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Matri Sadan founder gives up agitation on Ganga after assurance by mission director
After a discussion with the ashram members and Ganga activists, Swami Shivanand Saraswati announced breaking his agitation and sipped water.
Just a day after Swami Shivanand Saraswati, the spiritual ideologue of Matri Sadan ashram, intensified his fast unto death agitation relying on just a glass of water, the National Mission For Clean Ganga (NMCG) shot off a letter of assurance urging the seer to give up his agitation.
A letter from the director-general of National Mission for Clean Ganga, Rajeev Ranjan Mishra, was handed to Swami Shivanand Saraswati by Ganga Vichar Manch national convener Bharat Pathak at Matri Sadan ashram. Soon after reading the letter, the seer broke his three-week-long agitation.
“NMCG has already written to the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry to review its decision on environmental and technical grounds to stop illegal quarrying from Raiwala till Bhogpur. We have also written to the Uttarakhand government regarding environment clearance for quarrying in the area. Regarding hydropower projects, we apprise Swami Shivanand Saraswati that no consent has been granted by the ministry for any new project. The government is committed to the conservation of the Ganga. We all are committed and jointly make efforts for its conservation,” said Mishra.
After a discussion with the ashram members and Ganga activists, Swami Shivanand Saraswati announced breaking his agitation and sipped water in presence of Ganga Vichar Manch office bearers Bharat Pathak and Ashish Jha.
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“NMCG has assured of taking requisite steps and urged me to give up the agitation, which I have considered after reading the letter. Ganga conservation, as well safeguarding the ecology, is paramount and Matri Sadan ashram has always been a flag-bearer in this regard,“ said Swami Shivanand Saraswati.
Expressing happiness over the development, Magsaysay awardee Rajendra Singh said that the demands of Swami Shivanand Saraswati, as well as other seers who previously protested for the cause, are genuine and related to river Ganga, the ecology and environmental concerns.
“Government should take prompt and long term measures on demands of these saints who are the real heroes of our country,” said Singh.
