JOIN USElected representatives, locals send back UN team
The team had visited Chikmagalur on Monday where local residents opposed the proposal of according world heritage tag for western ghat.
In Madikeri as well, the elected representatives and members of some organisations took exception to the proposal when Dr Briin Furzaf from Australia and Dr Vendy from Switzerland, the experts in the team were addressing the news conference at forest guest house on Tuesday. The protesters, alleging that the team was in Madikeri due to the conspiracy of some fake environmentalists, said that there is no need for the team to hold any discussion with the forest officials. “Foreigners should quit India. We do not need project framed by environmentalist aimed at gobbling foreign funding,” said the protesters.
The chaos outside the guest house disturbed the team. The protesters paid no heed to the requests of the forest officials. Finally, the team had to stop the press conference and return to their rooms.
The protesters followed the team till their rest room and demanded that the foreigners should not be allowed to stay in Kodagu even for minute. They warned the Forest Officials of dire consequences if the team was not sent out of Kodagu immediately.
Bowing down to this, the officials tried to take the team out of the guest house. When the team members boarded their car, a raged farmer climbed the vehicle and shouted slogans against the team. ZP President V M Vijaya, Members Manu Muthappa, S N Rajarao, TP President H S Subhashini among others took part in the protest.
Expert talks
However, later addressing the reporters, Dr Wendy said that they will submit a report to UNESCO in November. “We will include the local sentiments and feelings in our report,” Dr Wendy informed.