Sunderlal Bahuguna death

Well-known environmentalist and Gandhian Sunderlal Bahuguna is no more. 

•  He was one of the founders of the Chipko, or hug the tree movement,
•  in the 1970s to save Himalayan forests.

Mr. Bahuguna also led the charge against the 

• construction of big dams in the Himalayas in the 1980s. 
• He was fervently opposed to the construction of the Tehri dam and
•  sat on two long hunger strikes against the dam, which proved to be of no avail.

Inspiration for many young 

• Mr. Bahuguna, who lived for decades in his Silyara ashram in Tehri Garhwal, 
• inspired many young people by his passion for the environment.
•  His ashram was open to young people, with whom he communicated with ease.

deforestation

• He wrote about the problems of deforestation for years — 
• drawing a link between the lack of tree cover and the drying up of springs in the Himalayas. 

महिला मंडल के सदस्य

He also led a movement of women’s groups, 

or mahila mandals, to enforce  बाध्य करना  prohibition in Tehri Garhwal, which was then part of Uttar Pradesh.

save the Himalayas

• Dressed in khadi, sporting a flowing white beard and a jhola on his shoulder,
•  Mr. Bahuguna toured the length and breadth of India carrying his message of “save the Himalayas” to whoever would listen to him.

Jairam Ramesh tweeted, 

“He had considerable influence on Indira Gandhi & 

his 4,000 km Kashmir to Kohima padyatra in ‘81-‘82 

to heighten public awareness, especially on forest protection, was a landmark. A charismatic man.”

 Source :. The hindu