India admits blocking UK visit by activist.
trip would 'harm' national interest
NEW DELHI: the Indian ministry of home affairs has said it prevented a Greenpeace India activist from flying in January to Britain, where she was scheduled to brief parliamentarians on the effect of mining on indigenous communities in central India, because her visit would have been "prejudicial to the national interest" and hurt India's image abroad.
Priya pillai, an activist who had been fighting a coal-mining project by Essar Energy and Hindalco Industries in the Mahan forest, was stopped by immigration control at the airport in New Delhion Jan 11 and barred from travelling.
A government affidavit in the case, which was made available on Saturday, said Ms Pillai's name appeared on a no-fly list generated from a secret database of the Intelligence Bureau.