Social activist and Arya Samaj leader Swami Agnivesh who is known for his work against bonded labour through the Bonded Labour Liberation Front breathed his last on Friday.
The renowned scholar passed away at the Institute of Liver and Billary Sciences (ILBS) in New Delhi fighting back liver cirrhosis which his conditions turned serious with multi-organ failure during the treatment.
“Swami Agnivesh went into cardiac arrest at 6 p.m. and resuscitation was attempted but the stalwart passed away at 6.30 p.m,” read the official statement released by the hospital authorities.
Born into a Brahmin family in Andhra Pradesh, Swami Agnivesh rose to fame with his relentless fight against bounded labour which spurred him to enter active politics. Agnivesh founded Arya Sabha in 1970, a political party based on Arya Samaj principles and was elected to the Haryana Assembly in 1977 and was made education minister after two years.
However, he resigned to the post condemning the Haryana government’s inaction against police. Swami Agnivesh, who was president of World Council of Arya Samaj till 2014 and was a prominent associate of Anna Hazare during India Against Corruption’s campaign in 2011. Condolences poured in for the leader from politicians irrespective of the parties.
