Goldman Environment (Green Nobel) prize winner Prafulla Samatara remembered Rabi Ray, the founder member of Lokshakti Abhijan, and gave him the credit for the award. Addressing mediapersons, he said, “Rabi Ray was the inspiration and motivation behind my social activism.” Besides, he gave credit to all the community based sangathans for fighting to save the natural resources in Odisha. He held that the Niyamgiri Surashkya Anadonala is a successful movement which has been proved as a remedy for the world climate change and for the destructive development model. He is of the view that the prize is an indicator of the victory of the tribals who are fighting and sacrificing their life to save their motherland from the greedy corporates. The prize recognizes the importance of protection and conservation of the Niyamgiri hills and of the Dongaria Kandhs. “Along with Jal, Jamin and Jungle, now onwards the Lokshakti Abhijan will carry forward the fight for the cause of farmers, Dalits and tribals of the State and will organize awareness programmes for the poor and young students,” he declared. He further said, “The monetary value of the prize will not be my private property; rather it will be spent towards the campaign for the protection of natural resources, to provide justice to the displaced people and will be spent towards the development of language and culture of the Niyamgiri tribals. Besides, the programmes will be undertaken in the memory of Rabi Ray.” Samantra called upon the Governments of India and Odisha to change the so-called development model and stop corporate loot of natural resources. Instead, he urged to bring an alternative sustainable development model to bring a National Natural Resource Use and Management Policy. He also urged upon the State Government to stop police repression on the Niyamgiri tribals and to implement the historic Forest Rights Act, 2006 in all the villages of the State having forest land.