India needs Special Ecological Zones

In India there is a rat race to create SEZ - Special Economic Zones. In these zones, economic activity can be conducted as per the whims of Big Business. Considering the fact that the kind of capitalism found in India is mostly a toxic mixture of crony capitalism and predatory capitalism with little trace of any social or ecological responsibility, the Special Economic Zones have proved disastrous for the marginalised people and the delicate ecological balance of the country. The destruction of ecologically sensitive areas happen with impunity in the name of infrastructure development and the construction of industrial complexes. The situation is similar to what we saw in the movie Avatar. The ministry of environment, though more proactive than in the past, seems to be selective in its approach to handling such situations due to narrow political considerations.

The advent of such unsustainable economic fundamentalism has also caused a reaction in the form of intensifying Maoist insurgency. Like capitalism, Maoism  also is an ideology that has never shown any sense of ecological awareness. So in effect, it is a clash between two extreme capitalist and communist ideologies of economic fascism, that try to gain control. Amidst this pandemonium, the fragile ecology of India is becoming increasingly vulnerable to the effects of global warming and it will be the poorer sections of India's population who will suffer the dangers of ecological destruction more. The time has come to look beyond the duality of the bankrupt conventional right wing and left wing politics. India needs Special Ecological Zones, where humanity's activities are carried out in harmony with Nature with social and spiritual awareness.