In a major embarrassment to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, three prominent members of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGBRA) resigned on Saturday evening, citing the PM’s complete lack of interest and inability on saving River Ganga.
In an open letter to the PM, who is the chairperson of the NGBRA, the three members — Ravi Chopra, Rajendra Singh and Prof R H Siddiqui — stated that in the three years since its formation, the Authority had failed to achieve anything. The drastic action of three members was precipitated by the on-going fast-unto-death of noted activist and a former IIT-Kanpur professor, G D Agarwal, who has been fighting to save the Ganga for over three years. Prof Agarwal began a partial fast on January 14 but continued on a liquid diet till March 8. However, in the last two days he has stopped taking any liquids as well to protest the complete lack of empathy from the Prime Minister.
In their letter the three environmentalists stated that they “consider it our duty towards the holy river Ganga and people of this country to resign as Members of NGBRA, forthwith and continue our movement for preservation and protection of the river Ganga in support of Prof GD Agrawal.”
Prof Siddiqui told DNA that he is relieved after resignation as an NGBRA member since he was doing nothing and all the decisions were taken by the bureaucrats in the environment ministry. In fact that has been the recurring complaint of many activists and environmentalists tracking the issue. “They used us in the NGRBA like item girls are used in the films to get publicity.
We were never asked for any suggestion. We were not even consulted for guidelines that NGBRA sent from time to time.
In the last three and a half years, the NGBRA met only twice, making a mockery of the proceedings. “We meet only when the government decides. Around November 20, last year, we wrote to the PM and followed that up both individually and collectively asking for a meeting. But the meeting was never held,” Chopra said.
But the resignations by the three environmentalists has met with some criticism from other activists. Himanshu Thakkar, a water activist, feels that the members could have done a lot more in the last three years on this issue. Rama Rauta, also a member of NGBRA, , felt that her colleagues had been hasty in their resignation. “It’s easy to resign, the challenge is to fight”.
