Anil Agarwal

For those who had followed the recent worrisome decline in the condition of the health of Anil, as much for those who have been shocked by the sudden news of Anil’s death in Dehradun, he will be remembered as a pioneer activist in environmental justice in India. Anil and I were contemporaries as students at IIT Kanpur in the late 1960s. We had intense interactions on the various aspects of science and society in India and I saw from close the sprouting of a committed science journalist in him as he came to complete the B Tech requirements at that institute. Over the last three decades this visionary little man went on to establish the Centre for Science and Environment, to publish the trend-setting state of India’s environment reports, and establish the periodical Down to Earth, all of which have left a very deep impression on the environmental scenario in India. At the untimely demise of an old friend, I salute his courage in facing his own illness over the last five years and as much the courage with which he addressed the growing illness of the natural environment.

To those at the CSE and Down to Earth, Anilji cannot be replaced. However, his mission will continue. Memories of Anil as a friend, Anilji as an institutional leader and Anil Agarwal as a humanist journalist will continue to inspire the younger generation to work fearlessly for environmental justice as an integral part of social justice.