Special Economic Zones has been an initiative on part of our country to create economic zones so as to give impetus to country's economic development by attracting foreign investments, giving them extensive range of incentives and tax exemptions. Though this notion of development aims at overall economic growth, increase inflow of foreign capital, generating employment but a large section of Indian society is averse to SEZ's. This primarily includes the following:
a. Farmers whose land is being acquired to be converted into SEZ's
b. Local Communities who are displaced.
c. Those engaged in non farm activities like potters, carpenters are left out.
d. Landless farmers ( laborers) who are displaced are the worst victims as they do not have legal basis to fight.
It is argued that most of these farmers lack the capacity for proper negotiated settlement and become the victim of such policies.
It has also been identified that many farmers whose land has been taken away have not been compensated as per the market price and not rehabilitated.
For farmers, it is not only the land which is lost, their displacement from a particular village implies loss of interdependence with other community members.
Regards