On Goa SEZ mega scam

The land in phase 4 of goa idc in verna was acquired with grants from central govt for indl growth. In the writ petition 263/08 filed by john philip and august monteiro against 5 SEZ'S in verna and the judgement & order dt 26/11/10 of the mumbai high court is a victory of the people over corruption. In the 11 petition filed in the high court the judgement clearly shows that instead of GIDC developing industries, has acted as a agent by alloting land to SEZ to bring mall, hotels etc causing 3^rd party rights since section 6 of the SEZ act states that even non processing activity are permitted to be set up in the SEZ area.

The decision to allot land to 4 SEZ was held on 19/4/06 in goa idc 's 287 board meeting without proper corum which had to be 5 members but only 4 members present namely

1) babu kawlekar chairman

2) alexio sequeira

3) nitin kunkolienkar

4) a.v palekar MD

AND THE LAND WAS ALLOTED IMMEDIATELY THE VERY NEXT DAY EVEN BEFORE sez POLICY WAS NOTIFIED ON 13/7/06.

In the process allotment of open spaces and internal road were alloted free of charge without the boards permission and later charged at rs 100/-sqmts.

The allotment was done without the direction of section 16 of goa idc act by only support of luizinho faleiro and pratapsingh rane then Cm which was totally illegal.The board also decided not to levy transfer fee sub lease, assignments charges and annual lease rent for SEZ was reduced from 2% to 0.5%.

Tenders were floated for roads which were already in possesion of SEZ at the cost of rs 1,82,30,826/-

In the course of judgement the IDC lawyer stated that since there were no takers for the land in phase 4 the same were alloted to SEZ. IDC did not make it public the availability of the said land and since there were no takers the sais land should have been returned to the original owners as it was acquired

by land acquisition act under urgency clause.

The CAG report was produced in court also confirmed what the petitioners were alleging . The allotment of land has caused more than 100 cr loss to the exchequer.

The house committee under the chairmanship of manohar parrikar has to take immediate further steps to inquire and call all concerned in the scam to depose before him, responsibility have to be fixed on the concerned authority including recovery of losses caused to the exchequer from the concerned person.

The SEZ scam is the mother of all scams in goa, similar to 2G scam at the centre and of the same magnitude.

Goa is systematically destroyed by mining, land acquisition of communidade land, destruction of paddy fields and forest, hill cutting and over exploitation of water through bore wells. The action demanded are,

1) appoint professionals on board of directors if IDC,

2) stop further land acquisition for industrial estates

3) area above certain limit should be auctioned for inds,

4) perceptive plan of development of industrial infrastructure

5) all lands alloted creating 3^rd party rights should be reverted to IDC including 20 pt programme in phase 4.

6) The present govt functionaries should resign on moral grounds

a) pratapsing rane

b) alexio sequeira

c) babu kawlekar

CBI investigation to be conducted and FIR filed on all guilty, also on board members who were present to confirm the minutes and on board members who remained absent for not protesting against the decision.

Petitioners

John philip pereira

august monteiro

Beginning with Dadu….

Half a century has passed since Indian Constitution is in operation. It has some very attractive characteristics of focus to be adopted by all the segments of Indian Society. The Constitutions’ resolve to construct India as Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic is very essence in a way it then unfolds though 395 articles, Twelve Schedules. In theory all these is meant to provide justice – social, economic and political; Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; Equality of status and opportunity; promotion of Fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the nation.

No doubt that this is one of the most amazing experiments in democracy in the World that has continued ever since adoption of Constitution on 26^th November 1949. Various dynamics of caste, class and religions has unfolded themselves in this complex matrix over the past half century. This amazing nature of transformation of various categories has been jostling with each other for something very powerful – expression and liberation of its people. Number of movements has gripped this country- movements are as varied and diverse from Telangana movement soon after Independence in 1940s to demand for separate Telangana State that has reached its boiling point in 2010. Peasants expressed loudly. People suppressed with aid of institutional violence of caste too have articulated remarkably. In fact Dr.Ambedkar who chaired the Constitutional Assembly that drafted the Constitution of Indian was dedicated advocate of liberation of suppressed castes. His dedicated efforts for the liberation of suppressed castes that came to be referred as Dalit, led to his sharp and sustained differences with Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.

