Mumbai: ‘SC stay win would have been sweeter if it had come earlier’

MUMBAI: Activists fighting for Aarey conservation, including those who faced jail time, were happy with the Supreme Court’s stay on felling of trees, but added that it would have helped had the order come earlier.
“It’s a win for us as it means that the SC took cognisance of our fight. Our going to prison did not go waste,” said Prashant Kamble, who was among the 29 people arrested for Friday’s protest and subsequently bailed out.“The win would have been sweeter had the order had come earlier and the 2,000 plus trees that were felled could be saved,” he said, adding that media coverage of the protest and tweets created pressure.
Yash Marwah, a member of Aarey Conservation Group (ACG), said: “The SC order shows that pressure was so high that the court was even taking note of a letter of a law student. It has become a conversation in the corridors of law, bureaucracy and parliament and shows that there was some kind of urgency, if not for Aarey then at least for the larger environment.”
But local residents claimed that sounds of wood chopping could be heard on Monday morning, even after the SC stay. “The level of destruction in the car shed plot is unbelievable-...My friends and parents visited the place and told me about it...Having grown up in Aarey, this has hurt us deeply,” said Swapnil Pawar, a hotel management graduate who had spent two days in jail.
“Despite the SC order...there was a heavy police bandobast around Aarey on Monday. A question that arises is what do the authorities want to hide now?” asked Marwah. Local resident who was arrested on Friday Stephan Misal (40) termed it a “curfew-like” situation. “We aren’t being allowed to use our vehicles and can only commute on foot.”
Amrita Bhattacharjee of ACG, who was in SC on Monday, said, “The SC took cognisance of the fact that there are documents which mention that Aarey is a forest. This order brings some hope that the matter will be heard on merit. While many are upset that trees are cut, if the place is left as it is, then being a forest, it will regenerate. This is also a catchment area of Mithi river...how does one compensate for the destruction of catchment area.”
Activist Zoru Bhathena said the fact that trees were cut and protesters arrested in the dark of night has shocked the conscience of many. “In my opinion, they are making a false claim that they have cut thousands of trees. We have photographs which show that a large number of trees are still standing on the place.”