Special Economic Zones: Cutting under the roots of Swaraj?

Ever since the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Act, 2005, Government of India has formally approved hundreds of SEZs in various states of India and many have already become operational. The critical view on SEZs argues that they are ‘deemed foreign territories’ being created within our country for the pursuit of unhindered accumulation by transnational capital, both Indian and foreign. The prevailing laws of the land relating to labour, environment, etc. become null and void in SEZs which are also tax-free havens incurring huge losses to the public exchequer. The large-scale land acquisition for SEZs has snatched away land-based livelihoods and boosted real estate activities on a massive scale. Opinions, however, vary on the developmental benefits of SEZs such as employment generation, export growth, etc. A view supportive of SEZs argues that generation of remunerative employment through SEZs contributes to human development concerns in India. If we were to go by the critical view on SEZs, can we let all the hard-earned gains of India’s anti-colonial movement be washed away through the operation of these ‘foreign enclaves’? Welcome to the interactive workshop on SEZs.

Speakers: Dr. Aseem Shrivastava (Well-known scholar-activist on SEZs)

Dr. Aradhna Aggarwal (Associate Professor, Department    of Business       Economics, University of Delhi)

Date & Timing: Friday, 6 August 2010, 2 pm – 5.30pm ,

Venue: Indian Social Institute, 10, Institutional Area, Near Saibaba Mandir,    New    Delhi-3. (Room no.: 207)