The efforts and energy that went into the drafting and accepting the Constitution to India are huge and well known from the records available in constitutional debates. The next stage has been the working of the Constitution of India for the past over 60 years. Constitution of India by itself is huge step towards liberation of People of India in relative sense. Considering the complexity of the nation it has never been easy for constitution to come alive on its own without organized efforts from various sources; sometimes State agencies, sometimes public spirited organizations, and sometimes courageous individuals determined to put the words in the constitution in practice. The State as an agency bound by the Constitution of India often tended to transgress and indulge in violations of the Constitutional mandates including the Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of State Policy. The legal enforcements of Fundamental Rights has been left to judiciary particularly at higher levels that do not too often is accessible to the poor and the common people unless they are organized for political action for the purpose.

Power relations in society very often generate very strong currents that are counter to the spirit of the Constitution. There are several power relations that work simultaneously to thwart the spirit of the Constitution. Some of these worth listing:

Elite dominated Judiciary: there could not be any greater danger to the Constitution of India than from the elite dominated judiciary in India. Judiciary though very often has played very important role in society. However on very often when it tested on crucial points it has faltered to defend the spirit of Constitution. Indian Supreme Court’s decision to uphold curtailment of Article 21 (Right to life) by the Indian government of Indira Gandhi during emergency shall forever remain darkest moment in Indian democracy. The judgment was dissented on the sole judge Justice Khanna who refused to compromise the spirit of the Constitution and get bullied by the Indian Government under emergency. Another occasion wherein the judiciary has made travesty of justice is in when supreme court ruling couple of years ago deciding on British multinational corporate – Vedanta’s – mining interests on Niyamgiri hills that are life source for the adivasi people of the locality. Supreme Court bench not only let Vedanta carry on the mining in Niyamgiri Forests in Orissa but also urged Dongria adivasis to take share of profits from the mining company. Justice Chabaria even went on praising the mining company and declared in the open court that he owns the shares of the company! Compromises in judiciary in upholding the spirit of constitution is biggest threat to the Indian democracy facing today. Judges tend to toe the line of commercial interests and ruling governments. The problem is aggravated due to intolerance of criticism from any quarters. Power of contempt is invoked on anyone venturing to protest against the judicial verdicts and judges. Arundhati Roy was charged with contempt when she critiqued Judiciary’s view point of tribals and was forced to imprisonment for few days. This is a very unfortunate trend for India. Ruthless criticism of Indian judiciary is the need of the hour to further expand the liberative horizons. One can’t refrain from expressing deep appreciation for the Judiciary in Pakistan when the dictator General Parvez Musharaf tried to put his cronies as judges replacing unflinching Justice Iftikar Chowdury in the highest court in Pakistan. The agitation by Pakistan lawyers led by its Chief justice is one of the rarest and inspiring instances in recent South Asian history that successfully overthrow the dictator. Indian judiciary has so much to learn from its Pakistani counterpart. People of India must indulge in relentless criticism of its Judiciary and simultaneously be prepared to spend time in jail when charged with contempt. These levels of efforts are a need of the hour in the present juncture of our times. At deep and subtle level question arises: can Indian Judiciary remain free from Caste and Class alignments of power relations?

