Cauvery Calling project: Karnataka High Court dismisses plea against fund collection by Isha Foundation

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking directions to Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev's Isha Foundation to refrain from collecting funds from the public for its Cauvery Calling project..A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum also highlighted how Isha Outreach has undertaken planting of trees, and recorded its appreciation for the same. "In the aforesaid case, the Supreme Court has dealt with the necessity of the forest and disaster which is taking place on account of the loss of forest cover. Therefore, the only remedy available to save mankind and planet earth is afforestation. Efforts of Respondent 3 certainly require appreciation. Therefore, we must place on record appreciation for the steps taken by respondent 3, Isha Outreach in the matter of afforestation. Petition deserves to be dismissed."The Cauvery Calling project involves steps to revitalize rivers which has dried up. The petition alleged that as part of the project, Isha Foundation was planting saplings on government land and collecting money for the same from the public.The plea by advocate AV Amarnathan had raised the issue of the government allowing its land to be used by a private organisation for planting saplings, without studying the pros and cons of the project.The petitioner argued that the “collection of money from public is disturbing” as Isha Foundation is expected to collect a massive ₹10,626 crore as donation.The Court had in October 2020 decided to treat the case as a suo motu petition, after removing the petitioner.This was after the petitioner sent a legal notice to the Discovery Channel asking them not to air a programme on the project..The Court in its judgment today opined that planting trees in a barren land is not a crime, though the respondents were not resorting to the same. "Planting trees on barren land is not a crime though respondent 3 (Isha Outreach) is not planting a single tree on the government land. In case such a view is taken that planting tree on a govt land is prohibited , it will create havoc and large number of plantations which are going on in the country over government land by NGOs, without any motive will come to a standstill.".The Court further termed the petition as a "frivolous" one, which did not warrant the interference of the Court. "Hence, the question of interference by this Court in a noble project like Cauvery Calling doesn't arise.".Though the Court opined that though the present case was a fit case for imposing costs, the Court refused to do so..[Read the Judgement]