Government Harassment of Environmental Campaigner Priya Pillai
In January 2015, Priya Pillai was offloaded from a flight in order to prevent her from testifying internationally on the activity of a firm registered in the UK.
In April 2015, Greenpeace India had its registration suspended.
Priya Pillai is a campaigner with Greenpeace India. Pillai and Greenpeace India have been supporting tribal villages in the Singrauli district of Madhya Pradesh opposed to the Mahan coal mine, which threatens a large forest area that many thousands depend on for their livelihoods.
As of 9 April 2015, Greenpeace India's registration has been suspended with immediate effect. The action was taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). The organisation's seven bank accounts within India have been frozen.
In support of the act of suspension, the MHA has claimed there to be a prejudicial effect of foreign contributions to
Greenpeace India upon national economic interest, and thus in violation of Section 12 (4)(f)(iii) and Section 12(4)(f)(ii) of the FCRA. The decision follows a recommendation from national security agencies for the cancellation of the organisation's registration, based on their appraised status as an alleged threat to national economic security. In January 2015, an Intelligence Bureau report accused the NGO of "serving as tools for foreign policy interests of western governments".
The NGO, including all its branches and units, has been suspended for 180 days, and has 30 days to launch an appeal. A show-cause notice, requiring the organisation to explain why its registration should not been cancelled, has also been served.
Governmental opposition to Greenpeace India has grown in recent years, in part due to the organisation's increased work on the coal industry in the country since 2012, which has included campaigns against Coal India Limited, and the creation of regional anti-coal protest movements. On 12 March 2015, the Delhi High Court ordered the authorities to lift a travel ban imposed on environmental rights defender and senior Greenpeace campaigner, Ms Priya Pillai. On 30 July 2014, environmental rights defenders Messrs Akshay Gupta, and Rahul Gupta were taken into custody in the village of Amelia; both are active Greenpeace India members. In January 2015, the Indian High Court deemed a previous freeze on the NGO's accounts as “unconstitutional” and “arbitrarily illegal”.
Front Line Defenders expresses its grave concern at the suspension of Greenpeace India's registration, which it deems to be solely motivated by the environmental work of the organisation and its members.
On 12 March 2015, the Delhi High Court ordered the authorities to lift a travel ban imposed on environmental rights defender Ms Priya Pillai. The senior campaigner with the local chapter of Greenpeace, who works to protect the rights of populations affected by development projects and extractive industries in India, has been the subject of a ban since January 2015.
The authorities had claimed that the human rights defender had been prohibited from leaving the country as a result of “anti-national” activities under the Passports Act. However, the court found that travelling abroad to express particular views did not constitute an anti-national activity, reportedly stating that in order for the right to freedom of expression to be protected, the definition of anti-national acts must be restricted to activities of “counter-intelligence suspects and/or terrorists”. The court warned that if expressing an opinion that was not shared by everyone was found to be an anti-national activity, the government would have unlimited and arbitrary powers to define any act as anti-national.
The human rights defender had been informed of the travel ban issued against her when she attempted to travel to the United Kingdom on 11 January 2015. Priya Pillai had been invited by British Members of Parliament to discuss her work with local communities in Mahan, Madhya Pradesh, who claim that a proposed coal mining project led by Essar, a London-based company, will threaten their livelihoods and force them to leave the forests in which they live.
Greenpeace has been targeted by the Indian authorities on several occasions in the past. On 20 January 2015, the Delhi High Court overruled a decision of the Ministry of Home Affairs in June 2014 to freeze foreign funding intended for Greenpeace. The authorities stated that the funds had been blocked because they were sent by Greenpeace International, which was on a list of prohibited sources. However, the court reportedly found that the authorities had provided no reason for Greenpeace International having been placed on a list of prohibited foreign funders, emphasising that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) may hold views that are contrary to those of the government, but that this does not mean that those NGOs are acting against the national interest. In addition, in September 2014, Mr Ben Hargreaves, a member of Greenpeace International and a United Kingdom national, was reportedly refused entry to India, despite having a valid visa.
Front Line Defenders welcomes the decisions of the Delhi High Court, and expresses its concern at the actions targeting Greenpeace and Greenpeace International, which it believes to be solely related to their peaceful and legitimate human rights activities.