Disorganized citizenry: It is not enough that India has one of the best Constitutions in the World in place. Large part of the county is still disorganized and it is very important that citizens self-organise themselves to get the constitution unfolding itself in practice. The price of democracy is eternal vigilance of its citizens. It is in this context the publisher of Prajasattak continually for the last half decade – Dadu Mandrekar – deserves special recognition for all his hard work to create annual atmosphere of constitutional awareness. Dadu is like bright burning candlelight in all gloomy night that continuously burns itself to uphold the theory and practice of Constitution of India. He is certainly doing his level best as per the capacities gifted on him by nature. He is also an inspiration for others groping in dark to believe that it is better to light a candle than to curse darkness. The lesson one needs to draw out from Dadu Mandrekar is that it means swimming against the tide to defend and uphold the constitution of India. These are exactly the kind and magnitude of efforts required on the part of citizens to make Indian Constitution work and rooted amongst the people at large. Unfailingly he publishes one annual issue of Prajasattak. It is just not about publication, it is more than that. It about continues debate that he carries on with large number of people focusing attention on the document called ‘Constitution of India’, the verbal thoughts and vibes that he transmits then gets gradually chrysalises into thoughts and ultimately flows through written word in several languages in this annual issue – Konkani, Marathi, Hindi, and English. I am happy to be involved in this venture of Dadu since the beginning. The consistency of efforts and perseverance in the face of worst of odds is what has taken Dadu to continue these efforts with remarkable breakthroughs. Worst of odds includes painstaking and repeated follow up with contributors like me, and shortage of finance for to pay the printer to get the publication on time in the face of reluctance of the agencies to be liberal in granting of advertisements. The reluctance is mostly due to two factors: firstly, low level of awareness on the importance of Constitution of India. Secondly, the play of cast politics; had Dadu been a Saraswat Brahmin he would have no shortage of flow of funds for he would have tremendous connections to pull strings at the snap of his fingers. Dadu is a dalit. He takes you to Goa full of exploitation and oppression. Which business funders or State agencies would like to politically and financially align with him? Dadu’s ways has often been to take loan on the small quantity of jewelry that his wife posses and then over a period of time to pay back the loan and recover the jewelry. In some was as a commitment to uphold constitution of India ‘We the People’ has to align ourselves with Dadu and support his efforts and respond to his calls to finance support. It is ‘We the People’ who are in need this Constitution of India rather than ‘We the Corporate’ dominated by the very forces that carried on the exploitation in feudal form for past centuries denying humanity to women and pushing majority section of humanity into outcast and untouchables creating lame social system for steady supply of free labour generating surplus in the hands of few that considered themselves privileged through religious sanctions to rule and be component of the State. Dadu is individual. Dadu is a symbol of determination. Dadu is a metaphor of this reality.

Corporate rampage: Mainstream Indian development model particularly since past two decades has been aggressive assault on the Article 38 of the constitution –“ State to secure a social order for the promotion of welfare of the people – (1) The State shall strive to promote the welfare of the people by securing and protecting as effectively as it may a social order in which justice, social, economic and political, shall inform all the institutions of the national life. (2) The State shall, in particular, strive to minimize the inequalities in income, and endeavor to eliminate inequalities in status, facilities and opportunities, not only amongst the individuals but also amongst groups of people residing in different areas or engaged in different vocations.” State in India today has completely let loose the corporate rampage. Ruling and opposition parties in the India are providing tacit support to this corporate aggression. In fact they are active colluders as corporate funding has been stable funding for the function of political parties in India. The ruling congress party opened out Indian economy in 1991. The opposition BJP then in order to divert protest against the economic policies indulged in breaking up of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya thereby by paying way for riots and channelizing debate towards communal question in India and providing safe entry for economic bullies to set up their bases in the country. However after the luster of Ayodhya demolition faded away reality began to strike point blank – one after the other – Indian political establishment began active colluder with the global economic giants seeking to plunder India in wide and diverse manner. Land grabs began to be legitimized legally through SEZ Act. Vast tracks of land were parceled out for Special Economic Zones (SEZ) though out the country. Wherever there was there was some form of political organization of People. In other places it has been open unchallenged loot of cooperates. Mining companies has been provided with red carpet welcome in India. State has created civil wars in order to clear the land for the corporate. Tribal people known also as adivasis are found to be direct enemy of corporate and correspondingly the direct enemy of the State to be plotted against and drawn into the war known as ‘Salwa Julum’ in Chatisgarh, and then consent to be established through various discourses in the media – Indian media has transformed itself into great factory of manufacturing consent. Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram came alive on NDTV a month ago and declared ‘It is a matter of worldview whether one believes that tribals must live in isolation or they must be helped to integrate in the national mainstream”. According to this logic the war and fight for mineral in the Country has been a helping hand to integrate tribals into the mainstream India! What a cleaver way to camouflage the blunt State-Corporate combine aggression to usurp land through dispossession! This is a reality today across India, across Konkan, and across Goa. Societies are getting polarized into two and middle class is sandwiched between the two – not knowing which side to align with. Disposes tribals, disposes peasants, disposes farmers, disposes fishermen, and disposes urban poor. For Forest are up for sale, Sea and rivers are up for sale, Water is up for sale, land is up for sale, minerals are up for sale! Its sale all the way if you have money to buy. If not, then it is plundering my love, right through! And what does one does in the face of plunder?

