By Satish Sharma
Renowned socio-spiritual outfit Matri Sadan on Wednesday warned the Centre that it would revive the agitation for the cause of a clean Ganga river, if the assurances given by the Modi government last month were not implemented by June 13.
The Kankhal-Haridwar based ashram that has spearheaded the campaign to ensure clean and rich flow in the holy river all along its pristine course, for the past almost three decades, served the ultimatum in a three-page letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the World Environment Day on Wednesday.
Matri Sadan reminded Modi of the written assurance given by his government on May 4 last through the director general of the National Mission for Clean Ganga and urged him to fulfill the commitments.
The assurance that had paved the way for the end of the 194-day hunger strike by young ascetic Brahmachari Atmabodhanand, included a total ban on mining along the the course and bed of the river from Raiwala (Haridwar) to Bhogpur, closure of all stone crushers in 5 km belt along the river and cancellation, in toto, of four upcoming hydro-power projects along the principal streams of the river.
Ashram spokesperson Brahmachari Dayanand reminded the Prime Minister that requisite notification for implementation of the assurance could not be issued in the wake of in-force model code of conduct for the general elections and the government had thus sought some more time.
Now, the model code of conduct has been lifted and the government is expected to keep its word and implement the demands of the “Ganga Bhakta” seers, the ascetic held.
The ashram will organise workshops and other programmes between June 13 and 16, marking the death anniversary of Swami Nigamanand who died while fasting for the cause of a clean Ganga.
“If the government failed to do the needful to execute the demands by June 13, we will chalk out an agitation programme at our four-day deliberations”, Matri Sadan informed the Prime Minister.
The latest spell of hunger strike for the Ganga was launched by acclaimed environmentalist G.D. Agrawal (Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand) on June 22 last year. The former IIT professor had died on 112th day of his hunger strike on October 11 last year. He was supported in the fast, by Sant Gopal Das and young Brahmachari Atmabodhanand.
Four seers have so far died during the past two decades while on hunger strike for the cause of a clean Ganga. (UNI)
