26-Year-Old Brahmachari Ready to Sacrifice His Life to Save Ganga

The activist says the government is selling the Ganga instead of trying to save it.

Brahmachari Atmabodhanand is accusing the current government that its letting the river die, and doing nothing to conserve it.

(Photo: The Quint)

Video Editor: Sandeep Suman

Twenty-six-year-old Atmabodhanand, who has been on a hunger strike for more than two months, is ready to sacrifice his life to save river Ganga. He claims to have been ‘kidnapped’ and admitted to AIIMS Rishikesh on the pretext of suffering from dengue. He believes that it’s over there that he was poisoned. He then underwent an Ayurvedic treatment that helped him recover.

Alleging that the current government is actually not helping the river but is commercialising it instead, Atmabodhanand says,

He (Narendra Modi) calls the Ganga his mother, while he is commercialising it. He is ready to build more dams, and water ways and trying make it business hub. He is making ship harbours in river Ganga. His intention is not to take care of his mother Ganga but to sell it.

Brahmachari Atmabodhanand, Activist

He slams 'Namami Gange,' which is an integrated conservation mission, approved as ‘flagship programme’ by the Union government in June 2014. It aims ‘to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of national river Ganga,’ as mentioned on the government’s website.

Modi government’s ‘Namami Gange’ is actually fraud. The real work is about keeping the <i>Gangaji</i> pristine, and it’s not about the STPs (sewage treatment plants) and more ghats. Its the duty of Municipality, the public and towns where the sewage is being produced to take care of the sewage treatment plant. The STPs must not be considered as Namami Gange or anything to do with <i>Gangaji’s</i> work.

Brahmachari Atmabodhanand, Activist

Instead of finding a job after finishing BTech, the 26-year-old ended up looking for a spiritual guru and started travelling to Haridwar and Badrinath seeking enlightenment.

A former IIT professor and Ganga activist Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand died of a heart attack last year on 11 October after fasting for 111 days. Almost two months later another activist Sant Gopal Das also went missing after going on a hunger strike. Atmabodhanand alleges thats it’s the government that is behind the deaths and disappearances of activists.

Actually Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand ji was clearly murdered. But very diplomatically this government covered up the related facts. Sant Gopal Das was also kidnapped by this government, we don’t know what happened to him. If a personality like Gyan Swaroop Sanand ji was murdered under this government, then they will not hesitate to kill me as well. But I am not afraid of it.

Brahmachari Atmabodhanand, Activist

Atmabodhanand is associated with Matri Sadan ashram. The Ashram was formed to fight against environmental degradation and corruption in the society.