Mangalore : In its 4th week, Gregory’s struggle against MRPL, MSEZ and KIADB for their atrocities in the role of a land Mafia for development, received the full support on the 22nd day, today, from an unexpected quarter, that of Udupi Pejawara Matt seer, Sri Vishwesha Tirtha Swamiji, at the DCO gates. A large number of listeners gathered at the Dharna Venue where Patrao and his friends are on a relay fast in rains.

Speaking on the occasion, the Pejawar Swamiji expressed his compassion for Gregory who lost his ancient ancestral house and 14 acre farms to KIADB in a matter of injustice in the name of industrial expansion.

If development has to be done in industries at all, the govt, can start it from dry lands and agriculturally useless lands, but not destroy farms. The destroyers know it is against constitutional rights of justice and fair play. What has now happened is an outright misuse of law of the land and Goonda acts by KIADB and MRPL on Gregory’s property.

This kind of unlawful domination for the sake of industrial progress is unheard of, and so condemnable, the Udupi seer stated. Gregory should be suitably compensated for his total losses in many ways. The state has a duty towards farmers, not to loot their properties. Gregory’s lands were taken by force, it is most unfair, the Guru ruled. Let the concerned officers, who perpetrated such goonda acts, pay back to Gregory the price of their robbery.

The seer congratulated Gregory Patrao for the model way in which he conducted his struggle against the massive injustice of the state, all these weeks.

Rev. Fr. William Martis, who spoke next, told the gathering that this was  a programme which will shake up even the dead in a cemetery. When an SEZ wants any land, that has to be certified as non-agricultural. But officials have given a false report. Bribery is certainly a port of such a deal. Those who do illegal actions need an illegal  kind of answer as tit for tat, he added.

The leaders like Fr Onil Fernandes of CODP, Hariskrishna Punaroor, former president of Karnataka Sahitya Parishat, M Madhukar Amin, president of Agricultural Land Conservative Committee, Muhammad Kunni, president of Youth Wing Jamaath-e- Muslim  Hind and others also spoke on the occasion.
T R Bhat, spokesperson of Karavali Karnataka Janabhivriddi Vedike delivered the introductory speech on the occasion.