Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It’s for development, not a fine

A day after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) granted three weeks to Art of Living foundation to pay the full compensation of Rs 5 crore for causing environmental damage to Yamuna during their World Culture Festival, the foundation’s chief Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Saturday again sounded defiant, saying that he will not pay any fine or penalty.

His statement to a TV channel on Thursday had triggered a controversy with the NGT on Friday reprimanding the AoL and saying that it was “disturbed” with the guru’s wordings. The green court, however, had clarified that Rs 5 crore which they have been asked to pay be treated as “environmental compensation” and not “penalty”.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Saturday said: “We would wholeheartedly support the development and restoration of the venue where the event is being held,” adding, “the amount the NGT had asked us to pay was for restoration and not as a penalty.”

“All through, I have lived a spotless life. I have never been late to school. I have never paid fine, even of a single paisa. So, we said we will not pay any fine. But then I was told that this is not a fine or penalty. It was wrongly reported in newspapers.”

“They said it was for the development here. We said, if this is for development and restoration, then we will whole-heartedly support this and put everything into this,” the spiritual guru added.

The NGT had on Wednesday allowed Art of Living Foundation to hold the festival but asked it to pay Rs 5 crore as compensation for ecological damage. On Thursday, the NGT had directed the AoL to pay Rs 25 lakh immediately after the organisation expressed difficulty in arranging Rs 5 crore in such a short period.

Meanwhile, senior NDA government ministers and chief ministers of several BJP-ruled states on Saturday attended the festival.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj attended the event, in which several religious leaders from across the globe were also present.

“No religion teaches enmity to others. India is a secular country. It means equality among all religion. It means a Hindu should be a good Hindu, a Muslim should be a good Muslim, a Sikh should be a good Sikh and Christian should be a good Christan. By taking their own path of worship, they respect the faith of others. The World Culture Festival is a brilliant example of secularism,” Ms Swaraj said.

Chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh (Shivraj Singh Chouhan), Maharashtra (Devender Fadnavis) and Chhattisgarh (Raman Singh) also attended the event.

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said the flood plains, where the event is being organised, was protected because of farmers who have been farming there and this was also a means to protect Yamuna.