MANGALORE: It is said that the SEZ officials who had recently been to the Pejawar Mutt to meet Sri Vishwesha Theertha Swamiji of the Mutt, to persuade him against opposing the project, had virtually offended the seer by being discourteous to him.
As already reported the Seer had failed to budge to the SEZ officials and had asked them to consult legal experts to verify if their act of forcibly evicting people from Kudubipadavu was illegal or not. The meeting was in fact arranged by an intermediary with the intention of persuading the Seer to drop the indefinite hunger strike which he has planned to launch next month seeking justice to the poor Kudubi tribals.
It is learnt, the SEZ officials were greatly worried over the fact that the proposed indefinite hunger strike of the Swamiji in the month of November may create uproar in the whole of the nation and thus wanted to convince the seer to drop the agitation.
The meeting was attended by SEZ officials Surendra Shetty, Raghavendra Holla, Manjula and Diwaker along with their legal counsel. Even a legal counsel for the farmers, recommended by the intermediary was also present during the talks.
Reports say that the legal counsel for the SEZ argued before the seer that “The acquisition of the land of the Kudubis was legal. Still they have moved the court. If the Pejawar seer still goes in for a hunger strike when the case is before the court, this would be tantamount to contempt of court.†At this juncture, the so called legal counsel of the farmers who was present on the occasion, reportedly defended the counsel for the SEZ. His stance was opposed by anti-SEZ activist Vida Dinker who referred to the peaceful means of hunger strike launched by leaders right from Mahatma Gandhi to Medha Patkar eventually succeeding in the same.†It should not be forgotten that these two had embarked on a fast unto death when the issues for which they fought were before the court. Even the Pejawar seer is going on a hunger strike against the SEZ and the government and not against the court. Do not mislead the seer, “she said.
If Vidya Dinker, Hemalatha Bhat and Vittal Shetty were seated close to the Pejawar seer, the SEZ officials were in another room of the Mutt. It is said the SEZ officials did not come out of the room, when invited by Pejawar seer for talks. Finally when the seer walked into the room of SEZ officials and invited them for talks they said they would come after their legal counsel who had gone out would arrive.
It is learnt, the Pejawar seer left his seat four times to invite the SEZ officials for talks and when he did so for the fifth time, the SEZ officials were missing as they had left without any hint.
A senior staff of the Mutt reacted who reacted sharply to this, said the SEZ officials did not even have the courtesy to accord respect to a senior seer.
Kemar Seer sore : Meanwhile, the Kemar Seer Sri Esha Vittaldasa Swamiji has reacted sharply to this development saying any attempt to hold secret talks with the anti-SEZ activists was not a healthy development. “ The need of the hour is justice for the Kudubis. Their decision would be final in this movement,†the seer said.
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