END MODERN-DAY SLAVERY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HARM IN DAHEJ (GUJARAT, INDIA)

A few years ago, Dahej was a small and very poor rural village of 5.000 inhabitants. Today, nearly 140 Indian and foreign companies (such as Samsung, Reliance Group, ...) have settled in Dahej SEZ, and 180 others are willing to set up there within 5 years. Dahej SEZ is already one of the most important industrial area in the world, the "next Dubai". Most of the Dahej inhabitants are taking advantage of the situation, as contractors or small business owners.

But this rapid urbanization created new issues in the village. Drainage problem, repeated flooding, pollution, heavy metal contaminations, accumulation of waste, etc. Local people are suffering from numerous diseases: leprosy, dysentery, malaria, tuberculosis, chikungunya, etc. Companies have not kept their promises. The construction of the new hospital has not yet started from 9 years.

But the most important change in Dahej is the migration of 30.000 workers from the poorest states of India, like Bihar, Uttar-Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. All of them believed they would have found a small income to feed and raise their families. But they are housed in bounded camps, without any comfort and they suffer from many diseases. Most of them are underpaid and kept as hostages by contractors, like modern-day slaves.

In 2011, Rockwool Group (Danish stone wool insulation manufacturer) built a new factory in Dahej SEZ. Rockwool is a model society: its products are eco-friendly, it has a strong Corporate Social Responsability and has signed UN's Universal Declaration on Human Rights. But even Rockwool is treating his workers like slaves.


Help us to force companies to respect their environmental and social commitments to the India people and to end modern-day slavery in Dahej.


These inhuman practices have to stop! Multinational companies like Rockwool should not remain uncondemned! Please help us in our fight for Dahej inhabitants and workers.

Watch the video.

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Indian people will thank you!

Arun K.
Indian Issues Network
@IndianIssuesNet