Activist fasts to death over Ganges
Agrawal, 86, died while on hunger strike meant to force government action to save river
For G.D. Agrawal, the Ganges River was a unique gift that he described as India’s very soul. On Thursday, his campaign to conserve it ended in his death.
Agrawal, 86, a pioneering environmental activist, died after a nearly four-month hunger strike which he began in late June to pressure the Indian government to take a series of actions to rejuvenate the Ganges.
During Agrawal’s fast to draw attention to the plight of ■ the river, he reportedly drank only water with honey and lemon juice. His death is a sensitive topic for the government, which has pledged to clean up the Ganges, a river considered sacred in Hinduism. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s own constituency is in Varanasi.
The river is revered by many Hindus, who believe bathing in its waters can bring healing and spiritual redemption.
But the 1,500-mile (2,414km) long river has become a dumping ground for industrial effluents, agricultural by-products and human waste.
Before starting his fast, Agrawal wrote to Modi with a list of demands: pass legislation to clean and revive the river, cancel all hydroelectric projects, ban deforestation and sand mining along the river Gupta, his former student and friend of 50 years, said he spoke to Agrawal Thursday. “He advised me to keep up the battle,” Gupta said. “He said, ‘I have lost, but maybe you can fight.’”