Save Yamuna campaign: March reaches Vrindavan
April 5th, 2011 - 12:16 pm ICT by IANS
Mathura/Vrindavan, April 5 (IANS) The ascetics on a march to demand release of water into the drying and polluted Yamuna and cleaning of the river reached Vrindavan Tuesday morning.
The march to save the Yamuna started March 2 from Sangam - the confluence of the Ganga and the Yamuna - in Allahabad to Delhi.
After leaving Agra Saturday, the march entered Braj dham, mobilising support from Sri Krishna devotees and villagers along the river bank.
Ramesh Baba, the high priest and patriarch of Barsana, at whose initiative the march was started, accused central leaders and other politicians for ignoring the issue for far too long.
“If the Yamuna dies, the Braj sanskriti (culture), the Sri Krishna bhakti (devotion) and Hindu religion would also suffer. It is no longer a local or a regional issue, but a national one. The rivers of India have to be saved,” he told the marchers.
The march is attracting attention and several civil society groups have now joined the campaign march which is scheduled to reach New Delhi by April 15.
A large number of NRIs have joined the march. “Many groups in the US were supporting the cause, and writing letters to the president (Pratibha Patil) and the prime minister (Manmohan Singh),” according to the rally organisers.
The Yamuna Bachao marchers reached Mathura Monday morning.
“If the central government refused to accept our demands, we will open the gates and damage the upstream barrages on Yamuna,” Baba Jai Krishan Das, convener of the march, announced at a rally in Mathura Monday evening.
- Hundreds of ascetics march to save Yamuna - Feb 27, 2011
- Hundreds of sadhus march to Delhi for clean Yamuna - Apr 02, 2011
- Movement to save the Yamuna gains momentum (Lead) - Mar 01, 2011
- Temples shut down to protest pollution in Yamuna - Mar 01, 2011
- Yamuna campaign: Marching ascetics reach Taj city - Mar 24, 2011
- Hundreds join Save Yamuna rally in Agra - Mar 27, 2011
- Ascetics highlight Yamuna pollution to president - Mar 08, 2011
- March to mobilise support for cleaning Yamuna - Dec 02, 2010
- Ascetics march to save Lord Krishna's Braj - May 25, 2009
- 'Recognise Yamuna as heritage entity' (April 18 is World Heritage Day) - Apr 17, 2011
- A riot of colours in Vrindavan - Mar 08, 2012
- Flooded Yamuna brings on Janmashtami fervour in Braj - Sep 01, 2010
- Braj turns yellow on Basant Panchami - Jan 28, 2012
- Millions throng Mathura, Vrindavan for special prayers - Apr 26, 2010
- Radhastami celebrations in Mathura - Sep 05, 2011
Tags: allahabad, ascetics, barrages, barsana, bhakti, campaign march, central leaders, civil society groups, hindu religion, krishan, krishna devotees, manmohan singh, mathura vrindavan, prime minister manmohan singh, rally organisers, regional issue, rivers of india, sangam, sri krishna, tuesday morning