Report and pics by Rons Bantwal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai (SP)

Mumbai, Jun 21: Over 3000 people carrying effigies of Mukesh Ambani and Subash Chandra Goel in a mock funeral procession marched from Chowk village to Uttan – Gorai Road Junction (Bhootbangla) in the city, to protest against the Maha Mumbai and Gorai Special Economic Zone(SEZ) on June 17,2008. The protestors staged Rasto Roko on Gorai Road for two hours from 10.30 in the morning. Among the local leaders were several Catholic priests who had come out in support of the agitators.

For the setting up of the Gorai SEZ, Subash Chandra Goel of Esselworld had obtained an in–principle approval that was valid for one year. Due to large scale agitations and opposition of the locals to the project, he was unable to acquire any land for his project. But he has managed to get an extension of one year for putting up his final proposal. However this extended period has also lapsed but now he has succeeded in getting a further extension of six months which would end on Oct. 4, 2008. Gopal Pillai, chairman of the Board of Approvals for SEZ had promised us that no further extension would be given for the SEZ when a delegation had met him at Delhi, said Gordon D’Souza, Vice President of the Bombay Catholic Sabha.

The locals are hell bent on not allowing the SEZ to come up on their lands. 1.25 lakh people are likely to be affected by this project. Among them are the fisher folk who comprise more than half of the population here. The remaining are farmers and salt pan workers. Joseph Gonsalves, president of Dharavi Bet Bachao Samiti spoke on why the ownership of lands should not change hands. He said that the locals would lose their occupations and would become homeless if the SEZ came through. Besides the region was rich in culture and heritage as it is the home of the East Indian community, who are the sons of the soil.

Gordon D’Souza, speaking on the occasion, said that Esselworld was trying to use backdoor methods to set up the SEZ. They were planning to obtain lands through government tenders as they were unable to purchase any from the locals. The locals have Approached Courts to stop 1200 acres of this eco sensitive land (1000 acres of which are mangroves) from being given away for development of tourism projects. The  Bombay High Court has granted a status quo order on the lands and the case would be further heard on June 25, 2008.  The MTDC tender notice for giving away these lands on lease to develop tourism projects is bad in law as mangroves are notified as forests by a Court order dated Oct. 6, 2005 and the Ministry of Environment and Forests is asked to take over possession of mangrove lands.

Chandrashekhar of NAPM said that these agitations would continue till Oct. 4, 2008 to demand that no further extension be given for the SEZ approval. A similar Rasta Roko was organized at the same time on the Mumbai-Goa Highway at Vadkhal Naka to protest against the Maha Mumbai SEZ being developed by Mukesh Ambani. The people there are enraged that 22 irrigated villages in Pen taluka are brought into the SEZ in spite of the Government assurances that they would be kept out.