Determined and organized efforts are needed to defend the constitution of India. I join forces with Dadu and invite you too, for time to organise has dawned! We need to organize to resist plunder, we need to organize to straighten up our difference within oppressed sections. We need to organize for power – Social, Cultural, Political, Spiritual and Economic. We need to organize to retain our dignity. We need to organize to run marathon in struggle. Long term perspective in organizing is very essential. Impulsive reactions with deficiency in planning will not lead to any kind of effect on those plundering us. Similarly single issue struggle will not make any effective dent in these efforts either. In fact this does not posses any kind of possibilities to halt plunder. Number of single issue lobbyist must build alliances amongst themselves and get into long term project of planning together and collective critique of the system in place. Plundering goes on unheeded precisely because of unorganized nature of resistance with no proper understanding of motives and direction of struggle. Too many groups involved in resistance are getting pushed into isolation and they lack mechanism to connect and break their isolations. Besides there is need for critical assessments of various changes taking place worldwide in the face of climate crisis and evolving worldwide planetary efforts to face the crisis and how some countries are making business opportunity out of this serious crisis. What are the implications for the Constitution of India in the face of Climate crisis? How one does seriously and urgently halts trends of overconsumption that is prompting corporate war on people of India and People of planet Earth? There is need for intellectuals to soil themselves in the mundane tasks of organizing. There is need for the activist to get into rigors of study, reflection and disciplined expressions. It is tough for both. Yet this needs to be done. Theories cannot be dished out from academic ivory towers. It needs sweat and hard work of involvement on the part of intellectuals in various academic institutions. They need to soil their hands and hearts in struggle and then express out loud. Activists too very urgently need to take re-look at the way their time is invested and streamline their commitments. Balance of study and action is what is needed without getting sucked up into the logic of the system: “If you are not with us then you are against us”. We need to fight our ways out of this logic and stride towards massive breakthroughs consistently. The beginning has to be made. It may be very small. I am beginning with Dadu…

Sebastian Rodrigues

Written for Prajasatak 2010 issue edited and published by Dadu Mandrekar on the occasion of Republic Day, 26th January 2010 in Panjim.

GBA member seeks Rahul’s intervention to save Goa

Herald Reporter
Panjim, Jan 19

The youngest member of Goa Bachao Abhiyan (GBA) Aaron Pereira today sought the intervention of MP Rahul Gandhi to save Goa from destruction which is going on through reckless mining, land acquisitions with land scarce resources of Goa.

“I have faith in your vision, I beg to abandon Goa to thoughtless policies, surely encouraging discontent and naxalism. The people will be with you if you stop illegal mining and disempowerment government gazetted land grab in the name of public interest” Aaron said in his letter he handed over to Rahul Gandhi during the latter’s interaction with the students in the Goa University campus, Taleigao.

He said as a young Goan he is desperately helpless and frustrated to see the accelerated lawlessness and plunder Goa’s land going through, with rampant mining and mindless land acquisition with little public interest at heart.

