Mumtaz Ali,popularly known as Sri M, who recently purchased land near Malma Betta, has clarified that he has abandoned all plans to undertake any project on the property following public opposition. Addressing a press conference in Madikeri, he said he had never intended to hurt the religious sentiments of local residents and expressed disappointment over the criticism directed at him.
Mumtaz Ali said he had purchased 58 acres of land, located about 2.5 kilometres from Malma Betta, with the intention of establishing a meditation centre and a goshala (cow shelter). He stated that he was unaware of the religious significance of Malma Betta at the time of purchasing the land, as no one had informed him about its cultural and spiritual importance. Had he known this earlier, he said, he would not have pursued such a proposal.
He further clarified that although he had submitted an application seeking conversion of 10 acres of the land for commercial purposes, he has now withdrawn the proposal and has decided not to proceed with any development activities on the property.
Mumtaz Ali announced that he is willing to sell the entire 58-acre property to members of the Kodava community at the original purchase price of Rs. 6.25 crore. If no buyer comes forward, he said he is prepared to hand over the land to the Government.
According to him, the previous owner had encouraged him to purchase the property, suggesting that it would be suitable for establishing a meditation centre. However, in view of the developments that have followed, he said he no longer wishes to settle in Kodagu and is also considering selling his coffee plantation in the district.
Expressing his anguish over the controversy, Mumtaz Ali said he believes much of the criticism stems from the fact that he has a Muslim name.
“I have been involved in several activities connected with the Hindu religion. I have contributed to the construction of many Hindu temples and possess considerable knowledge of the Upanishads, the Ramayana and the Vedas. Despite this, I have been subjected to unnecessary criticism on social media merely because I have a Muslim name. This has deeply hurt me. I have decided to stay away from Kodagu and am unable even to visit the land that I legally purchased,” he said.
He also observed that if local residents had reservations about the land purchase, they could have invited him to the Gram Sabha and sought clarification directly. Such a misunderstanding, he said, could have been avoided through dialogue.  Supporting this view, his disciple Biddanda Kushalappa said the present controversy had arisen primarily due to a lack of communication between the land purchaser and the local community.
Biddanda Bopanna was also present at the press conference.
Mumtaz Ali is scheduled to hold an important meeting with residents of the Malma Betta area in Madikeri during which he is expected to formally declare that no work of any kind will be undertaken on the purchased land.
