In November 2004, the Coastal Action Network (CAN) approached the Madras High Court, seeking a stay on SSCP public hearings. Their petition was dismissed. The court said: Before parting with the above cases, we would like to mention that we should not obstruct the scientific and technical progress of the country in the name of environment protection. No doubt, the environment has to be protected, but at the same time we must never overlook the basic aim of our country, which is to make India a powerful and modern industrial state. Today the real world is cruel and harsh. It respects power, not poverty or weakness. The truth is that Indians, despite being intelligent and industrious people, are not respected by Westerners, not because our skin is brown or black in colour, but because our country is poor. Nobody respects the poor. When the Chinese and Japanese were poor people they were derisively called