`Direct action' against closures

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, DEC. 22 Convinced that the judiciary and the executive were together bent on extermination of small scale industries in the Capital in the name of pollution to pave the way for multinationals, the affected factory-owners and non-governmental organisations today joined hands to launch ``direct action'' against the closure of industrial units in non-conforming areas.

To begin with, posters have come up in Trinagar -- the worst- affected locality -- and adjoining areas pointing out that the closure is arbitrary. This will be followed by a signature campaign where lakhs of signatures will be collected and handed over to the President to seek his intervention in resolving the crisis which has affected 15 lakh people.

``The closure is not about pollution but shutting down small industries to make way for multinationals,'' said Ms Vandana Shiva, of the Research Foundation for Science, technology and ecology at a press conference here today.

Named ``Peoples Plan -- 21'', hundreds of people will court arrest at Mansarovar Chowk on Saturday. Once awareness is created, it will be followed by direct action against the closure in January.

According to a survey conducted by the Foundation, 80 per cent of the houses in Trinagar have fabricated units -- lathes, moulds for making slippers, shoes and suitcases. They are self-employed and self-organised. The household units are the basis for economy and multi-functional urban design which reduces pollution from transport. These generate wealth and jobs without government subsidies and World Bank loans. Yet, this genuinely free economy based on peoples entrepreneurship is being extinguished and people's livelihood are being exterminated in the name of stopping pollution,'' Ms Shiva said.

The residents, who were also present said a computer training centre with 100 students, a lathe unit and a moulding machine which in no way polluts the air have been sealed by the authorities. ``Honest and hardworking people have been treated like criminals. Terror and fear has gripped the Capital,'' she said.

``This is not operation pollution control but operation extermination, supervised by 30 SDMs, backed by thousands of Rapid Action Force and mounted police personnel. The process of sealing units in the productive colonies of Delhi was described in the media as peaceful, but it is a war that has been declared by the courts and the Government against the citizens,'' Ms Shiva said.

Trinagar, supposed to be the biggest footwear producing region in Asia, was not in the list of 27 production categories announced by the Ministry of Urban Affairs, the Nodal Agency for implementing the Supreme Court decision. However, a special order was sent to the SDMs to seal the footwear units. ``The footwear producers in Trinagar who can make a pair for Rs 60 are wondering if the closure of their units is to create markets for Nike and Reebook,'' she said.

Calling upon the Urban Development Minister to stop this economic war against the people in the name of pollution control, the residents also requested the courts to halt the closure of non- polluting units and instead identify and stop the big and real polluters. ``We call upon the Government to initiate a participatory process for designing the new Master Plan,'' Ms Shiva said.

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