Radha Soami also on forest land, claim evicted villagers

Team Saathi (National Alliance of People's Movements),

By Dhananjay Mahapatra, The Times of India

Read the entire article at The Times of India.

Excerpt:

Hundreds of persons, evicted out of the eco-sensitive Aravali forest land in Khori village and provided temporary shelter, food and medicines at the nearby Radha Soami Satsang premises, on Tuesday turned against the religious institution by complaining to the Supreme Court that its building had been constructed on forest land and should meet the same fate as their unauthorised houses.

Appearing for a section of those evicted during the corporation’s drive to clear the forest of unauthorised structures, senior advocate Sanjay Parikh said that the Radha Soami premises is also on forest land and has been so identified by the National Green Tribunal.


The bench which has been consistently acting against illegal construction in the forest land, said that the Radha Soami premises cannot be treated differently. “Every unauthorised construction or encroachment on Aravali forest land must go.”

Published by Team Saathi (National Alliance of People's Movements)

We are a group of activists and academics working in the field of environment, housing and informality who came together to join Khori Gaon residents in their long fight for justice. This collaboration we have undertaken with the residents is called Saathi which means comrade in Hindi.