Only time will tell whether Swami Shobhan Sarkar’s claim of 1,000 tonnes of gold at a fort in Unnao could come true or not, but a Congress Minister strongly believes that the treasure would help salvage the image of the UPA Government among the India Inc, whose confidence has dipped on account of the gloomy economic scenario.
Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industry and Agriculture Charan Das Mahant, on whose initiative the Government started the hunt for gold, is of the view that the discovery of the gold will not only strengthen the rupee but also change the attitude of the corporate world from blatant pro-(Narendra) Modi towards the Congress.
While pitching for the early excavation, Mahant in a letter on October 8, 2013 to Union Culture Minister Chandresh Kumari Katoch, enlisted several of its benefits like stronger rupee, lower current account deficit, and GDP growth entering the double digit phase.
In his letter, he also pointed out that “India will move from the 11th position (557 tonnes) to 6th (1,600 tonnes of gold) in the world in the gold holding,” and hoped that “we could see shift in the attitude of corporate world from the present blatant pro-Modi towards
the Congress.”
His letter came against the backdrop of various surveys predicting that bad management of the country’s economy could cost the Congress its political supremacy..
Mahant had visited the site on September 22, 2013 on the request of Swami Shobhan Sarkar, who had claimed that the 19th century local king Rao Ram Bux Singh had appeared in his dream and told him about 1,000 tonnes of gold lying buried near a 180-year-old Shiva temple in Daundia Khera village of Unnao.
The king was hanged to death by the British rulers during the revolt of 1857 and his palace, situated near the temple, was destroyed.
On the Minister’s initiative, the Culture Ministry asked the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct the survey at the spot.
As per estimations by the priest, Mahant said that the excavation would lead to recovery of gold coins, gold pot and jewellery and diamond and other gems in the ratio of 60:20:20.The Minister also believe that three more similar treasure troves exist at other sites but would be revealed only after the gold is safely excavated from the fort in Unnao district.
However, his request to start excavation during Navratri before October 13,as desired by Sarkar could not be fulfilled.