The recent Intelligence Bureau report calls Greenpeace, "A threat to national economic security". Not only that, it states that, "It (Greenpeace) is assessed to be posing a potential threat to national economic security... growing exponentially in terms of reach, impact, volunteers and media influence."
What the IB report doesn't elaborate on is that Greenpeace India is an environmental organisation that works on people-powered campaigns. And these people come from varied backgrounds and cities. But the one thing in common amongst them all is that they care about protecting the environment. They care because they don't want to be spectators while our forests are getting the axe or our rivers are getting contaminated. They care because they want clean energy and want to live sustainably. Take a moment and ask yourself if creating this community of conscientious people is a threat or a sign of progress?
Throughout, the IB report sees Greenpeace as the prime mover of mass-based movements against development projects. Development projects that defend coal mining and as a consequence, propose cutting down lakhs of trees and displacing hundreds of people. Not to mention, people whose livelihoods depend on these forests.
Shares Bharti Sinha, Communications Director, Greenpeace, "Greenpeace has been active in this country for the past ten years. It has supported and fought for the people whose voices have been subdued."
"As far as IB is concerned, it is a very respectable organization and is carrying out some important functions. We have respect for them and their work. But in this particular matter, we think that they have drawn a wrong conclusion, and we disagree with it. We don't know about the instances and evidences on which their conclusion is based, but we are ready to engage with the government on this matter," Sinha adds.
Greenpeace's campaigns involve creative activism and through that, it ensures that the collective voice of thousands of people is getting heard. These voices are calling in unison and asking for a more sustainable way of life. One that treats the rights of people and ecology with as much importance as economy.
Sources:
1) http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/ib-report-to-pmo-greenpeace-is-a-threat-to-national-economic-security/
2) https://in.news.yahoo.com/greenpeace-foundation-rejects-intelligence-bureaus-allegations-071933610.html
Komal Singh is a content writer at Greenpeace India.