Citizens’ Research Collective on SEZ

Bangalore, November 25, 2007: The Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) and Hasiru Sene will begin an agitation against the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in the State. President of KRRS and Hasiru Sene Kodihalli Chandrashekar told presspersons here on Saturday that there was need to create a pan-Karnataka movement to bring pressure on the government to shelve the SEZ plans.

He said the organisations would seek the immediate release of farmers’ leader Mahendra Singh Tikait in Uttar Pradesh and stopping of attacks on the protesters at Nandigram in West Bengal.

Mr. Chandrashekar criticised the West Bengal Government and said it had failed to protect the interests of farmers. He said that presently there were only isolated struggles being organised by small groups of local farmers against SEZs in the districts, which were not making enough impact. He said huge tracts of land was being sought for the Nandagudi SEZ in Hoskote and Mangalore SEZ. The area earmarked for these SEZs had agricultural lands yielding not less than two crops a season, he added.

He said the KRRS and Hasiru Sene in association with farmers’ groups and organisations in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh would launch a countrywide agitation against the “oppressive” policies of the West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh governments.

Source: The Hindu