Headlines
Greenpeace welcomes relief to Priya Pillai
New Delhi, March 12
Greenpeace India on
Thursday welcomed the relief granted to activist Priya Pillai by the
Delhi High Court which quashed the 'look out' circular against her.
"Greenpeace
India welcomed the court's decision as a vindication of the group's
legitimacy and the validity of its campaigns for the rights of people to
their land and forests for clean energy, a healthy environment and to
hold corporations and the government accountable," it said in a
statement.
Pillai said: "We are relieved that the court has
cracked down on this undemocratic abuse of power by the government. The
bar on my travel was a clear violation of civil rights."
"If this
government is genuine about its promise of inclusive development that
benefits all, it needs to work with civil society rather than seek to
suppress it. We hope that this signals the end of the harassment that
Greenpeace India and other genuine activists are facing," she said.
Pillai,
who was stopped from flying to London in January, was granted relief by
the court which quashed the 'look out' circular issued against her.
Justice
Rajiv Shakdher also directed the central government to expunge
endorsements made while offloading Pillai from a flight to London by
immigration officials at the Delhi airport on January 11.
Pillai
was invited to talk about her campaign with communities in Mahan in
Madhya Pradesh, where a proposed coal mining project is allegedly
threatening to uproot the lives and livelihood of the community.