Victory of people's movements: Medha Patkar

Environmentalist Medha Patkar has welcomed the order of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to demolish the controversial 31-storey Adarsh Society.

In its order, the MoEF stated that the unauthorised structure built in Block 6, Backbay Reclamation Area in Mumbai's upscale Colaba area should be removed in its entirety within three months and the area restored to its original condition.

Ms. Patkar told reporters here on Sunday that the order indicated the victory of people's movements.

“I hope the Union government will adopt a similar stand on the controversial Lavasa project near Pune,” she said.

Sabarimala tragedy

Referring to the the stampede at Sabarimala that claimed 102 lives, she said the incident showed that the country lacked proper systems for public expression of faith.

“The question is: should faith be expressed at the cost of lives? Faith may be expressed within hearts and homes unless we have proper systems for public worship. In India, pilgrimage had always been in tune with nature. It is no longer so,” she added.

Later, addressing a meeting conducted at Vibgyor, a festival of documentaries and short films, Ms. Patkar called upon Maoists to end violence and embrace the participatory democratic process.

“I am all for peace. The participatory democracy process may be ridden with faults, but we should strive to make it work by rectifying them,” she added.