Courtesy: Rakesh
Dear Friends, The Human Rights Forum invites you all for a Seminar on *Special Economic Zones* (SEZs) in Hyderabad on 9 March, 2008. Like in many other ways, Andhra Pradesh has the distinction of being host to the largest number of notified SEZ's in the country (53), out of the 195 SEZ's notified nationwide. With 70 formal approvals, it is second only to Maharashtra in the total number of SEZ's that have received formal approvals. The Seminar is being organized in the context of huge tracts of lands and resources being inhumanly and forcefully acquired for the SEZ's at various places both in the State and nationally and police, firings, massive arrests, detentions, lathi charge, assaults, rapes etc. being employed to curb resistance to State and corporate plunder of natural resources. The stories of violence and repression whether at Nandigram or more nearer to home at Kakinada or Satyavedu are not very different *Central to the Seminar are the twin demands to repeal the Special Economic Zones Act and to forthwith stop the exploitation of natural resources in the name of development. * Speakers for the Seminar include prominent activists and researchers working on the issue, besides, activists from various districts of Andhra Pradesh resisting the SEZ violations in their district. *Please find attached the Seminar Backgrounder and the Programme Schedule. * *Programme Details:*** *Date: * 9 March, 2008 (Sunday) *Time:* 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. *Venue:* Sundarayya Vignana Kendram, Bagh Lingampally, Hyderabad In Solidarity, * * *Human Rights Forum * *Andhra Pradesh * -- HUMAN RIGHTS FORUM 3-12-117A/2/1,P.S.COLONY Ramanthapur Hyderabad-500 013 Ph: 040-27039519
