Avdhash Kaushal, noted social worker and Padma Shri awardee, passes away after prolonged illness

Noted social worker and Padma Shri awardee Avdhash Kaushal died at a private hospital here early on Tuesday following a prolonged illness. He was 87. Kaushal who founded an NGO named Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra fought for human rights and the conservation of the environment.

He had been ailing for a long time and his vital organs had stopped working since Monday. He breathed his last at 5 am on Tuesday, the social worker’s daughter-in-law Rushi Kaushal said.

Expressing grief over Avdhash Kaushal’s demise, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said he symbolised courage and always fought for social issues.

Kaushal is credited with bringing mining activities to an end in Mussoorie in the 1980s. This arrested the damage caused to its fragile ecology.

He was also considered a messiah of the nomadic Gujjar tribe living in the forests of Rajaji and Corbett Tiger reserves as he fought a prolonged administrative and legal battle for their rights and even went to jail during the course of his struggle in 2015.

Kaushal also raised his voice against the system of bonded labour in the tribal-dominated Jaunsar Bavar region. In his interviews, Kaushal claimed to have played a significant role in preparing the drafts of different Acts, including the Environment Conservation Act 1986.

He had gone to court against spending huge amounts of money for giving free government accommodation and other facilities to former chief ministers for years after they left office.

Kaushal is said to have been close to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.