The head of Matri Sadan, Swami Shivanand is on an indefinite fast to protest against the failure of the district administration to stop illegal mining across the district. His fast entered Day 21 on Sunday and now he has confined himself within a room.
Seer Bramhachari Dayanand, a follower of Matri Sadan, informed that despite many State Congress leaders having visited the ashram over the past two days, nothing positive has happened. This is why, Swami Shivanand has been continuing with his crusade. Significantly, on Saturday, Swami Shivanand had locked himself in a room.
Dayanand further said, “It is the first time in the history of Haridwar that the holy city is being recklessly desecrated by the mining mafias with the State and district administrations fawning on them.” Despite several notices issued by National Green Tribunal (NGT), illegal mining is going on here in full swing.
NGT had issued a direction to Uttarakhand State Government as well as to the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) on April 15 to stop illegal mining in villages likes Bhogpur, Bishanpur, Daulatpur, Mithiberi, Banjarawala, Rasoolpur and Daulatpur. Ganga being adversely affected by the menace was cited there. On March 23, an MoEF team had visited several sites where illegal mining was allegedly being carried out.
On Wednesday, the State Congress president Kishore Upadhaya had visited Matri Sadan and announced that a five-member committee comprising Amrish Kumar former MlA, OP Chauhan, Satpal Bramhachari, Rajendra Chaudhary and Harpal Sathi has been constituted to talk to the Seer Shivanand to prevail over him to withdraw the fast.
As per Dayanand, Upadhaya said the committee would submit its report soon and it would be sent to the party high command for further positive initiative against the menace of illegal mining. However, sources said that one of the close relatives of Rajendra Chaudhary who is member of the committee is involved in illegal mining. Reacting to it, Dayanand said they can hardly give credence to reports submitted by a committee whose members are directly or indirectly involved in illegal mining. When quizzed over the matter, Kishore Upadhaya said he would inquire and if it were found true, the member concerned will be removed from the committee.