Pejawar Seer to go on indefinite hunger strike

UDUPI: Sri Vishwesha Theertha Swamiji of Pejawar Mutt, has declared that he would go on an indefinite hunger strike at the Permude Temple from March 6 onwards opposing the forcible land acquisition from farmers for the proposed MSEZ.

Speaking to reporters at the Pejawar Mutt here on Tuesday, he demanded that both the State Government and the Centre make clear their stands on the Special Economic Zone.

On this occasion the Pejawar seer said “ A former legislator of Suratkal met me and informed that farming did not yield any returns, nor did the farmers get manure and labourers. He also requested me not to oppose land acquisition as farmers were selling their lands owing to this reason.”

The seer further revealed that when the former legislator who asked him not to oppose the 2000 acre land acquisition but oppose the later acquisition of 70,000 acres of land as they too were against it, he (seer) questioned what he could say if even the farmers owning the 70,000 acres too said similarly.

When scribes said people suspected his statement as he had on several earlier occasions too declared to stage a hunger strike and had then withdrawn, the Pejawar seer said “ As hunger strike is my last option, I have given sufficient time for the authorities to decide before I launch my hunger strike. Now I have gathered information that all arrangements have been made either to acquire or denotify and have henceforth decided to go ahead with my decision In case the government denotifies the land then I will drop my agitation..”

On this occasion, the Pejawar seer also made a starting revelation when he said so- “The former legislator who was among the farmers who met me told that a senior police official had informed him that foreign funds were flowing to the media in the nation to publish reports against SEZ as foreign nations did not want India to progress and have SEZs.”

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