action Group, Mundkar-Tenants’ Association, Association of Componentes of Communidades, Save Goa University Forum, Positive People, Council for Social Justice and Peace, Goa Foundation, Prerana Foundation, Citizens’ Initiatives for Communal Harmony, Marg, Rashtriya Seva Dal and affected or concerned citizens from different parts of Goa. MLA Matanhy Saldanha also participated

Adv. Albertina Almeida, the Convenor of the Round Table on SEZs pointed out that the purpose of convening the round table was to develop an informed strategy on SEZs after giving an ear to the various concerns expressed. Adv. Norma Alvares remarked that the SEZs having been conceptualized to attract foreign direct investments, the single window clearance was nothing but an eye-wash to facilitate the investors to get around even the minimal labour laws and environmental laws that would continue to be applicable.She cautioned against the large revenue give-away and the oasis of development that SEZs would create in the deserts of poverty.

Dr. Buqui Desai representing the Save Goa University Forum and Mr. Soter D’Souza gave a detailed account of the land grab for IT Parks, which are another form of Special Economic Zones, in their respective areas of Taleigao and Socorro and the disregard for the natural resources, wild life and for the education system. They raised pertinent issues of how SEZs like IT parks change the entire face of land use pattern and how draconian land acquisition laws are ruthlessly used to trample on people’s rights. Edwin Correia, an affected NRI from Cortalim gave testimony of how he and other citizens of Cortalim were being dispossessed of their lands. Mr. Antonio Francisco Fernandes of Tribes of Goa, expressed his poignant concerns that the tribal people were always taken for granted by successive Governments with tall promises which were almost always never honoured and the same thing was now repeating itself in a larger way with SEZs taking shape. Mr. Nelson Fernandes, ex-Sarpanch of Cansaulim wondered what would happen to the already diminishing basic utilities services like water and electricity supply when SEZ’s come in.

Cyril Fernandes of New Trade Union Initiative expressed concerns about the violations of labour rights with no trade unions, and no social security registration in SEZs and the move from insecurity to bonded labour, with women workers bearing the double brunt. Thalmann Pereira of CITU and John Clarke from AITUC also expressed their concerns against SEZs. Mr. Narayan Naik of Mundkar-Tenants’ Association also shared concerns about the loss of people’s livelihoods while carrots were being dangled at them and stressed the need for demystifying what special economic zones stand for before the people are engulfed by them. Adv. Ganesh Kubal of the Farmers’ AgroIndustrial Society of Goa wondered how why farmers were not getting support to sustain their farming while SEZs were going to get priority infrastructure support.

Mr. Ranjan Solomon of Alternatives sought to highlight the revenue losses and the threat to the very fabric of democracy through the establishment of special economic zones. Mr. Rahul Goswami, a policy analyst, expressed that with the coming of SEZs, business was being discouraged from assuming their social responsibility and expressed concerns about the implications of SEZs for local people’s right to trade. Mr. Goswami remarked that a spate of policies like SEZ Policy, Industrial Policy, Biotech policy, Infotech Policy cannot be a substitute for visionary economic planning.

Mr. Roland Martins of GoaCan warned about the systematic sabotage that was happening of the local self-government institutions like Panchayats and Municipalities stating that the SEZs were riding on this sabotage. Adv. Andre Pereira of the Association of Componentes of Communidades also exposed a similar erosion happening with another centuries-old system of governance of communidades and illustrated how the Government was singling out communidade lands for SEZs in flagrant disregard of the communidade code. Ms. Patricia Pinto pointed to the total absence of consultative processes in the planning processes with illustration of the processes towards the present Regional Plan. Ms. Rifat Mumtaz of NCAS shared the information documented by them of struggles against SEZs in the rest of the country. Mr. Reggie Gomes pointed out the need for action at local, national and international levels given that sezs were part of the larger phenomena of globalisation. MLA Matanhy Saldanha punctured the employment pretext on which the Government was trying to destroy Goa, stating that even the employment purpose was not being served through SEZs as against the massive dispossession that was happening.

At the end of the meeting, a People’s Goa SEZ Watch Group was formed which would co-ordinate the strategy around SEZs while also joining forces with the Save Goa Front on the links between SEZs and regional planning and with the country-wide anti-SEZ movement.


(Albertina Almeida)
Convenor
Round Table on SEZ