Page 2 - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Letters: Politics over festival

The Business Standard website carries an interesting piece, "I won't pay fine, ready to go to jail, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar tells NDTV". It seems Ravi Shankar's Art of Living foundation was not willing to pay the fine of Rs 5 crore imposed on it by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for holding a three-day World Culture Festival on the Yamuna floodplains, considered an ecologically sensitive area.For the record, a committee appointed by the NGT had estimated the cost of restoration of the floodplains after the event at Rs 100-120 crore, but the NGT has fined Art of Living for only Rs 5 crore. The substantially less fine is proof that the event would cause nominal environmental damage.The dispute seems to have political overtones. An Opposition party might have sponsored the petition to prevent the event from taking place. The reasons are obvious. The party probably thought that the government at the Centre would get a lot of mileage from the mega event. With five states up for Assembly ele

SC junks plea seeking to stop Art Of Living's World Culture Festival

The NGT yesterday expressed its helplessness in banning the event, saying it was 'fait accompli'

I won't pay fine, ready to go to jail, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar tells NDTV

Art of Living Founder denies any tree around the selected venue was felled

Army unhappy with festival duty

Many army officers believe the army chief should have taken a stronger stand against using army resources to help what one officer calls "a government-friendly God-man."

Environment ministry fails to file affidavit at NGT in the Art of Living case

The water resources ministry had denied receiving any application for permission from the environment ministry

Appeal to all parties to not 'politicize' event: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The Opposition raised the issue of the Army's involvement in the construction of pontoon bridges for the World Culture Festival, creating an uproar in the Rajya Sabha

NGT to resume hearing today on Sri Sri's mega event

The green body has asked the Environment Ministry for explanation as to why no environmental clearance is needed for raising temporary structures

Permissions given to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living mega event were vague

Case proves if you have the clout, you can get a conditional permission and flout norms brazenly

Sri Sri defends mega event, says 'eco stability' preserved during preparations

Meanwhile, the NGT's hearing is underway on the pleas seeking cancellation of the mega event.