World renowned environmentalist and Chipko movement leader Sunderlal Bahuguna passed away on Friday. The 94-year-old Bahuguna was undergoing treatment at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rishikesh since May 8 after testing positive for Covid earlier this month.
Expressing grief on the demise of the veteran environmentalist, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it was a "monumental loss" for the nation, adding that he manifested the centuries-old Indian ethos of living in harmony with nature.
Among the pioneers of the Chipko movement, Bahuguna had adopted the principles of Mahatma Gandhi in his life.
He was born on January 9, 1927 at Marora village in Tehri district. His father Amba Dutt was a forest officer in the then kingdom of Tehri.
Bahuguna’s life took a turn after he came in contact with freedom fighter Shridev Suman when he was 13 years old. Inspired by Suman, he jumped into the freedom movement at an early age. He also launched an agitation against the Tehri state.
A man of sharp intellect, he was educated at the government inter college in Tehri and after graduating from Lahore in 1947, he became active in the Praja Mandal movement against the Tehri state.
In the 1970s, he launched a campaign on environmental protection, which had a huge impact across the country. A supporter of public struggles, he had refused to accept the Padma Shri in 1981 demanding a ban on felling of trees. He launched agitations against the liquor mafia, environmental protection and against the Tehri dam. After his refusal to accept the Padma Shri, tree felling was banned in areas at and above altitude of 1,000 metres.
This benefited the environment of Uttarakhand and other Himalayan states. Bahuguna also undertook a 5,000 kilometre march from Kashmir to Kohima in support of conservation of the Ganga and environment.