Ramaswami: A landmark legal victory secured by Indian fishermen belonging to the Kutch district of Gujarat in the United States Supreme Court in the last week February went completely unnoticed by the Indian media. The US Supreme Court, in a 7:1 decision, with one judge abstaining, ruled on February 27 that the International Finance Corporation (IFC), an arm of the World Bank, financing the construction of a power plant at Mundra, Gujarat, is entitled only to limited or “restrictive” immunity that foreign governments currently enjoy. Therefore, its claim for absolute immunity from suit, filed by local farmers and fishermen alleging air, land and water pollution in the surrounding area of the plant, is not valid, the court said. The plaintiffs were led by Waghers, a group of Muslim fishermen who have been fishing in the Mundra waters for generations.