HimVani
Una: Lending weight to the National campaign against SEZs and ‘Corporate Land Grab’, the Matru Bhoomi Raksha Samiti, Gagret, organised a symbolic protest at Gagret where copies of the SEZ Act were burnt to demonstrate the rejection of this problematic piece of legislation. The Samiti has been struggling over the last two years against a proposed airport-based SEZ for which thousands of acres of land was to be acquired from farmers. Similar protest actions were also organised in other parts of the country by communities affected due by land acquisition for SEZs. The meeting at Gagret was also attended by senior members of Kisan Sabha, Kisan Sangh and Swadeshi Jagran Manch.
The SEZ Act was passed in the Upper House of the Parliament on 10th May 2005, without much debate and discussion, in a single day! Today, it has been five years since and in this period more than 600 SEZs have been formally approved to be established in the country.
