Separate Tulunadu State on the cards if Yettinahole Project not Dropped – Kemaru Swamiji
Mangaluru: All college students Association held a Rasta Roko, and protested against the State government for its double standard in the Yettinahole project, at the Besant College junction, here on October 6. Kemaru Sandipani Sadhanashram, Shri Shri Shri Esha Vittaladas Swamiji urged the people of Mangaluru and the students to continue their agitation till the Yettinahole project is dropped. He assured his full support and said that he will not rest until the government drops the project.
The protesters blocked the road at the junction near Besant college. Addressing the protesters Kemaru Swamiji said, “I thought Oscar Fernandes will listen to our plea and help us in dropping the Yettinahole project. Oscar Fernandes had given us assurances to look into the matter and arrange for a meeting with the CM but there is no response from him. The government is not showing any concern towards the District. Here in Dakshina Kannada, we are facing severe water crisis but the government is not ready to understand the reality”.
Swamiji further said, “The Yettinahole project is like painting the road white in the morning and in the night pouring tar on it so that the same person who painted the road in the morning should again get work. Yes, today we have blocked the road, for the people of the district. They should join hands with the students and fight against the government to stop the Yettinahole project. The government is playing with nature, whoever plays with nature, will not be spared, one day or the other they will have to pay for it”.
The president of Netravati Rakshana Samyukta Samiti Vijay Kumar Shetty said that the students power is nation’s power. The protests which the students have initiated have yielded fruits. The future of the nation is built inside the classrooms and today our students are here to protest against the government to drop the Yettinahole project. Students should continue such protests and hold Rasta Roko’s near every college so that all the people understand the seriousness of water shortage. If the project will not be dropped we will have to think of a separate Tulunadu.
Vijay Kumar Shetty further alleged, “Some of the people’s representatives are directly responsible for the implementation of the Yettinahole project. We call ourselves intellectuals but after seeing the developments in the district of the Yettinahole project I feel that DK is not a city of intellectuals but quite the opposite. MLAs J R Lobo, Shakuntala Shetty, Vasanth Bangera and MP Nalin Kumar Kateel have supported us but the district minister in-charge Ramanath Rai is not showing any interest to drop the Yettinahole project. Rai is only blaming the opposition for implementing the project. Instead of playing the blame game, Rai should intervene and pressurize the government to stop the project”.
Shetty also said, “The Yettinahole project will only benefit the some of the IAS officers and politicians and not the people of Dakshina Kannada. Students should pledge that they will not encourage corruption but will eliminate it from its root. It is sad that we have blocked the road but our intention is not to trouble the general public, this is to bring awareness on the seriousness of water crisis we all will face in the coming days. People should join hands with the students and protest against this project to save our river Netravati.”
The protesters dispersed later allowing normal movement of the traffic, students went back to their respective classes. State president of ACSA Dinakar Shetty welcomed. Praveen Valke, Dinesh Holla, Anand Adyar, Ashwith Kottari, Amit Rao, Anola, Prajwal Poojary, Nisha Mathew, Nadeem, Safalraj, Tushar, Dhanush Shetty, Yogesh Shetty Jeppu and others were also present.
