[Reader-list] Please Endorse: Statement on Smartcity SEZ, Kerala

[Anivar Aravind]

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Dear Friends,

I Request you to sent the endorsements to anivar at movingrepublic.org
before 10th June 2007 You can also Endorse by Leaving a comment at
http://smartsez.movingrepublic.org/statement-on-smartcity-sez-cochin-kerala/
. For More details on The Project You can call on Following Numbers

C.K Raju +91 9446230270
Johnson +91 9447019546
Dileep raj +91 9447316701
Anivar Aravind +91 9446545336


Anivar


Statement on Smartcity SEZ, Kerala
==================================

The Smart City project in Kerala is yet another example of the way in
which unjust economic development is being pushed as part of
globalisation. We are particularly concerned that a Left government
elected to power in Kerala on a mandate of questioning the infirmities
of globalisation is now firmly on the same path – be it the approval for
Smart City or the acceptance of ADB loans with all the attendant
conditionalities. The Left is particularly open to criticism because it
is exploiting the provisions of the anti-people SEZ Act (2006) to push
neo-liberal reforms in places like Kerala while opposing land
acquisition via the SEZ Act in every other state. We specifically oppose
the Smart City project on the following grounds, and appeal to the
Kerala Government to reconsider its decision to grant approval to this
project.

1. By granting approval to the Smart City project – an IT/ITES-based SEZ
near Kochi, the Government is deliberately making development a vertical
process - by focusing and investing on a sector that by itself is the
wealthiest. This is a deviation from a socialist ideology, whereby
development is conceived to be a horizontal process, through which all
sections of society can benefit.

2. Citizens in Kerala have been kept in the dark about the fact that
Smart City is an SEZ. Besides not being transparent, the government has
also allowed itself to be anti-democratic by:

(a) not allowing a debate to be raised on the issue where citizens
finally get to know the pros and cons and

(b) not allowing the citizens to decide on the issue - which has far
reaching consequences for all the citizens in the state.

3. The state in this case has acted on behalf of private capital against
the general good of all people. This goes against its constitutional
obligation to safeguard interests of all citizens.

4. Wealth creation in the information technology sector is not merely
accumulation of labour. Its also based on  exploiting international
draconian legal framework of patents and intellectual property rights -
whereby revenue is generated multiple times from a single labour. There
is no case for such activity to receive public financial subsidies. We
see no reason why the Smart City SEZ in Kerala has been granted sops of
a 10 year tax-holiday and concessions in other forms of tax.

 5. Smart City SEZ in Kerala is labelled an IT infrastructure project -
a sector which cannot just grow with provision of exclusive space,
because of its strong inter-linkages and connections with other sectors
of economy. This will lead to unevenness in development of
infrastructure and economic growth. In a society that is already
witnessing the ill-effects of uneven development – with the highest
reported suicide rate in the country – such projects that create
enclaves of "prosperity" are against public interest.

6. The Government claim of "new opportunities" in the context is hollow
as the project claims to create only 9000 new jobs per year for ten
years. In a state that produces nearly 9 lakhs youth every year with
training in software seeking jobs in the sector, such a paltry job
creator does not deserve the support and hype that the Government has
been offering.

7. The creation of Smart City as an SEZ is against the interest of the
working class in Kerala. The rights of workers won over years of
struggle – to unionise; for an 8-hour day; for tenured employment; for
democracy at the workplace – all stand to be denied within the borders
of the SEZ as these rights can be suspended by government fiat. In the
long run this weakening of workers' rights will not remain confined to
the borders of the SEZ.

 In the context, we, the undersigned, resolve to oppose the Smart City,
 an SEZ project in Kochi and demand that the Kerala Government
immediately repeal the permission given to the project.

Ashim Roy, NTUI
Sandeep Pandey, Asha Parivar/NAPM
Hari Sharma, SANSAD
Medha patkar, NAPM/ Sangharsh 2007
Satya Sivaraman, journalist
Faizal Khan, Asha Parivar/NAPM
Sumit Choudhary, Kolkotta
Bolan Gangabodhyay, Kolkotta
Manohar Monli Biswas, BDSS
Ashok Debray, Kolkotta
Manoranjan Mahato, Jharkand Mukthi Morcha
Harsh Dobhal, Combat law, HRLN
Deepti D'sosa, HRLN
Meena Menon, Focus on Global South, Mumbai
Nilanjana Biswas, Bangalore
Mdr Nagesh, J.P foundation
Vaskar Nandy PCC-CPI(ML)
Tapon Chakravarty, SJP
Farid Ali, All india Minority forum
Sirish Agarwal, AID maryland
Sukakman Burman, SC, ST, OBC Development Society
Sabyasachi Deb
Diana Katyan
Balu doori Mondal, WB Krishak Sangha
kazi Mohd, Peoples Democratic Conference of India
Surasri Chaudhury, College Lecturer Kolkotta
G.N. Saiba, Revolutionary Democratic Front(RDF)
Rupesh Kumar, Youth for Social Change
Aditi Choudhary
Michele Kelly
Sumit Sinha, Bhumi hecked Prathirodh Samiti- Nandigram
Shyamali Klastgir, artist, Kolkotta
Samar Bagchi, Science & environment Activist, Kolkotta
Chandan Sen Gupta, PCCCPI(ML), Assam
Bipul Hazarika, PCCCPI(ML), Assam
Pradh Sarkar, Nipirita Jatigosth Satmanay Samitee, Barakvalley, Assam
Biswajit Das, CHORUS, SILCHAR, Kolkotta
sandip Bandopodhyay, writer, kolkotta
Willfred D, INSAF
Rachana, Bhopal Group for Information & Actions
Sunita Furman, Danish Books
Jerry Dolly, Youth for Social Change
Lakshmi. P, Youth for Social Change
Meghna Sukumar, Youth for Social Change
Satimath Sarangi, Bhopal Group for Information & Actions
Rabin Chakrobarty, Kolkotta
Tarun Basu, Freelancer
Jishnu das Gupta, Students Consolidation Platform
Dr. Tamonash Bhatacharya, Kolkotta
Sampat kale, NCAS Pune
Shakhyayan Chowdhary, Film Student,
Aishee Sengupta, Student of Law
Samir Sinha, PCCPIML
Anir Bhattacharya, Akineham Patrika
Upal Chakrobarti, Student, Kolkotta
Tarisha Deb, Student, Kolkotta
Soumitra Bose, CPI(ML)
Sanjay Ghosal, Student, Kolkotta
Pintu Roy, Student, Kolkotta
Prosun Chatopadhyay, RDF
V.Sreenivasan, PUCL, Tamilnadu
Benny Kuruvila, Focus on Global South, Mumbai
Anindo Banerjee, Praxis, Patna
D.Leena, independent researcher, Delhi
Pradeep Esteeves, Bangalore
Milap Choraria
Lenin, PVCHR







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