Let's not mix the issue. Let's not mix politics with what the nation really needs.
Even if you are driving a car, you need the same food and water for your body. Although a developed nation, US protects it's farms and farmers. They are highly subsidised even though they have food self-sufficiency. Why? Because they cater to basic requirements. No point in producing cars if you've to beg bowl of of your lunch.
We should not let go fertile land of Ganges to industrialization and toxic pollution.
SEZ are going to do job generation but to what extent? We've a 50 Crores population dependent on agriculture.
Govt has to intervene but for the farmers and not for industrialists. Today, they are doing exactly opposite, they are campaigning for SEZs from Indistrialists side, for obvious vested interests (I agree we need job generation).
First and foremost agriculture needs to be protected. Please refer to related article on rediff about food self-sufficiency myths being spread by politicians. http://in.rediff.com/money/2007/mar/27poor.htm second, if farmers' lands are going to be acquired, they are loosing out their permanent source of income. Their compensation has to be long-term and adequate. In most parts of our country, the farmers are not organized, most of them having very small pieces of land. And this goes against them. Being unorganized, industrialists thug them and acquire lands at cheap rates. What's the point in govt doing the same?
RE:SEZ and agriculture have to coexist
by ABC XYZ on Mar 29, 2007 10:21 PM Permalink
Mr. SSCD,
India is not US and hence similar policies do not work. You have to according to the situation. Nobody is snatching land, it's being converted to Industrial area for greater good and the owners are being compensated for that. We need to move out of agriculture gradually. Nobody is going to convert entire garicultural field overnight. If we don't indutrialize now, we'll stay where we are.
RE:SEZ and agriculture have to coexist
by SSCD on Mar 30, 2007 12:01 PM Permalink
Yes, you are right, we've even lesser amount of land per person as compared to US. And hence we've to allocate it more judiciously.
You can't give away fertile land to industrialization. There is plenty of barren land which can be given to industries.
As for the compensation, govt has to side the land-owners as they are less organized (and hence a weaker party with a risk of being bullied) as compared to the industrial behemoths.
