Shiroor seer’s real love for nature!

From our Udupi office
UDUPI: Recently, Sri Lakshmivara Theertha Swamiji of Shiroor Mutt was much in the news- for his love for nature- by opposing tooth and nail the uprooting of huge trees near the Udupi Taluk office for road widening and footpath laying works. The Shiroor seer taking the officials to task was also shown on TV. But a glance at the past activities of the seer would force one to conclude that this seer had no moral right to protest against tree felling.
The manner in which the seer took the officials to task for the tree felling had even raised doubts as to whether he was a religious head or a lay man. Moreover, the seer’s action had also raised several eyebrows.
But, wait a minute; here is the other face of this swamiji who posed as a great environmentalist and nature lover just recently by raising voice against tree felling.
The seer sometime back had sold to the Manipal Pais the Kundel forest in the 32 acre land belonging to the Mutt, near the Manipal main road. Presently the huge trees from this forest are being felled and transported to some other place. The land in the forest area is also being leveled with an intention of raising multi-storied constructions here. Already one or two buildings have even come up.
It is all likely that the Kundel Kadu would vanish from the Udupi map in the days to come and a concrete jungle would be standing in its place. The very same seer who was responsible for this destruction of a forest land which was in possession of the Mutt, turned into an environmentalist when huge trees were felled near the Udupi taluk office recently.
Wasn’t the seer aware of the fact that the Kundel forest land if sold to Manipal Pais would be converted into a concrete jungle? At least on environmental grounds, he shouldn’t have sold this land, opine locals.
Here it is worth recollecting that this seer some time hack had told in public that he would not sell Kundel Forests but would instead hand over the land to the Sri Krishna Mutt. Has the seer forgotten his words?
Considering all these aspects, one can conclude that the Shiroor seer certainly has lost the moral right to protest against tree felling.