Greenpeace gets reprieve

The Madras high court on Friday has passed an interim order staying the cancellation of registration of Greenpeace India, an international NGO, by the Tamil Nadu registrar of societies.

Greenpeace India Society, Gopalapuram approached the court after its registration was cancelled by the district registrar, Chennai central registration district in Royapettah in an order dated November 4.

According to its executive director Vinuta Gopal, despite filing a reply to a show cause notice issued by the registrar, the department passed the order cancelling its registration. Contending that the order was against natural justice, the NGO sought direction to quash the order dated November 4. It also violated orders already passed on August 4.

Praying the court to quash the order, the petitioner said the Society would be put to irreparable loss and harm if the cancellation order was not quashed/stayed.

When the matter came up for hearing, the Justice M.M. Sundresh granted interim stay for four weeks and ordered the registrar to file the replies. The judge adjourned the matter for four weeks. The NGO has said that it was confident the courts would agree that Greenpeace was on sound legal footing and had done nothing wrong, notwithstanding the government’s ridiculous allegations of fraud in this instance.

“Our accounts are an open book and on our website for all to inspect,” Priya Pillai of Greenpeace India said Friday.

This is the sixth time in the last year and a half that Greenpeace and its activists have succeeded against multiple attempts to restrict its operations and funding, as well as to shut it down.

The courts have consistently found to be in favour of Greenpeace India, the release added.