MANGALORE : Sri Vishwesha Theertha Swamiji of Pejawar Mutt who has been in the news through his frequent statements and press meets opposing MSEZ, has now put off his hunger strike for the fourth time. The seer who addressed a press meet on Thursday informed that the hunger strike which he was supposed to launch at Permude opposing the land acquisition for second phase of MSEZ, has been put off by one month following an assurance given by MP Nalin Kumar Kateel.
The seer had initially warned the government that he would go on a hunger strike from March 5 onwards if the CM did not respond to the demand to denotify the land notified for the second phase of MSEZ and also to withhold the acquisition of 4.24 acre of land for which a stay had been secured from the court. Then in the month of September, the seer had arranged a press meet and had announced that he would launch a hunger strike on November 11. In a more recent press meet, he said he would launch a hunger strike on February 4. When scribes questioned how far was it proper on his part to put off the agitation every time and whether it was advisable to believe the assurance given by MP Nalin Kumar when his party itself was in power in the state, the seer said so “ Oscar Fernandes who met me in Delhi has asked me not to oppose SEZ. He has also said that former MLA Vijay Kumar Shetty would come for talks. Even VS Acharya has assured to see that the land required for the project would be reduced to 4000 acres from 5000 acres. Nalin Kumar too has given an assurance and he has also promised to sit on an agitation with me if the problem was not solved.”
When scribes again questioned how he relied on the assurances of politicians when politicians have been giving assurances since the very beginning, the seer said that he was informed by former legislator Vijay Kumar Shetty and former minister Oscar Fernandes that farming in Permude, Kuttettur and Bajpe was not yielding good returns. He said they also told him that if water was insufficient to grow two crops, the yield in the third crop was not satisfactory and that there was even shortage of agricultural labourers.
Scribes then wanted to know if the seer had changed his stance after the secret meeting which Acharya who is pro-SEZ. To this Sri Vishwesha Theertha said the meeting was attended by MP Nalin Kumar who has assured to give a report to the government and him. Though the seer made it clear that nothing much was discussed at the meeting, he had no answer when scribes questioned why journalists were kept out of the meeting.
Asked if he would complain to the Lokayukta on the several irregularities by KIADB during land acquisition, the seer replied in the negative and said he would hold talks with the CM on the matter.
To another question on whether he would organize a Samajotsava against SEZ when earlier Samajotsavas have claimed that they were solutions to the nation’s problems, Sri Vishwesha Theertha said so far he had not organized any samajotsav but only gave speeches at Samajotsavas.
He also said he would hold talks with the home minister on withdrawing the cases registered against the poor Kudubi tribals.

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2. Anti-UPCL stir : Pejawar seer’s decision still not out
3. No land acquisition until clear-cut decision on SEZ: CM’s assurance to Pejawar seer
4. Pejawar seer gives anti-SEZ agitators a slip again ; drops hunger strike for 5th time
5. VSA breaks his promise to Pejawar Seer