As environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike has reignited debate over protest and environmental protection, many have been reminded of another man who chose a similar path years earlier.
In October 2018, former IIT Kanpur professor and environmental activist GD Agarwal, who later became Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand, died after fasting for 111 days.
He was 86.
His protest had one central aim: stronger legal and ecological protection for the Ganga.
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Who Was GD Agarwal?
GD Agarwal was an environmental engineer, a former professor at IIT Kanpur and the first Member Secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board.
Born into a farming family in Uttar Pradesh, he remained closely connected to environmental issues throughout his life.
Over several decades, he became one of India's best-known voices for river conservation, arguing that development should not come at the cost of the ecological health of rivers.
In 2011, he took monastic vows and adopted the name Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand.
From then on, he devoted almost all of his public life to protecting the Ganga.
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His Campaign For The Ganga
Agarwal had been campaigning for the river long before his final fast.
He undertook major hunger strikes in 2008 and 2013, drawing national attention to the environmental impact of hydropower projects on the Ganga.
Those campaigns were followed by government reviews of some projects and conservation measures, although many environmentalists argued they did not go far enough.
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Why Did He Begin His Final Fast?
On 22 June 2018, Agarwal began an indefinite hunger strike.
In letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he called for Parliament to pass a Ganga Protection and Management Act, saying the river needed stronger legal safeguards.
His demands included:
A law dedicated to protecting the Ganga.
An independent authority to oversee its conservation.
An uninterrupted ecological flow in the river.
A ban on illegal mining.
Cancellation of hydropower projects in the upper stretches of the Ganga.
He argued that preserving the river's natural flow was essential for its long-term survival.
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The Government's Response
As his health deteriorated, concern grew among supporters and environmental groups.
On 10 October 2018, then Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari appealed to Agarwal to end his fast.
Gadkari said the government had accepted most of his demands and that work on several issues was already underway.
Agarwal remained unconvinced.
He believed assurances alone were not enough because key demands, including a dedicated Ganga protection law and action on hydropower projects, had not yet been implemented.
He continued his fast.
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His Death After 111 Days
On 11 October 2018, Agarwal died after fasting for 111 days.
He passed away at AIIMS Rishikesh.
His death prompted tributes from environmentalists, academics and public figures across India, many describing him as one of the country's most committed defenders of the Ganga.
Why Is His Story Being Remembered Again?
Nearly eight years later, Agarwal's story has resurfaced as Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike has drawn national attention.
The two movements focus on different issues.
However, both used prolonged fasting as a form of non-violent protest to highlight environmental concerns and government policy.
Agarwal's campaign remains one of India's best-known environmental hunger strikes.
While successive governments have introduced measures aimed at cleaning and conserving the Ganga, several of the broader issues he raised, including a dedicated Ganga protection law and concerns over hydropower projects, continue to be debated.
His story remains a reminder of the extraordinary lengths some environmental activists have gone to in their efforts to protect India's rivers.
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