Pioneer of Chipko Movement Sundarlal Bahuguna dies of Covid-19

May 21: Veteran environmentalist and architect of the Chipko Movement Padma Vibhushan Sundarlal Bahuguna died May 21, 2021. He was undergoing treatment for Covid-19 at AIIMS hospital in Rishikesh. The 94-year-old Chipko movement pioneer was admitted to the hospital on May 8 after his oxygen levels started fluctuating. He breathed his last at 12.05 PM, AIIMS Director Ravikant said. Bahuguna was on CPAP therapy in the ICU of the premier hospital.

Bahuguna was one of the leaders of the Chipko movement in the 1970s, fighting for the preservation of forests in the Himalayas. Chipko means ‘embrace’ or ‘tree huggers’ and this vast movement was a decentralised one with many leaders usually being village women. Often, they would chain themselves to trees so that loggers could not cut down forests. These actions slowed down the destruction, but more importantly they brought deforestation to the public’s attention. Later in 1990s, he spearheaded theAnti-Tehri Dam movement and even went to jail for it in 1995.

Condoling his death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Passing away of Shri Sunderlal Bahuguna Ji is a monumental loss for our nation. He manifested our centuries old ethos of living in harmony with nature. His simplicity and spirit of compassion will never be forgotten. My thoughts are with his family and many admirers. Om Shanti.”

Passing away of Shri Sunderlal Bahuguna Ji is a monumental loss for our nation. He manifested our centuries old ethos of living in harmony with nature. His simplicity and spirit of compassion will never be forgotten. My thoughts are with his family and many admirers. Om Shanti.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 21, 2021