Will Nandigudi become Karnataka's Nandigram?

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We all know what had happened in Nandigram in West Bengal over the SEZ. Don"t we? The Communist turning Capitalist Government of the West Bengal offered acres of land to India"s premier Business Group – Tatas – for a paltry sum of 20 crores. The amount which again would have paid over a period of 5 years! That"s right 20 crores loan amount with repayment period of 5 year and that too at 0.01% interest rate.

The Communist who by birth swears by protecting the common man went on a callous expedition by sending in their men as well the police to mute the voice of the agitating populace. Ammunition fire alarmed opportunity to the CPI (M) political opponents and eventually its antagonists got a rallying point against the regime which has been at the helm of the state"s power for roughly 3 decades now. This is still in our present and not the history, and the result is yet not clear. What would be the fate of the residents and their supporting opposition in the state is far from being clear.

A similar incident seems to be happening here in Karnataka at Nandigudi. However, with a difference – this time the lead of the locale is with the CPI (M) and its allies including the Congress and at the helm is the BJP backed JD(S) government run by H D Kumaraswamy. Nandigudi is based approximately 60 kilometers from Bangalore and the proposed Special Economic Zone (SEZ) here is to acquire 5,000 Hectares of land for the project, which includes 73 villages with 1.43 lakhs (Itapprox) families. As per K J Gowda “This place is one of the world"s best area for farming and crop cultivation." and also “is the major supplier to the Hopcoms and Vegetable Market in the Bangalore City. If Nandigudi collapses there is going to be heavy uncertainties of food supplies to dwellers of the Garden turned IT city." Among other businesses the place is also home for Silk business.

The youth of the Nandigudi have devoid of easy access to higher education for a long time now. For pursuing their education the have to travel to places like Bangalore, Kolar and Chintamani. According to K J Gowda, an elderly farmer of the village, “As Nandigudi is being excessively targeted for SEZ as it is extremely closer to the proposed Bangalore International Airport."

Prof. G Ramakrishna, a communist ideologue, says “Ministers will sell and go but what about the displaced? No one can create an inch of land." A forerunner for the movement, was seeming extremely unhappy with the mentality of the IT czars like that of N R Narayana Murthy when he says “What Mr. Murthy means when he says 'If I am not allocated further land I will go to Pune" How much more benefit does he want from the government before his company can pay income tax? And what has he really contributed to the state except fanfare?"

The local IT industries here are enjoying tax holidays which are to be ended effective by 2009 or so. Hence, they are trying hard to get their allocations in SEZ where they can further enjoy 15 additional tax free benefits. Playing off one state government against the other is among their poignant strategies which is indeed indecorous. Yet it continues in the wake of the IT glamour – even though it hardly employs less than 1% of the state"s population.

What seems to be bothering the SEZ critics in the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch is the fact that: no laws under the Indian constitution could be enforced in these areas (SEZ) as they are to be nothing less than 'foreign territory". These laws include Income Tax Laws, Labor Laws, etc.