Anil Agarwal, visionary founder and leader of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), passed away on January 2, 2002, after a seven-year battle against cancer. The world has not only lost a rare thinker and advocate dedicated to improving the environment, but also a staunch supporter of the rights of the poor, and of social justice.

Anilji's thinking and analysis was always far-sighted. His pioneering work taught people in India and the world to look at environmental and developmental concerns as related, where one could not be compromised to address the other. Always full of energy, he was never one to be cowed down by the system, taking problems head-on, analysing them with incisive clarity, coming up with the most effective and clear solutions, and then working untiringly to have them implemented. His vision and perception shaped an institution that uses the power of knowledge as an effective agent to bring about social change.

A perfectionist, he worked, taking problems head-on, analysing them with incisive clarity, coming up with the most effective and clear solutions, and then working untiringly to have them implemented. His vision and perception shaped an institution that uses the power of knowledge as an effective agent to bring about social change. A perfectionist, he worked hard even through his illness to ensure rigour and accuracy in the work of the Centre, spending long hours looking into every last detail. He avoided rhetoric, using hard facts to fight ignorance and indifference. He never minced his words, nor hid his anger and  frustration against apathetic governance. It was this forthright approach that he instilled in his colleagues at CSE, inspiring them in his inimitable style to go beyond their own perceptions of what they could achieve.

The world had a lot more to learn from Anilji. His death leaves a void that cannot be filled. His vision and energy will continue to inspire his colleagues to carry on the work he started at CSE. But he will be greatly missed.