Environmentalist GD Agarwal died on 112th day of hunger strike. | Photo Credit: ANI

New Delhi: G D Agrawal, an environmentalist, rationalist and a former professor of the coveted Indian Institute of Technology, popularly known as Swami Gyanswarup Sanand, died in a hospital in Rishikesh, after a 111-day hunger strike demanding the government to scrap hydel projects along the river Ganga.

Agrawal, 86, was taken to the All Indian Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh on Wednesday after he stopped drinking water. Earlier, he accepted water with honey during the duration of his hunger strike which started on June 22. Following Agrawal’s death, PM Narendra Modi’s government which rode to power promising among other things, a clean Ganga, will be posed with some tough questions regarding its election promises and its handling of Agrawal's demands and hunger strike.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief at the demise of the activist. “Saddened by the demise of Shri GD Agrawal Ji. His passion towards learning, education, saving the environment, particularly Ganga cleaning will always be remembered. My condolences,” tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.

Saddened by the demise of Shri GD Agarwal Ji. His passion towards learning, education, saving the environment, particularly Ganga cleaning will always be remembered. My condolences. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 11, 2018

Agrawal had written three letters to PM Modi –all of which went answered. The environmentalist in his second letter dated 13th June urged Modi to respond to his demands of stopping work on hydel projects which were detrimental for the eco-system around the river considered sacred by millions of Hindus.

The government, however, did try to meet the demands of the agitating seer. Clean Ganga activist and BJP leader Uma Bharti had visited Agrawal on July 5, 2018, and Union Minister Nitin Gatakari spoke to him on the phone during Bharti's visit. But Agrawal, as per his letter, had insisted PM Modi to make assurances on the demands listed below (in the letter).

After Agrawal's death, Union Water Resources and Ganga River Rejuvenation Minister Nitin Gadkari assured that almost all the demands put forward by the environmentalist had been met. Gadkari had also said that he had written a letter to the activist to end his fast.

In the final letter to PM Modi on October 5, Agrawal pleaded with him citing the example of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who stopped work on the Lohari Nagpala project for “sake of Gangaji” despite 90 percent of work being completed.

Here is the final letter to the government dated 5.08.2018:

Shri Narendra Bhai Modiji,

Respected Prime Minister,

I have written a few letters to you in the past addressing matters related to Gangaji, but I have not received any response from you addressing them till now. I had a great confidence that after your becoming the Prime Minister you would think seriously about Gangaji because you have yourselves stated in the run up to 2014 elections in Banaras that you have come there because of the call given to you by Ma Gangaji — that very moment I came to believe that you would probably do something worthwhile for Gangaji and it is on account of that belief that I kept waiting in peace for the past four and a half years. You would probably be aware that I have undertaken several fasts in the past seeking actions in favour of Gangaji and earlier accepting the grounds for my insistence ((sic) erstwhile Prime Minister Shri) Manmohan Singh ji decided to stop as well as cancel all activities in a major project like Lohari Nagpala which was already 90% complete by then, because of which the Government had to bear the brunt of the loss of thousands of crores rupees, yet the Government under Manmohan Singh ji went ahead and did this for the sake of Gangaji. Over and above this the then Government went ahead and declared the stretch of flow of Bhagirathi ji from Gangotri to Uttarkashi as an Eco-Sensitive Zone so as to ensure that activities that may cause harm to Gangaji never occur.

It was my expectation that you would go two steps forward and make special efforts for the sake of Gangaji because you went ahead and created a separate Ministry for all works relating to Gangaji,but in the past four years all actions undertaken by your Government have not at all been gainful to Gangaji and in Her place gains are to be seen only for the Corporate Sector and several business houses. Till now you have only thought on the point of earning profits from Gangaji. You do not seem to be giving anything to Gangaji,such is the impression created by all of your projects in relation to Gangaji. Even if for the sake of making a statement you may say that there is nothing to take from Gangaji but only give Her from our side.

On the 03.08.2018 CE, Union Minister Sadhvi Uma Bharti ji came to meet me. She made me speak to Nitin Gadkari ji on phone,but the response is expected from you. It is therefore that I could not give any reply to Sushri Uma Bharti ji. It is my request to you that you accept the following four desired requirements which remain the same as I have listed in my previous letter written to you dated 13th of June 2018, failing which I will give up my life continuing my fast. I have no qualms about giving up my life because the issue of Gangaji is very significant to me and is of utmost priority. I was a Professor at an IIT and was member of the Central Pollution Control Board as well as that of Governmental organizations related to Gangaji. It is on the basis of my experiences gained over all these years of being part of these institutions, I can state that in the previous four years of your Government, there is not even a single action that can be said to be a fruitful one in the direction of saving Gangaji. It is my request, I repeat, that the following necessary actions be accepted and acted on. I am sending this letter through Uma Bhartiji.

Here are my four requests for necessary actions:

Bring the Draft Bill prepared by Ganga Mahasabha in 2012 [Draft of National River Gangaji (Conservation&Management) Act – 2012: http://www.gangamahasabha.org/gm%20docs/Draft%20Proposal%20%20of%20Ganga%20Mahasabha.pdf ] for discussion in the Parliament immediately and get it passed (I, along with Advocate M.C. Mehta and Dr. Paritosh Tyagi were part of the committee in preparing this draft). In the event that this does not happen, then from the above draft bill, items from Chapter-1 (from Article-1 to Article-9) be brought into force by way of an immediate Presidential Ordinance.

As a part of the above stated exercise, cancel all the hydel power projects that are underconstruction over Alakananda , Dhauliganga, Nandakini, Pindar and Mandakini and also cancel all the proposed hydel power projects on Gangaji and all feeder streams of Gangaji.

From the draft Bill mentioned above, Article 4(D)-1 cutting/deforestation and 4 (F) slaughtering/processing of living species/matter and 4(G) all types of mining activities be completely stopped and this be enforced and this be specifically enforced in Haridwar Kumbha-Kshetra.

Constitute a Ganga Bhakta Parishad provisionally (till June 2019 CE) in which there will be 20 members nominated by you, who are to take an oath standing in the waters of Gangaji that they will act only in the interests benefitting Gangaji and only Gangaji’s favourable interests and in relation to all actions pertaining to Gangaji, the opinion of this Parishad be taken as decisive.

Since I did not receive any response or reaction from you for my letter dated 13th June 2018, I have started my fast as stated in the letter from 22nd June 2018 and in that light,this is for your appropriate action quickly as well as with due thanks for the same.

Yours,

Sd.

Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand

(formerly Prof. G.D. Agrawal)