“I have seen successive Governments arbitrarily acquiring land and promising employment, with little or no thought behind them, housing projects disguised as SEZs, five star resorts disguised as Food Parks….And what of IT park? How do we trust this when the first heavily advertised building was a super mall in the shape of a ship?” Aaron asked.

Elaborating further, he said that just as our beaches prove to be our lifeline in terms of fishing and tourism, there’s another secret to our well being – the richly forested Western Ghats.

Passing through the spine of Goa, he pointed out that they are part of the top twelve bio-diverse spots in the world, and are responsible for fresh water springs, crucial to the well being of people. New species and medicinal plants are being discovered regularly in these regions. “If Goan people are known for being peaceful, its because they have lived in harmony with everything that nature provides”, the letter says.

However this world hotspot is being destroyed at an alarming rate, with it people and secrets locked in plants that we are yet to find uses for, Aaron said.

Giving an example, he said like Switzerland has kept its beauty, leveraging chocolate, banking and natural beauty as its industry, why can’t Goa make an industry of export of medicinal plants unique to the Ghats, of Feni, of managed forestation in denuded areas that serve the Indian Plywood industry and increase green cover at one stroke.

Why can’t Goa be the jewel in India’s crown, a successful experiment in a small place, brought about by the will of a forward thinking Government? He asked.

If you help swing policy for equitable distribution, making Goa a rich and sustainable state you will be forever etched in our memory as the politician who did the right thing.

Herald, 20 January 2010

They Want to Silence the Voice!

PETER FERNANDES calls upon us to ensure that our voice is not silenced in the face of injustice and wrongdoing

Herald, Panjim, 17th August 2009

It has been said that a right is not what someone gives you; it is what no one can take from you. Freedom of speech is our fundamental right. The use of this right is our duty; and with it comes responsibility. Every democracy must uphold this freedom for the welfare of its citizens and the prosperity of the land. The voice of the people is a cry for growth and well-being of all; and it weeps in condemnation when government makes wrong and immoral decisions. This fundamental right is the indicator by which the health of the state is checked, to prevent it from being corrupted and corroded. The minute government tries to snap the voice of the people, it shows that something dreadful is occurring.

Power corrupts! This is an age-old saying, rich in wisdom. It continues, “And, absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Needless to say, power is not given up without a struggle. The power-grabbers are terrified by the voice of the common man, the voice which probes their faulty conscience and exposes their insincerity. Most dictators have been successful in holding on to their power because they controlled and manipulated the media, and silenced the voice of the people. Our history bespeaks loudly and clearly of tyrants, and the dark eras in which humanity suffered untold humiliations and anguish, for the exact reason that the voice of the people was silenced. Be bold, and never yield your freedom of speech! Never forget, history repeats itself if lessons are not learnt in time. Despite the horrifying past, our present is no different, even in the face of education and advancement of civilization. Humanity continues to suffer under wicked leaders in this day and age.

Indira Gandhi played foul during the 1971 elections, for which she was indicted by the Allahabad High Court. The court set aside her election to Parliament in 1971. This meant she would lose power as prime minister. To silence the voice of justice, she declared an emergency, in order to hold on to power and cover her misdeeds. During the nineteen months of suspension of democracy, she silenced the voice of freedom and truthfulness, by imprisoning thousands of leading citizens without warrant or trials. Democracy in India was on the brink of death, because cowardly demagogues smothered the voice of the people.

“Silence the voice!” This frightening scenario, utterly disturbing and disheartening, permeates our State of Goa. Many noble souls in the past have raised their voices to challenge the status quo of corruption that has vitiated the atmosphere for the worse. A few did succeed in keeping their heads high, several intimidations by our elected leaders and their goons. Nevertheless, several others, swayed by the might of money and muscle power of our leaders, quashed their voices. Nowadays, they employ similar tactics to wipe out the wrong they have done, by silencing the voice of conscience. These elected politicos do not really represent the voice of the people and their right to be heard – on the contrary, in fact, for they sink their heads in the swamp of corruption, where decency and truth do not reside, and they are threatened by any voice that summons their conscience.

