Greenpeace activist Priya Pillai was on Sunday 11 January 2015 denied permission to fly to London, where she was scheduled to address British parliamentarians on the violation of the rights of forest communities in central India due to coal mining. Despite having a valid passport and visa, Pillai was not permitted by the immigration officials to board the 6:15 am Indian Airlines flight to the British capital, without offering a reason. The officials informed her that she is banned from leaving India though there are no criminal convictions against her. Her passport was stamped with the word: Offload. "They (immigration officials) told the airlines (Indian Airlines) to remove my baggage and told me that I cannot board as my name figures in a government database. They did not tell me what the database is and did not give me anything in writing," Pillai told Deccan Herald. Greenpeace, an internationally known non-governmental organisation, shot off letters to the Union Ministry of Home and External Affairs and the Airport Authority of India seeking to know the reason why Pillai was prevented from leaving. There was no response from the government so far. Pillai has been invited by the British MPs to talk about her campaign with the local communities in Mahan, Madhya Pradesh, where a proposed coal mining project led by Essar, a London-based company, threatens to uproot the lives and livelihoods of the forest and the community which lives there. The talk is slated on January 14. "I am shocked and saddened that the government has managed yet again to run roughshod over people working to protect democratic rights in the country," Pillai said in a statement. Asserting that she represented the forest community members of Mahan, the Delhi-based activist said, "I was scheduled to tell their story on how the Indian government and Essar, a foreign registered billionaire corporation, are trampling their rights and existence that have been guaranteed by none other than the constitution of India." Allocation of Mahan coal block in Singrauli Madhya Pradesh to Essar and Hindalco in 2006 is one of the controversial decisions in the coal scam case, which is being heard by the Supreme Court. Activists alleged that more than 50,000 people from 54 villages are being removed from the Mahan region. This is the second time a Greenpeace employee encountered problems. In September, 2014, Greenpeace campaigner, Ben Hargreaves - a UK national - was refused entry to India, despite having a valid visa. UPDATE 11th February 2015 Priya Pillai will continue to face the ban on her foreign travel if she plans to "badmouth" India abroad by raising domestic issues a government official has said. Priya Pillai, who was on January 11 offloaded from a flight to London at the IGI airport here, will not be allowed to make deposition before foreign governments and agencies as such presentations are often allegedly used against India in international trade negotiations, a Home Ministry official said. "No one will be allowed to appear before foreign governments and agencies badmouthing India, which ultimately brings trouble for the government in international fora. "However, Pillai will be allowed to travel abroad if she intends to go for other purposes like for tourism," a Home Ministry official said. Explaining the reasons behind the decision to offload Pillai from flight, the official said she was allegedly supposed to make her presentation before some British MPs on India's environmental issues. "Individual testimony has great value globally. Many foreign governments and agencies prepare report on such testimony and distribute them among European nations and share it even with the US and other developed countries. Very often, all such testimonies are used against India in international trade negotiations, which we cannot allow to continue," the official said. Submission before British MPs is akin to deposition before the United Kingdom government. It is beyond someone's comprehension how can a foreign government solve India's domestic problems, the official said. Pillai and other NGOs activists have enough avenues in India to raise their grievances. They can also approach courts if they find anything irregular in environmental issues. But testimony before foreign nations on India's domestic issues cannot be allowed, he said. UPDATE 12 March 2015 Two months after Greenpeace activist Priya Pillai was prevented from boarding a flight to London, the Delhi High Court has described the government's action illegal and against the democratic values enshrined in the Constitution. "The core aspect of democracy is the freedom of an individual to be able to freely operate, within the framework of the laws. Amongst the varied freedoms conferred on an individual is the right of free speech and expression, which necessarily includes the right to criticise and dissent. Criticism, by an individual, may not be palatable; even so, it cannot be muzzled," the court said in its judgment on Thursday. On January 11, just before her departure to London, Pillai was stopped from boarding the plane and her passport was stamped with "offload" and her luggage was taken out of the aircraft. Officials claimed she could not be allowed to leave the country as her name figured in a list of person against whom look-out notices have been issued. But in the court, they could not substantiate their claim of why Pillai was put on that list, which is meant for anti-national elements. Ruling in favour of the activist after a two-month legal battle, the Delhi High Court asked the government to quash and set aside the look-out circular against her. The court has also directed the government to expunge the "offload" entry in the passport. The decision to detain the petitioner (Pillai) at the airport was illegal as it violated Pillai's right under Article 21 and 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, Justice Rajiv Shakdher said in his ruling. "Why must the State interfere with the freedom of an individual, as long as the individual concerned operates within the ambit of laws." Article 19(1)(a) deals with "the freedom of speech and expression" whereas article 21 deals with "protection of life and personal liberty." The government's stand that her testimony before a group British parliamentarians would have "negatively" impacted India's image is completely untenable, said the judgment. The activist was to speak to UK law makers in connection with the role of Essar Power Ltd - a firm incorporated and registered in the United Kingdom - on coal extraction from Mahan coal block in the Singrauli coal belt in Madhya Pradesh. A joint venture company between Birla group's Hindalco and Essar Power was given mining rights by the government for Mahan coal block, which is home to the oldest and largest surviving Sal forest in Asia. Many NGOs opposed the mining in Mahan as it could disrupt the lives of the tribal people besides destroying the pristine forest. "We are relieved that the court has cracked down on this undemocratic abuse of power by the government. The bar on my travel was a clear violation of civil rights," Pillai said, reacting to the verdict.