To sum it up, the conditions were as vague as they can get. The two expert bodies formed as a consequence of litigation have now concluded that the event has caused damage to the site and that the organisers have violated the conditions.

Logically, the DDA should have promptly taken back the permission as per its laid down conditions. But it has not.

An exception was made in the first place for the Vyakti Vikas Kendra – the registered trust which is to hold the Art of Living event associated with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the spiritual guru. There are no laid-down standard norms to permit such, or even much smaller, events on the Yamuna bank, which is already stressed with existing constructions and encroachments over the years.

The court’s expert body, after finding serious damage to the site, has suggested a fine of Rs 120 crore as reparations. This is again an exception. The rule requires cancellation of the event besides the reparation costs. The sum could be a small pecuniary pinch for the organisers, but surely not a deterrence for future violators.

It only proves yet again how the environmental governance in the country largely works. If you have the clout, you can get a conditional permission and then flout the conditions brazenly. In the rare case that a court does notice the illegalities, pay a little fine, prepare an environmental damage mitigation plan that costs a bit more and carry on with your business.

Consider for a moment that the issue had not gone to court. Do you believe that the chief engineer of the DDA or his subordinate would have had the gall to cancel the permission at the last moment in case he or she found the setting up of temporary structures and holding the event was damaging the river bank? This is the same chief engineer who is marking his approval to the project all the way to the urban development minister’s office. Don’t forget the President of India and other political heavyweights from the party in power and the opposition were expected to attend the event. The President, of course, has now found he is unavailable for the event.

Who was to regulate the event, the land-owning agency, Delhi state pollution control board, the Delhi government’s environment department or the regional office of the Union environment ministry in charge of Delhi? Who is responsible for environmental governance in the city? The air pollution crisis in the capital has shown earlier that no one is and the only time government agencies work together is when the courts yoke them to do so.

In a city with a semblance of structured governance one could have imagined the DDA land on the river-side being used for temporary events under strict laid-down guidelines and regulations and permissions being given through a transparent process. Then the city and its people could have celebrated its river bank. Not just an exceptionally influential Vyakti Vikas Kendra.

After all, other cities celebrate and participate in even bigger congregations on river banks such as Kumbh melas periodically. Standard protocols have been developed to manage their environmental fallouts. Of course those events too could be organised and regulated better. But the point is, river banks in cities are urban commons. If discretion was not the rule, citizens would get to enjoy the river front and not just the exceptionally influential. The river bank and the city would both gain from it.

What is the need of such big events?

We all aware that Art of Living Foundation is one of the biggest organization which is being followed in many countries around the world. The work done by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is enormous. There was the event happened in past on the birthday of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar where more than 25 Lakhs people were participated in Bengaluru that event was the of huge success.  Among the people the musicians of different part played the music seamlessly without any interruption.

We are not sure why we would like to have such big events it will help in growing the faith, does it make us to think similar, do we really go into the path of development? Guruji one line which we remember is whatever you do do it with 100%  so we believe such events will occur flawless if it is being done with 100%.

Let us know your views and how you believe on this event controversies.

2280 people signed the petition against the event

Petition against the Art of Living (AOL) event on Yamuna banks, on change.org, has gathered over 2,800 signatures. The petition, launched by Vimlendu Jha of NGO, Swechha India, asks for immediately “shifting out of the event from the ecologically-sensitive area”. It also asks for “strict action against the damage caused”.

The petition will be submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Justice of India TS Thakur, National Green Tribunal (NGT) chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Art of Living Founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

River activist Manoj Misra, said, “This is a reflection of real anger in the city against the illegality that is happening on the floodplain of their life line river.”

It further addresses Sri Sri Ravi Shankar himself, saying: “We are aware that you have raised the cause of Yamuna in the past, but this act of yours to assemble 3.5 million people and also supposedly to be in the Guinness Book of World Records is going to kill Yamuna, the only source of water for Delhi.”

“We acknowledge your right as an individual and organisation to propagate your faith and beliefs through an event such as this. However the entire purpose of celebrating the richness of culture gets defeated when it is done at the expense of a natural resource and more so, a river that is anyway struggling to survive.”