Cauvery Calling: Rally enters Mysuru, Actor Pranitha Subhash joins rally

5 September 2019, Mysuru: The Cauvery Calling Rally reached Mysuru today where people lined the streets to accord a warm welcome to Sadhguru as he entered his hometown. Earlier in the day, Sadhguru sat down for a conversation with Kannada actor Pranitha Subhash on the banks of river Cauvery at Unduvadi. So inspired was the actor with the cause that she decided to join the Rally impromptu. Slipping on a jacket and a helmet, she rode pillion from Krishna Raja Sagara Dam to Mysuru city with one of the women motorcyclists. “I’m loving it,” said Pranitha waving a Cauvery Calling flag. “This is my first time on a bike for a rally and the fact that it’s for such a good cause makes it even more special,” said the delighted actor who seemed to be enjoying herself to the hilt.

On reaching Mysuru, seated on his idling motorcycle, Sadhguru reminisced briefly about the city’s aesthetic reputation. “In Jaipur, they have made sure all the facades of all the modern buildings also should look like how the traditional buildings were. Something on those lines could be done on all the main streets of Mysore at least. Please look at this. Both the citizens and the lawmakers of Mysore, ensure that Mysore remains one of the most beautiful cities. Wherever I travel in the world, when I say I’m from Mysore, they say ‘Oh, Mysore! It’s a very pretty city,’ but I think they have not visited in the last 5-10 years,” said Sadhguru laughing. “This is a beautiful city. Let’s keep it that way,” he added before continuing onward into the city for the day’s event.

An expectant crowd thronged the Amphitheater at Manasagangotri where Sadhguru was given a rousing reception. All along the route to the Amphitheater, people stopped in their tracks to wave at Sadhguru. Taking everyone by surprise, Sadhguru rode right up to the dais at the Amphitheater where he was given a traditional dollu kunitha (Karnataka folk dance) welcome.

Performances by Isha Samskriti, the Isha school of traditional Indian arts as well as Sounds of Isha, Isha’s homegrown music troupe and local singing sensation Ananya Bhat enthralled an excited audience. A song penned by Sadhguru, Cauvery Haadu, and sung by popular Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar which has recently gone viral, was also played at the venue. Mysuru Lok Sabha MP Shri. Pratap Simha; Suttur Swamiju, Pontiff of Suttur Mutt; Shri. Veerendra Heggade, Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala; Kollegal MLA Shri. N Mahesh; and Dr. M.A. Shankar, retired Director of Research and Head of Dry Land Farming, GKVK, Bengaluru participated in the public event.

Addressing the audience, Sadhguru said “Flood and drought are not two different problems, they are the same problem… These issues need to be addressed in a more holistic way, not in a knee jerk way… Rivers belong to this planet. If we don’t manage them, they won’t exist after some time…This is one of the richest lands in the world…We have a history of 12,000 years of agriculture. But in two generations, in 70 years, we have brought it to such destruction – 25% of the country is declared as fallow, 40% of Tamil Nadu has been declared as fallow, 17% of Karnataka has been declared as fallow. We need organic content in our soil…Today nearly 60% of the land in India has less than 0.5% (of organic content)… One teaspoon of soil in Southern India has 10,000 to 50,000 species of microbes in it but today we have removed all source of organic content – trees and animals… Are you planning to export your children? We can revive this land very quickly if we are determined to do it,” said Sadhguru.

Suttur Swamiji said that all rivers in the country are in a painful condition today. He said that the days may not be far off when our children can only see rivers on film if we don’t act now to save the country’s lifelines. He said the first teacher and Guru for mankind is Nature and it’s relevant that we are gathered here today on Teachers Day to promote Cauvery Calling. He appealed to everyone to support the Cauvery Calling movement.

Shri. Veerendra Heggade said that the difference between a yogi and non-yogi is that a yogi thinks of the future, not just of everyday necessities. He said this planet is on loan from the next generation and it is our responsibility to hand it to them in a good condition. Cauvery Calling is only a wakeup call – it is applicable for all rivers, he said. This is a plan with two objectives: to increase farmer wealth as well as enhance the quality of soil and water in our land which makes it a good plan, said Shri. Heggade

Shri. Pratap Simha said our tradition of respecting our land and rivers which is being quickly forgotten is being revived by Sadhguru. He said that in Kodagu, over the last decade more than a lakh trees have been felled. He said that though there is a pre-requisite that for every tree felled, 20 trees need to be planted, no one follows this rule. He promised to support the Cauvery Calling movement on behalf of the government.

Shri. N. Mahesh said that the most special thing about this movement is that a Guru has come forward to save our farmers, our land and our water. He said that farmers can earn much more from agroforestry than from crops and it is our responsibility to bring this awareness to all farmers. He appealed to the CM to introduce a subsidy for farmers who convert to agroforestry. If we reduce the farmer to a pauper, the nation will become poor, he said.

Dr. M.A. Shankar said that it is only trees which can drop their roots deep into the ground and enhance the capacity of the ground to hold water as well as strengthen the soil. He urged the audience to support Cauvery Calling in every possible way.

The Rally will begin its journey tomorrow from the North Gate (Jaya Vijaya Gate) of the Mysuru Palace, will go past the Gun House on to Ramaswamy Circle and B R Ambedkar Circle before entering Ashoka Road and ending at Dodda Gadiyara.

The Rally will move to Mandya tomorrow where Sadhguru will address the public at a mega event in Ambedkar Bhavana, Mandya.

Cauvery Calling is a first of its kind campaign, setting the standard for how India’s rivers – the country’s lifelines – can be revitalized. It will initiate the revitalization of the Cauvery river by supporting farmers to plant 242 crore trees in the river basin. This will increase water retention in the basin while improving the income of farmers by 3-8 times in 5-7 years and transforming the lives of 84 million people.