Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand who has been fasting for the past 111 days, taking just lemon juice, was forcefully lifted from Matri Sadan, the site of his stir for Ganga, on Wednesday morning by local police and district administration. The action followed the scientist-turned-ascetic having given up water last evening after no response came from the Government regarding his demands for maintaining the sanctity of Ganga.
Notably, the former Chief Minister and Haridwar MP Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ had met the fasting ascetic on Tuesday-the day Sanand was to shun water as the last phase of his stir-and assured him of the Centre’s response regarding his demands. The crusader for Ganga had agreed to hold his no-water stir for a day in anticipation of the Centre’s response. As no response had come, the sant had stopped taking water since Tuesday evening. Alarmed over the consequences of his refusal to take water, the administration and police swung into action and took him forcefully to AIIMS Rishikesh where he was admitted.
Speaking to The Pioneer, Swami Sanand said that the district administration team had no right to lift him from his fasting site. “The administration is going beyond its limits by forcefully lifting me when I am hale and hearty both on physical and mental level. To do fasting and practise austerity is my fundamental right which the Government or the administration cannot snatch away.”
The joint team of district administration and police headed by SDM Manish Kumar lifted the ascetic and rushed him to AIIMS in Rishikesh. He had earlier been admitted at the same facility after being lifted from the site of his fasting stir.
Queried over the action, SDM Haridwar Manish Kumar said, “Swami Sanand has given up water since yesterday. His condition was termed serious by the medical officers. He has thus been admitted at AIIMS to ensure that nothing bad happens to him. Swamiji has refused to take medical treatment. There was thus no other option left to us but to rush him to the hospital and have him admitted there.”
Importantly, Swami Shivanand, founder of Matri Sadan, the site of the ‘tapasya for Ganga’ undertaken by many over the years, had said on Monday that he would also launch fast for the same cause of Ganga after the Navratris are over.
Sanand had begun his fasting by restricting himself to drinking just limewater on the day Ganga Dushehra was observed on June 22.
Among the principal demands the saint had raised in support of his fasting unto death was the scrapping of all the hydro power projects and construction works going on or proposed along Alaknanda, Mandakini, Pinder, Dhauliganga, Bhagirathi and some others.
He had demanded those dedicated to Ganga be inducted in the Ganga board.
It may be mentioned here that Sanand had been forcefully lifted from the fasting site in Matri Sadan and admitted at AIIMS Rishikesh by the district administration in July. A few days later, he had returned to Matri Sadan and resumed his stir.