Activists from across the State came together to form an umbrella organisation named Green Kerala Movement after a convention in Kozhikode on Tuesday.
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A 31-member committee has been formed to coordinate activities of the movement. Organisations working in the field of environment, human rights and social justice will be affiliated to the movement. Earlier, Magsaysay award winner Sandeep Pandey, while opening the convention, said that administrations across India, be it right wing or left wing, are controlled by corporates and public protests are mostly against the unholy alliance between the administration and corporates.
"The authorities think that urbanisation is development. Urbanisation leads to more exploitation of nature", he said, adding that the administrative mechanism should shift from capitalist outlook to socialist mentality in order to protect nature and environment, and reduce carbon footprint.
Coordinator of the convention John Peruvanthanm presided over the event. Activist C.R. Neelakantan was the moderator in the presentations that followed. Around 20 experts from various fields of protests across Kerala shared their experiences on some of the most discussed topics in the State such as the relevance of Gadgil report, mining and law, social justice and women, the paddy and wetland Act, farmers’ protests, endosulfan protests, K-rail, and Plachimada protests.