Resistance to ‘corporate corridorisation of India’ intensifies

"Overnight, the government declares home and fields of an adivasi or a farmer part of an industrial corridor. Even after days and months no one comes to visit her/his home or village and s/he is left to wonder who is deciding her/his fate, without even seeking consent," Medha Patkar of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) told a two-day national convention against "corporate corridorisation of India", in Delhi. "This is the experience of so many living within the influence zone of the Delhi-Mumbai or Amritsar-Kolkata industrial corridors," she said.

The convention on the web of industrial corridors in the country and the huge socio-economic and political fallouts of these projects,  was joined by activists and experts from 15 states engaged in struggle or study of corridors for more than five years now. It was jointly organised by National Alliance of People’s Movements, Indian Community Activist Network (ICAN), Sarvahara Jan Andolan, Jan Sangharsh Samanvay Samiti, Mines, Minerals &  People and Delhi Solidarity Group.

"How can the fate of people in this country be decided without ever consulting them in the name of larger public good?" Patkar asked. She called the planning of the web of industrial corridors "an undemocratic ploy to take away sovereign rights of people and public institutions."

Ulka Mahajan, of the Sarvhara Jan Andolan, Raigad, pointed out how even though notifications for acquisition of 67,000 acres of land from 78 villages were issued for the development of the Dighi industrial port area, no one had a project plan in hand to share with affected communities. "Despite complete opacity over projects proposed, investments or industries expected, notifications were issued. Under the circumstances, this seems like a ploy to loot land and displace huge populations without any thought for real issues." Calling out projects like Dighe real estate projects, about which there is no clarity even among planners, she wondered why there was such a hurry to destroy land, water, forests and an entire ecosystem.

Others like Anil Chaudhary of Jan Sangharsh Samanvay Samiti called it “the financialisation of economy in favour of big corporations, facilitated by the government with active help from the governments of Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, UK, Germany, US or other developed countries who are exploring the possibilities for expansion of their own corporations.”

Sagar Rabari of Gujarat Khedut Mazdoor Samaj said: "We have forged alliances with all caste groups and cut across the traditional boundaries of the trade unions and farmers to oppose the corporate loot of the natural resources in name of development, and we have had successes in challenging the Dholera SIR or Mandala Bechara SIR or other projects. Since they are completely undemocratic, anti-people and a real estate project which will destroy the livelihoods of the people, without offering them anything in return. Contrary to the image that land acquisition in Gujarat is easy, we would say that it is one of the most difficult places to acquire land in the country. Likewise, as against the claims of creation of jobs, Gujarat, despite numerous SEZs in the past decade has created the fewest jobs. This exposes how as against displacement of lakhs of people, jobs created are very, very few. Experiences of the state governments changing land laws, labour laws, environmental laws to help corporates were shared by activists who pointed out how this was in complete violation of central laws and constitutionally untenable, saying most of this needs to be challenged in courts.” 

The development of the corridors, as of now five, including the Vizag–Chennai, Chennai–Bangalore and Mumbai-Bangalore corridors, together have an influence area covering 50% of the land area. Pointing out how together with the Sagarmala, Bharat Mala projects, the industrial corridors are a massive infrastructure plan, activists asked whether the country has natural resources to support this massive development plan and whether any comprehensive social and environmental impact assessment was conducted. "Have we even looked at the fact that what will happen to the millions of people dependent on the natural resources, farmers, adivasis, fishing communities, artisans, pastoralists?" Patkar asked at the convention.

These questions along with the accountability of our own elected governments were also discussed. Activists from DMIC and AKIC pointed out how sarpanches, MLAs and often even MPs were in the dark about these projects. "These projects and plans are being prepared by consultants and are to be implemented by Special Purpose Vehicles and Specially Appointed Authorities overriding powers of the Gram Sabha, Gram Panchayat or Municipalities and Municipal Corporations. The complete governance structure is being privatised at the moment, in the name of development," averred Mahajan.

The convention has demanded, a parliamentary oversight over the loan agreements signed by the government with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), World Bank, Asian Development Bank and other financial institutions. "Voluntarily all agreements, projects, plans, feasibility studies and every document related to the corridors must be in the public domain, as per Section 4 of the RTI Act," said a statement released post-convention, which added, "The Parliamentary Standing Committee studying the industrial corridor policy framework must meet and respond to groups who have approached for a hearing. In addition, they must go out and meet the areas demarcated as being part of the industrial corridors."

It was also demanded that "the anti-democratic and unconstitutional changes to labour and land laws brought in by the Rajasthan and Gujarat government be withdrawn and President must not give assent to those."

The convention ended with the formation of a nationwide committee which will undertake the work of reaching out to other groups, conduct researches, workshops, plan actions and inform a wider population about these projects and the impacts it might have. In the next five months, a wide campaigning will be done across the nation under the banner of “Corridor Virodhi Sangharsh Abhiyaan” and will decide about the national platform in the month of October 2016. Towards the end of the year, a nation-wide yatra would be undertaken and this would be preceded by a series of regional meetings.