Rajasthan minister threatens Hindu saints protesting unlawful mining

On eleventh November 2022, Rajasthan’s tourism minister Vishwendra Singh threatened Hindu saints and seers protesting in opposition to unlawful mining and stone crushers in Bharatpur. Vishwendra Singh stated that if the protesters bully, the federal government will cope with it in its personal means.

Some factors relating to the demand for the elimination of the crushers couldn’t be agreed upon on the district collector’s workplace on Wednesday ninth November 2022. Due to this, the saints and seers took a troublesome stand and introduced an agitation from December 1 demanding the elimination of the crusher. Around 3000 Hindu saints gathered in Pasopa and staged a dharna for about one and a half hours, then marched in direction of Kedarnath at round 10:30 pm, warning of agitation. It is notable that, earlier in July 2022, a monk named Vijay Das immolated himself in reference to the identical challenge. The native administration is now to face the sit-in protests by the Hindu Sages.

In response to the robust stand by Hindu sages, cabinet minister Vishwendra Singh stated, “Mining at the Adibadri mountain is stopped as promised by the government. But we have not promised to shut the crusher plants. The crusher plants will continue to operate as they are having licenses. If sadhus and babas try to do more bullying, then the government will handle this in its own way.”

The Chaurasi Kos Yatra, which began from Shri Man Mandir Seva Sansthan, Gahwar Van Barsana, had stopped at Pasopa. About 3000 saints and seers had been concerned on this. Radha Krishna Shastri, government president of Shri Man Mandir, Pasopa Trust, submitted a memorandum to Dig SDM Hemant Kumar. It demanded the elimination of all of the stone crushers from the Braj area.

Shastri stated, “If the crushers running illegally are not removed, then all the saints will agitate. Any kind of loss of life during this time will be the responsibility of the government and administration. Right now we have postponed the agitation till November end.” However, the administration’s stand on this challenge is that they’ve completely checked if there may be any unlawful stone crusher unit and that they’ve fashioned a crew for checking this. The administration additionally famous that unlawful mining is totally stopped on this space.

While talking to OpIndia, Radhakant Shastri of Braj Parvat Paryavaran Sanrakshan Samiti stated, “Almost 20 stone crushers are operating there. When the crushers are operating, then illegal mining and theft of the stones are bound to happen. Therefore, for the last 7 to 8 days, there was a tense situation here. The Sadhus warned of agitation. The administration says that they have told the government, but the government is not ready to remove those crushers. Therefore, there is unrest among the Sadhus and Saints.”

He added, “The government had promised the last time that the leases will be cancelled. Accordingly, the leases are cancelled. But the crushers operating in the surrounding area are not removed yet.”

Radha Kant Shastri stated, “Adibadri area has been declared a protected forest. Therefore, now it is not legal in any case to have crushers here, because these crushers no longer have any source for stone procurement. We have had discussions with the administration many times, but the administration is still not able to fully understand the feelings of the saints. On August 24, we demanded the government immediately remove the crusher from here or else illegal mining will continue. It did not happen. There is a lot of anger among the saints about this and they have all become ready for the protests again.”

According to a report by Dainik Bhaskar, Braj Das stated, “From December 1, sadhus and saints will start an indefinite dharna on Adibadri. We do not take responsibility for any saint. They are free, they can do anything. If any untoward incident takes place in such a situation, then all the responsibility will be on the government and administration.”

Due to the go to of saints and the warning of Baba Narayan Das, the police, and administration had organized a lot of forces within the Pasopa and Adibadri space. During this time, 700 policemen together with District Superintendent of Police Shyam Singh and administration officers had been current in Pasopa. Talks had been additionally held between the administration and saints. After this, round 10:30 pm, the Braj Chaurasi Kos Parikrama Yatra of Man Mandir Barsana left for Kedarnath.

According to the famend Katha Reader Ramjilal Shastri, “We respect the Chief Minister of Rajasthan that he declared both the mountains as protected forests even though late, but in accordance with the spirit of saints. But unless the crushers are removed from here, illegal mining will not stop from these mountains. Until the two mountains are safe, our movement will continue.”

Adi Badri and Kanakanchal mountains are thought-about sacred within the Dig and Kaman areas of Bharatpur. The saints take into account them to be the sacred land of Lord Krishna. The motion of saints was happening for about 2 years to cease the authorized in addition to unlawful mining happening in these areas. On July 20, 2022, 65-year-old Mahant Vijay Das of Pasopa’s Pashupatinath temple in Dig immolated himself in protest in opposition to mining. He handed away whereas present process therapy at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital at round 3 am on July 23.

Earlier on July 4, 2022, Baba Haribol Das, who was related to the motion, threatened to immolate himself exterior the CM House if mining didn’t cease. Along with Baba Haribol Das, 14 saints warned of self-immolation. Baba Vijay Das was one amongst these 14.