Chipko Movement leader Sunderlal Bahuguna succumbs to Covid-19
Sunderlal Bahuguna and the story of Chipko movement Bahuguna, 94, who passed away due to Covid-19 on May 21, and was credited with coining the term 'Chipko' movement—hug the trees. His work led to a 15-year ban in 1980 on the culling of trees in ecologically-sensitive areas in the Himalayas Sunderlal Bahuguna, a beacon of the Indian environmental movement, will continue to be a source of inspiration from his heavenly abode. His passing is an irreparable loss for the nation. A home-grown environmentalist who steered a spontaneous ‘ Chipko Movement ’ of the 1970s into a strong people’s movement and saved the forests of the great Himalayas and the forest-based livelihoods of its indigenous communities was a living image of unfettered dedication. When I met him for the first time at the Gandhi Peace Foundation in Delhi in 1975, it was an awe-inspiring moment. I was a student and greatly moved by his thoughts and ideals. “Harmony with nature is the only way of life,” ...