Naga sadhus raise heat on global warming, plan Kumbh campaign

Kolkata The Copenhagen summit may have been disappointing for climate negotiators across the world, but now spiritual leaders who are feeling the heat of the melting Himalayan glaciers have joined the ranks of green crusaders to raise their voice against the global warming.
Hundreds of thousands of Naga sadhus have decided to use the Kumbh Mela, 2010 as a platform to kick-start a green campaign against global warming.

“Since Kumbh Mela is the largest spiritual gathering, we have decided to do our bit to save the planet from global warming. There will be a huge presence of international communities and press during the fair. We’ll utilise the occasion to generate a ‘save the planet’ campaign worldwide,” said Mahamandalesvara of Juna Akhara Shri Soham Baba, who is said to be the commanding-in-chief of 2,50,000-odd Naga sadhus in the Himalayas.

“We are the first to realise the impact of global warming as it causes glaciers to melt in the Himalayan region. I am telling you from my personal experience, I felt the impact of global warming almost 25 years back. It’s not a very new phenomenon,” he said. The spiritual leader claimed in the Himalyas a few decades back, there were a variety of species of birds and flowers which are being lost due to the effects of global warming.

Soham Baba said the only difference now is that the entire world has woken up and realised the problem now.

“We’ll take out religious rallies with placards and banners saying – ‘Stop Global Warming, Save the Himalayas’. Or, ‘Plant Trees, Save the Planet’, he said, adding the Naga communities will also carry out a signature campaign during the fair.

The anti-global warming campaign during the Kumbh Mela will be carried out in various regional and international languages. The spiritual leader said they would organise an exhibition of photos they have clicked on global warming and the melting Himalayan glaciers that are currently preserved in archives in Hardwar.

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