UDUPI: It has been learnt that a team of SEZ officials and also a team of anti-SEZ activists met Sri Vishwesha Theertha Swamiji of Pejawar Mutt on Friday and held closed door talks with the senior seer on SEZ.
Reports revealed that Pradeep Kumar Kalkura, District President Kannada Sahitya Parishat and member of the SEZ Fact Finding Committee had arranged this meeting as an intermediatry. Kalkura himself had arranged an earlier meeting of SEZ officials with the seer last Wednesday.
While the SEZ officials were accompanied by two of their legal counselors, the anti-SEZ activists’ team included Vidya Dinaker, Hemalatha, another office bearer of the Guruvayanakere Nagarika Seva Trust and two of their counselors. However none of the affected farmers were present during the talks.
It may be recalled here that the SEZ officials during their meeting with the seer last Wednesday had failed in persuading the latter against opposing the project. The Seer had then asked the SEZ officials to find out through legal experts if the land acquisition for the first phase of the project at Kudubipadavu was legal or not.
Kalkura shifts stance: Pradeep Kumar Kalkura who had earlier constituted the Karavali Ulisi Vedike to fight against the MSEZ project, has now changed as an SEZ agent. Kalkura who had declared that “We will fight against the anti-people SEZ and PCPIR projects in the Gujjar way†at the auditorium near Sharavu Temple, has now converted as a member of the “ Karavali Alisi (Destroy) Vedike†by colluding with SEZ officials,†mock several farmers.
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