They were detained at night and arrested in the morning. We’ll fight for it.However, this is only half the battle won for the ‘green hero’, whose humility prevents him from even accepting the tag. But, it shouldn’t be restricted to the words that have been used; we should look into the soul and spirit of the order, which is to maintain the status quo until the court decides further on it. What strikes the most is how a 21-year-old college student came out of nowhere — that too from an institution in Greater Noida, a thousand miles away from ground zero — and made a concrete impact, even while many activists, Bollywood celebrities, and citizens of Mumbai, were present at the location to prevent the lungs of the city from being destroyed.But one cannot discount the power of his words. Then, some local people informed us that the municipal authority has started chopping off the trees. “It’s high time. On that, the law student reveals, “All the arguments were prepared based on the facts only, which I was well aware of as my team was at Aarey.“Initially, my friends were involved in the movement.”This may have been the first such letter Rishav wrote, but he isn’t alien to activism. I’m not a green hero, I’ve just pressed over the efforts of those primary activist citizens on whose call this issue was raised.” Like all good things, his decision to study law was a romantic one.” So, now, he and the student delegation with tackle this, and all issues that crop up along the way.” This way, a monopoly on accurate information became his biggest strength.

We want the project to go ahead as soon as possible, but there are other locations and they can look into those. I didn’t know there would be so many details and technicalities. I also learned music in school. Whether his parents or the Director and Deputy Director of Lloyd Law College, where he studies, or the seven-member student delegation who were there to support him in court, he is grateful to the people who were united with him in the cause. But the construction still continues. We’re not anti-development. I drafted the letter on the train.This led him into a whirlwind of research, until he realised that the Supreme Court exercised a special jurisdiction, which simply requires a letter to prod the court to take suo-moto cognizance without getting into the technicalities. When the judgment came from the High Court of Bombay that dismissed the petitions (against the felling of trees), I was informed about it. Rishav continues, “The Supreme Court has given the order to maintain the status quo with respect to the clearing of trees.One wonders, how did this riveting chain of events, which led to the birth of an overnight sensation — a green hero — transpire? It evokes the memory of Olga Tellis’ endeavour more than thirty years ago, which resulted in a Supreme Court ruling that made it necessary for authorities to ensure alternative accommodation for slum dwellers in case their shantytowns were demolished.” As a law student, he’d like to continue his litigation work, but, he reveals, “I’m interested in constitutional law, media laws, and related matters.”

He is extremely delighted and thankful to the Supreme Court on the swiftness with which the matter was addressed. It was this very China light box signs Manufacturers document that prompted the CJI to intervene within half a day by taking suo moto cognizance of the matter, which saved a few dozen trees from being uprooted to create a Metro car shed. Rishav Ranjan, accompanied by a seven-member student delegation, recently filed a letter-cum-petition to Ranjan Gogoi, the Chief Justice of India..”Ranjan happens to be a regular kid from Jamshedpur, whose father works with Tata Motors and its ancillary companies. I was only involved with all these liberties and actions. “In school, I used to act in nukkad nataks (plays) and I’m a trained tabla player. He says, “See, mine was a very secondary effort.”The young law student has received immense support at every juncture. And, I’m involved with Yuva Halla Bol, a platform that works on paper leaks and systematic irregularities in examination and recruitment systems. Various activists, environmentalists, and naturalists have been acting very seriously and constructively on the issue. I’m interested in using law as an instrument for change. Then, I got the news that my friends had been detained so I asked my father and booked a ticket to Delhi.

 After all, one is nothing without their support system — not even a pathbreaker. He says, “I was at my hometown for Durga Puja. Associated with an organisation called Youth for Swaraj, he’s been, “Involved with a farmer’s movement.But, still, he couldn’t have possibly expected things to turn out this way.The battle ahead is the real one.”It is certainly a fight, but the law student holds that “Let it be known that we are pro-public transport, pro-Metro, and pro-development students. They can redraft their plans. Everyone is talking about the climate crisis. A bit of office-office ensued, with Rishav heading from one person to another, until the CJI finally received the letter. Before they were arrested, Kapil (a part of his team) told me to seek legal options in the honourable Supreme Court,” reveals Rishav. I saw powerful people and freedom fighters being lawyers and I thought, law kar lete hai (let’s go for law).One moment, you are a fourth-year law college student, and the next, you are the one whose petition stopped the further felling of trees in Mumbai’s Aarey Colony. So, our team went there and started a peaceful vigil. So, we had to get in touch with Rishav and find out more about his efforts and the person he is.” He adds that he’s still figuring things out, and happens to just be a regular college student. “I was very silly some years ago