I flipped through a few pages of our history books. These pages recalled the vivid and painful history of Goa. It was during the language agitation, when the whole of Goa rose with a single voice to make Konkani the official language of Goa. The then Chief Minister, who is the present Speaker, along with pro-Marathi colleagues, tried to silence the voice of the people of Goa. However, many of our brothers and sisters fearlessly gave their blood, and did not allow their voice to be silenced. How do we recall and remember these martyrs, and the entire language movement? Has anyone apologized? What about retribution for the people of Goa for the loss of life and property? Should not these leaders be put on trial for their crimes against humanity?

People of Goa recognize the importance of their voice. This voice can be heard now in every nook and corner of Goa. For too long a time, being unmindful of the evil plots of their leaders, this voice remained still and silently tolerant. The elected leaders, without giving it a second thought, unleashed their corruption, which has saturated every fibre of the fabric of our society. Suddenly, with each passing day, politicians are conscious of the voice of truth echoing everywhere, which agitates and disturbs them. This scenario explains the recent outburst, which provided for all concerned citizens a hearty laugh at the expense of our leaders.

Today, every Gram Sabha turns into pandemonium. This is a syndrome of a much more serious malady which has engulfed our society. Those of the administration and government are in their positions because we hired them to work for us. Why then do the elected representatives not give heed to the voice of the citizen? Why do they desire to suppress and trample this liberty? The infrastructure is crumbling before our eyes, as the crime rate escalates beyond imagination, and our leaders are gleefully washing their hands in a dirty bowl of their own crimes. Yet, they have the audacity to silence the media. How long will you delay, and how many gruesome crimes must be committed, before this touches your core? We sit on a time bomb. Are you waiting for it to explode and extinguish our society forever? Goans are now well aware of these evil plans which will lay to waste our beloved state. This explains why people are opposed to mega housing projects, SEZs, Mopa airport, Sports City, unbridled mining, and casinos.

It is critical for our citizens to vigorously exercise their freedom of speech and voice their dissatisfaction and vexation, and to hold their leaders responsible. At the same time, it is equally crucial for the elected representatives to hear and listen to the populace, and address their anxieties and ire with mutual respect for reviving Goa, and rebuilding a healthy society. We have a mammoth role to play in the liberty our democracy assures us. Those who are afraid of the voice of the people, who will not let their voice be strong, have something to hide and, in their arrogance and disregard for all, have betrayed their own conscience. They have placed their selfish interests above the long-term benefits of our state.

We have seen the people of the villages come out on the streets, for the government to hear their united voice against mega housing projects, SEZs, Mopa airport, Sports City, unbridled mining, and casinos. Most admirable! Without hesitation, do not allow anyone to quash your voice now. It would be the greatest menace to our freedoms to give the go-ahead to politicians to rise up and put shackles on gullible citizens! Free speech is the deadliest enemy of a tyrant. Equally potent support is needed to punish the guilty, those who have committed detestable crimes against humanity. Neither rely on our government, nor be deluded by false promises, for they are hand-in-glove with the guilty. How we exercise our liberty will ultimately determine if our freedoms survive. Our individual voices may be feeble, but when united with the entire community, we can bring down the Walls of Jericho!

Dhangars stake in Keri SEZ land

This is Dhaku Kavlekar, a Dhangar whose tribe has been using the Bhutkamb plateau for goat raring for several decades. This plateu in Goa's Keri village in Ponda village is in the middle of storm over the past two decades - first with Nylon 6,6 wanting to grab the land now SEZ promoters. These pictures below is glimpse of Dhangar life reality and relation with the Bhutkhamb plateau.

Goats are reared by Dhangars in this locality and taken for grazing at Bhutkhamb.

Women are integral part of goat grazing activity.

Plateau is covered in barbed wire by Special Economic Zones (SEZ) promoters.

Yet after the valiant fight back from the villagers, Dhangars retained their rights over the grazing land.

