Greenpeace India to keep fighting after support from staff, allies

Greenpeace India on Thursday announced that it has seen a surge of support from civil society allies, new donors and its own staff, which will allow the organisation to keep basic functions running for one more month.

Addressing a press conference here today, Executive Director Samit Aich read out an emotional letter written by his staff members, who have promised to work without pay in June and also revealed that other civil society groups have offered logistical support such as office space if needed.

The letter from Greenpeace India staff can be viewed at http://bit.ly/GPIndiaStaffLetter.

"Over the past few weeks we have seen an incredible surge in support for Greenpeace India. I am deeply humbled by the offers we have received from our allies in civil society, as well as many thousands

of supporters across the country," said Aich.

"Today, my staff sent me a very moving letter in which they promised to work without pay for one month. I hope it will not come to this and my staff and their families avoid this hardship. But if necessary, we are able to keep the basic functions of Greenpeace India running until the end of June," he added.

The Delhi High Court will hear Greenpeace India's writ petition on May 26, which challenged the suspension of its Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) license and the block on its national and

international bank accounts. Greenpeace says it has great faith in the Indian judicial system and is hoping for a positive outcome.

"We are confident in our case and are hopeful that the court will grant us relief on Tuesday. But the wheels of justice can take time, and we need to make sure we don't disappear completely in the next few weeks. This plan enables us to do that," said Aich.

Over 30,000 supporters have now signed a petition to the Ministry Home Affairs (MHA), calling on Home Minister Rajnath Singh to end the crackdown on civil society groups and unfreeze Greenpeace India's accounts.

Samit Aich also invited Greenpeace supporters from around the world to sign an open letter to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, urging him to lend his voice in support of free speech in India.