Jagatguru Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand of Dwarkapeeth sent his personal emissary Swami Dharanand to convey his support to Dr. G.D. Agrawal whose third fast-unto-death to ensure the natural flow in river Bhagirathi (Ganga) from Gangotri to Uttarkashi entered its second day. Yesterday (July 21) Swami Ramdev spent an hour in the evening with Dr. Agrawal and offered his full support.
In a letter to Shri Sushil Kumar Shinde, Union Minister for Power, Dr. Agrawal said that he had discontinued his last fast on February 19, 2009 after receiving an assurance from the Ministry that work on the Loharinag-Pala barrage would be suspended. Yet the government had decided to resume construction of the project without consulting him at any point in the past 17 months. “I am deeply hurt by this secretive and mischievous attitude of your Ministry,” wrote Dr. Agrawal.
An Action Committee of Dr. Agrawal’s supporters in New Delhi has received messages from Ganga devotees preparing to organize fasts and satyagrahas in different parts of India to lend support to Dr. Agrawal. “We are meeting on Saturday, July 24th in New Delhi to organize action in support of Dr. Agrawal,” said Ms. Madhu Kishwar of Manushi.