Goat grazing is over for the evening...

Mountainous topography makes very good site for goat grazing by Dhangars.

Sebastian Rodrigues

Nilesh Naik - Goa's first green martyr remembered

Nilesh Naik was gunned down by Goa Police on 23rd January 1995. He sacrificed his life in chasing out American Corporate DuPont's Nylon 6,6 wanting to get established on Ponda taluka's Keri Village's Bhutkamb Plateau. Nilesh was 3 months short of his 25th Birthday when he bravely took police bullets on his chest. The above picture is memorial in his honour at Bhutkamb, Keri.

Two elderly women - one of them is a mother of Rekha Gawde that was also shot and injured in the same police firing - offering floral tribute to Nilesh Naik on January 23, 2009. The other woman is Gunavati Gawde.

Convener of SEZ Virodhi Manch Charles Fernandes addressing the meeting on the occasion.

Keri Panchayat member spoke at the memorial service.

Swati Kerker from Keri paid rich tributes to Nilesh Naik.

Ramesh Gauns asked people from Keri to be in the forefront of movements in Goa today. He said sacrifice of Nilesh Naik will no be in vain and he will continue to be inspiration force for the future struggles in Goa.

One minute silence was kept to pay homage to the sacrifice of Nilesh Naik.

Ramkirishna Jalmi and GOAMAP Convener Sebastian Rodrigues also shared their views on the occasion.

Sebastian Rodrigues

The Body as a site of resistance: activism in an era of neoliberalism

By H.Bedi

Underlying much Indian organizing around industrialization and development issues are concerns about the changing political and economic regimes promoted locally, nationally, and globally. The rise of neoliberal forces has created a different context for organizing and activism in India. With the encouragement of capitalism in particular, many communities and broader struggles question who is gaining from market liberalization. Protest against economic liberalization has been partially shaped through actions where the body of affected communities and other concerned citizens have been used as sites of resistance. The body as a site of resistance has proved to be a particularly poignant and charged form of protest, particularly when examined from a gendered perspective. Activists have used their bodies in a range of ways to represent their opposition. They have physically blocked industrial construction, undergone hunger strikes, walked hundreds of kilometres in padyatra, sat in dharna, and placed their emotional and physical bodies at risk in a myriad of other forms.

This piece will look at a specific form of bodily protest in relation to a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Orissa. Seen as a part of the economic liberalization of India, SEZs are spaces owned and managed by private entities within a sovereign nation that abide by a special set of trade and economic laws, provide sophisticated infrastructure and tax incentives, and are designed to promote economic growth (Seminar 2008). In the protest against these zones, the body becomes a source of power, but what are the ramifications for those involved, particularly women? What are the gendered connotations when women occupy a site and are met by a private security force that is entirely or predominantly male? There is a particular vulnerability for some women using their body as a site of resistance. This has been painfully evident when women protesting SEZs in Nandigram endured brutal sexual violence.

This thought piece is based on reflections from on-going fieldwork and secondary resources. Through a review of media information, and qualitative interviews with activists and communities affected by industrialization, certain patterns of protest and themes of injustice have emerged. Respondents describe that they feel as though the threat of displacement and disenfranchisement, particularly among agrarian communities, is occurring on a new scale as industrialization is promoted. Some also describe heightened aggression and violence against communities and other protestors when they physically stop or block industrial activities. Despite this perceived threat, communities, including women, actively use their bodies as a medium to display their discontent with exclusionary industrialization. In doing so, women actively engage in the struggle and at times this intimate form of protest renders them vulnerable and may further existing marginalization related to class and gender. Recent protest related to the promotion of Special Economic Zones reveal how and why women chose to protest with their bodies, desperation associated with the struggles, and the particular ramifications they face as a result of their decisions.

