Karnataka - Shimoga   

Seer claims threat to life for opposing mining

By Our Special Correspondent

SHIMOGA, JULY 3. Raghaveshwara Bharathi Swamiji of Sri Ramachandrapurmath, who has identified himself with a movement that is protesting mining in the Western Ghats, has claimed that he has received a threat to his life.

Addressing a press conference on the math premises at Haniya in Hosnagar taluk on Saturday, he said that he was not perturbed by the threat. "There is no question of withdrawing from the movement just because there is a threat to my life," he said.

He claimed that some persons had come to the math and told some volunteers that his life would be at stake if he did not withdraw from the anti-mining campaign. However, he had chosen to ignore it, he added. "There is no change in my stand on the mining issue in the light of the threat to my life. I will not allow mining at Ambaragudda to continue," he said.

The seer said he would stay at the math for the next three months observing Chaturmasya. "However, if there is any indication of mining in the vicinity of the Kodachadri, I will be forced to leave the ashram and rush to the spot of mining and oppose it."

He said the people in the area were so enraged that they would not allow mining activity there.

The seer noted that the forests and other natural resources in the Western Ghats region had depleted on account of mining in the area. He reiterated his support for the anti-mining campaign launched by various environmental groups.

To a question, he said he had not yet spoken to the Government about the mining activities in the Western Ghats.

The swamiji said he had started a programme, "Kodachadri Sanjivini," to protect the environment in the Western Ghats.

Sri Raghaveshwar Bharathi said a campus was being developed for "Sri Bharathi Gurukul Vishwa Vidyalaya" which would be run on the lines of Taxila Gurukul. A sum of Rs. 78 lakh had already been spent on the project, which was coming up on a sprawling 60-acre plot near his math premises, he added.

He said three gurukuls were already functioning on the math premises where students were being imparted Vedic education.

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