Not through constitution, but through another act to have ‘inclusive growth’, through SEZs act which legalizes 21st century industrialization drive with 19th century colonial act of land acquisition.
And just like that constitutional reservation fails to make any difference to the millions of real needy, poor marginalized sections, few of which now operate under Mao-terrorism within 1/4th of Indian land feeling disenchanted by neglect from administration after administration; this present SEZ reservation would surely deliver more ‘exclusive’ growth again at the cost of same marginalized sections at $25000/acre of capital investment.
Democracy, economic growth, getting rich, industrialization, SEZs aren’t good or bad. Its how one does that determines whether they are good or bad for collective society.
Sad that the two largest democracies don't learn from repeated mistakes - one for few years; and another for few decades.
So the latest controversy of forceful land acquisition that brings in a pittance of $25000/acre or less of investment in one proposed capital intensive chemical hub SEZ in Nandigram, in left-controlled West Bengal state, that led India in industrialization but now lags behind many and thereby running madly in its race to the bottom to come up better than Gujarat or Maharashtra, one sees unfortunate replay of a scene similar to Tiananmen Square, when poor villagers (women and kids included) of Nandigram were massacred by state administration for their land on 14th March. The numbers vary from 14 to many more, including rape, if local media is to be believed.
And through some simple arithmetic calculations, one sees that at $25,000/acre of land, whole of India, including Indian Parliament would fall short even to attract 1/15th of FDI that has gone into China in last 30 years.
If this is not land grabbing in the name of industrialization in this race to the bottom that’s played within Indian states for ‘inclusive growth’, how bad land grabbing can be needs redefinition.
Many indicate that global firms of reputation and business are keen to invest in India because of the competitive advantages they offer help India score better even if tax rates (and without sops too) happen to be higher, when compared with competing economies. If government looks into governance, and improves that by reducing corruption and make business rules friendly for good business houses which is otherwise now, India would not run its race against China, but still may come up as a winner in economic growth for collective society.
Otherwise, as a citizen, developments like Nandigram hurt.
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