As quoted in Business standard, an affected villager, Sulachana Dei, explains, "we are ready to give our land but not leave one inch of land for Posco steel project" (Business Standard 2008). The South Korean Pohang Steel Company (POSCO)’s plans to establish a steel plant, mines, and a port in Orissa state have led to much civil unrest, violence, and political maneuvering. POSCO applied for SEZ status, and while the status was delayed, moved forward with alternate environmental clearances. Posco’s survey teams attempted to enter Dhinika village in February 2008. Their movement was halted by hundreds of women, children, and other villagers who created fences around the circumference of the village. This collective monitored the fence using bows and arrows, lathis and other weapons to ensure that the teams could not enter the site. Women stood shoulder to shoulder with men and children armed only with bows and arrows to defend themselves against the power of the company and the state.

The head of a local organizing movement states, "village women have taken oath near village Goddess not to give one inch of land to the said project." The villagers prefer not to face the uncertainty of displacement, and have actively used their bodies as a virtual shield from the land encroachment. Occupation of any industrial site is potentially dangerous for anyone, but entry into a special economic zone can be particularly perilous because these zones do not have local or national police guards. Instead they operate under a distinct set of laws, and are governed by private security forces employed by corporations. Although police accountability in India can be questionable in many instances, SEZ private security firms have even less accountability to protect the welfare of local community members- particularly women who may not usually be so visible in an industrial site.

For the women protestors, there is also a level of social exposure and uncertainty associated with this form of resistance. How will male security forces respond to their body shield? How will their community view them after they have spent time in physical protest? Despite their sacrifice, in August 2008 the Indian Supreme Court ruled to allow Posco to use large amounts of forest land, possibly displacing 20,000 people. In September, affected community members continued to protest, carrying bows, arrows and sticks, against the plant.

In Orissa, affected villagers directly used their bodies as sites of resistance to demonstrate their rejection of this form of industrialization. Streaming through this example is personal and collective conviction, threats of violence, a strong connection to land, and a willingness to place the individual body in harms way to protect their land and dignity. Through these actions, some women occupy new spaces that are usually predominantly masculine areas of work. The presence of women in what may be considered masculine spaces is quite remarkable in the local cultural context. In this way, they go from being invisible or not present in these industrial spaces to visible protestors, and in certain instances at risk of social or physical scrutiny. They were susceptible to violence, and the potential post-protest social ramifications.

This example is illustrative of the extent that communities feel pushed by economic liberalization and industrialization that is not aligned with their connection to agriculture and land. The strain of this threat has pushed many women to protest in this manner, exposing them to physical risk and possible social repercussions. Some of these women have never protested in their life, and to lay their emotional and physical bodies on the line to protect their families and land is an extreme display of their personal convictions. As this is research in progress many questions remain unanswered, and there continues to be much to learn and understand about women and how they use their bodies as sites of resistance to SEZs.

Pez alliance mooted

The people of Colomb Village, Sanguem District live a peaceful life in the pristine forests in Goa bordering Karnataka. This album is a glimpse into their everyday life.

It also shows the location of an all group meeting at Nuem, Khola in Canacona Taluka in South Goa comprising representatives from various villages, who are having to bear the direct brunt of the neo-liberal onslaught of mining industries, Real Estates, SEZs (Special Economic Zones) and CRZs (Coastal Regulation Zones).

The meeting was held at a chapel in the village with Father Henry initiating the proceedings. As a result of the brainstorming on the idea of working together and finding common ground for a united peoples' resistance on the one hand and Panchayat, state government and industrialists on the other, it was decided that 14th November (Children's Day) would be held as a day for mass protests by children - The Black Day.

Also the idea of forming alliances with various groups working on various issues was deliberated. One possible name suggested is Pez alliance. Pez is traditional staple diet of People in Goa. It is also called Canji, Nivol etc and it is prepared with rice and water. Various people connected with Ganv Ghor Rakhan Manch (GGRM), Gawda, Kunbi, Velip Dhangar Federation (GAKUVED), SEZ Watch, Goa Federtion of Mines Affected People (GOAMAP) were present.

Click here for the photo album by Shaweta Anand of SADED-CSDS, Delhi, India