Environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna, pioneer of the Chipko Movement, passes away
Environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna died of COVID-19 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh on Friday. Bahuguna breathed his last at 12:05 pm, AIIMS Director Ravikant said. He is survived by his wife Vimla, two sons, and a daughter. The 94-year-old environmentalist known for his pioneering role in the Chipko Movement was undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at the hospital for over a week.
Bahuguna's oxygen level had been dropping drastically since last night
Admitted at the hospital on May 8 after testing positive for the infection, Bahuguna had been critical since last night with his oxygen level dropping drastically. He was on CPAP therapy in the ICU of the premier hospital. Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat condoled his death describing it as a big loss not just for Uttarakhand and India but for the entire world.
Bahuguna led the protests against the Tehri Dam
Born on January 9 in Tehri district, Bahuguna started the Chipko Movement in the 1970s with dedicated environment conservationists like Gaura Devi to save forests. Conferred with the Padma Vibhushan, Bahuguna led the protests against the construction of the Tehri dam. He had observed an 84-day fast and got his head tonsured in protest. He had lost his ancestral home because of the project.
He was critical of luxury tourism in the Himalayas
Bahuguna also protested against the erstwhile Tehri royals which landed him in jail. He was a vocal critic of luxury tourism in the Himalayas and the construction of hotels which according to him did irreparable harm to the Himalayan ecology. He undertook several padyatras to create awareness among people about conserving the Himalayan ecology. He was a big critic of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
President, PM among others condoled his demise
President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday condoled the demise of Bahuguna. "The demise of Shri Sunderlal Bahuguna marks the end of a glorious chapter in the field of conservation. He was a Gandhian to the core. A legend in his own right, he made conservation a people's movement. My condolences to his family and admirers," Kovind tweeted.
