The mentor of the late ascetic Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand, Swami Avimukteshwaranand has held the Government responsible for his disciple’s death. He expressed his views at Shraddhanjali Sabha organised in memory of Sanand at Matri Sadan. He said that to carry forward the demands of Sanand, three-day long discussion will be held in Varanasi which will be attended by 1008 ascetics from across the country. He said to awaken the Government from its long slumber and to get the pain of mother Ganga heard a campaign shall be launched.

The three day ‘Manthan Baithak’ shall be held in Varanasi on November 25-27, he announced. Meanwhile founder of Matri Sadan, Swami Shivanand has announced to carry forward the struggle undertaken by Sanand for Ganga and begin penance from October 24.Who would undertake hunger strike shall be decided on the same day, he said.

Speaking to the media, Shivanand said that Matri Sadan has been fighting for Ganga for the past decades and will continue doing this in future. The ascetics of Matri Sadan are vying for the chance to perform penance for Ganga so it was not possible to decide at the spur of the moment who will begin hunger strike. Earlier, he had announced his own name to undertake the hunger strike from October 24.

It will be recalled that three Matri sadan ascetics including Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand who died this month during fast unto death pressing his demands for Ganga Act, have sacrificed their lives for Ganga conservation and ecological balance.

Swami Nigamanand Saraswati died in June 2011 after 114 days of hunger strike demanding blanket ban on quarrying in Ganga river bed. Earlier Brahmchari Gokulanand had staged four week fast in March 1998. As part of his tapasya, he had left for Himalayas to perform austerities in 2013 and was found dead in Bamni village of Nainital district.