“Chipko Movement” pioneer Sunderlal Bahuguna dies of Covid-19

Environmentalist and Padma Vibhushan Sunderlal Bahuguna died due to Covid-19 on Friday. He was being treated at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rishikesh, Uttarkhand. The 94-year-old founder of the Chipko movement was admitted to the hospital on May 8 after his oxygen level started fluctuating. 

Reportedly, he was suffering from Covid-like symptoms 10-days before hospital admission. On May 8, he tested positive for the coronavirus, and on May 21 his oxygen level started dropping drastically. He was admitted to ICU and was on CPAP therapy.

He breathed his last at 12:05 pm, AIIMS Director Ravikant said. 

Also Read: Sania Mirza’s son UK VISA: Indian ministry approaches UK gov for allowing Sania’s son on tour

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat condolence his death and said that it is a big loss for the entire world. He said, “It was he who made the Chipko movement a movement of the masses.”   

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the death of noted environmentalists is a monumental loss for our nation. PM’s tweet read, “Passing away of Shri Sunderlal Bahuguna Ji is a monumental loss for India. 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.”

Recently, Sunderlal Bhuguna had extended his support to the farmers protesting against the three farm laws. 

Also Read: Abhinav Choudhary, fighter pilot martyred in MiG-21 crash was against dowry, he took just one rupee as shagun

Sunderlal has actively fought for the conservation of the Himalayas, firstly as a member of the Chipko Movement and later by leading the Anti-Tehri Dam movement started in the 1980s to early 2004. 

What was Chipko Movement?

Chipko Movement or Chipko Andolan was a practice to protect the Himalayas. As a protest against deforestation, residents of Uttarakhand hugged trees to save them from cutting. It was started in 1973 in Uttarakhand and went on to become a rallying point for many future environmentalists all over the world. 

It was a non-violent movement headed by Sunderlal Bahuguna, a Gandhian activist. He was the one who has given a proper direction to the movement. He used the slogan, “Ecology is the permanent economy.”