Scientist and environmentalist-turned-sanyasi, Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand (formerly Prof GD Agrawal) who had been fasting for the past 104 days in Haridwar demanding stop on hydro power projects on the Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers in Uttarakhand, was shifted by the Haridwar
district administration to the Doon Hospital in Dehradun late on Monday night. The authorities feared that his health had deteriorated after he stopped drinking even water on Saturday, though Sanand maintains that apart from weight loss, his health is fine and that he will continue his protest in the hospital.
In his eighties, Sanand had been fasting in protest at the Matrisadan Ashram at Haridwar where the authorities ignored him till he gave up drinking water. He was brought to the Doon Hospital as his pulse rate and ketone levels in urine were high, a doctor said. Sanand said that the dams he is opposing pose a serious threats to the rivers.
Even after being hospitalised and force-fed by the authorities, he has stressed that he will continue to protest and not take any food or water voluntarily. He himself said that apart from weight loss, his health was fine with normal pulse and blood pressure. When Sanand had fasted in June 2012, the Centre had ordered a stay on the construction of dams on the Bhagirathi.
He recently criticised Shankaracharya Swaroopa-nand Saraswati from whom he has taken diksha, for not taking active part in the movement for protecting the tributaries of the Ganga from the effects of dam construction. He had started his hunger strike from June 13, but since then the Government authorities ignored him. His condition is presently said to be stable and is being monitored by doctors in Dehradun.