Greenpeace India and Mahan Sangharsh Samiti (MSS) on Wednesday filed a complaint with the police against the fake letters that are being circulated among residents of Amelia and the local media in Singrauli.
The letters, which are out in the name of Greenpeace activist Priya Pillai are addressed to members of MSS instigating them to use force against district and police officials if they stop MSS from carrying out their solidarity event on August 10.
In a statement, the Greenpeace stated that it strongly advocates non-violent protest and is proud of it. The NGO never believed in use of any kind of violence while registering protest.
Pillai said, “This is a disgusting tactic and immediate action should be taken against those who are behind this. Such acts can have very extreme repercussions. This is a very sensitive issue and the police cannot afford to drag its feet in filing an FIR, like it has done in the past,” said Pillai, who is also a member of MSS. The police had failed to act upon a complaint filed by villagers on the forged gram sabha. “But when it came to arresting forest rights activists and seizing harmless communication equipment they were uncharacteristically prompt.”
A copy of the complaint has also been sent to the IG and DIG of police. MSS and Greenpeace suspect the supporters of Essar and Hindalco’s proposed coal mine behind this act.
Pillai further said, “We wonder … can the company proponents stoop any lowerIJ We have always worked in solidarity with the villagers in Mahan region and have always worked responsibly. This is yet another attempt to malign the good work we have done in the region.”
The planned activity on the day of Raksha Bandhan is only a peaceful attempt to generate support for saving the forests. “The administration should make sure that the activity is carried out smoothly without any untoward incidents,” says Pillai.