SUNDERLAL BAHUGUNA: DEMISE CLOSE TO OUR HEART
Sunderlal Bahuguna was one of the early environmentalists of India and a man who taught us to hug trees by leading the Chipko movement which started taking up wider environmental issues, such as being opposed to large dams. The idea of this movement was initiated by his wife, Vimla Bahuguna.
EARLY LIFE
Born in a village called Maroda near Tehri, Uttarakhand, on 9 January 1927, he fought against untouchability and later started organizing hill women in his anti-liquor drive from 1965 to 1970. He started social activities at the age of thirteen.
He adopted the Gandhian principle and established an ashram in a village to live among the rural people. Inspired by Gandhi Ji, he walked through Himalayan forests and hills, covering more than 4,700 kilometers on foot, and observed the damage done by mega developmental projects on the fragile eco-system of the Himalayas and subsequent degradation of social life in villages.
CONTRIBUTIONS
Sunderlal Bahuguna remained behind some of the great environmental protests. One of such movements was “the Chipko movement” which started on 26 March 1974 spontaneously in Uttar Pradesh, to save areas of trees and forests from cutting by forest contractors. In Hindi, “Chipko” literally means “hug” and people started hugging and holding onto trees when they were being cut. One of his notable contributions to this movement, and environmentalism in general, was Chipko’s slogan “Ecology is the permanent economy.” He helped bring the movement to prominence through the trans-Himalaya march undertaken from 1981 to 1983, traveling from village to village, and gathering support for the movement. His meeting with Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi resulted in a subsequent 15-year ban on cutting green trees in 1980.
Another movement that caught a lot of attention was the anti-Tehri Dam protests which he fought for decades, he used the Satyagraha methods and repeatedly went on hunger strikes at the banks of Bhagirathi as a mark of his protest.
What he said about the hazards of roadbuilding by cutting through mountain slopes is now so relevant. Consider the Char Dham project; the widening of the roads; and the repeated hazards that the Himalayas are facing, like extreme rainfall events and landslides. He was probably the earliest voice that warned us against these dangers, specifically about conservation and sustainable development in the Himalayas.
RECOGNIZATION
He had been rewarded with prestigious awards such as the Padma Shri Award by the government of India in 1981 which he refused; Jamnalal Bajaj Award for constructive work in 1986; Right Livelihood Award (Chipko Movement) in 1987; Honorary Degree of Doctor of Social Sciences by IIT Roorkee in 1989; & Padma Vibhushan Award by the government of India for environment conservation in 2009.
His books such as Indian’s Environment: Myths &Reality, Environmental Crisis, Humans at Risk: Priorities for action, and Dharti Ki Pukar (Hindi) are a doorway for people to understand their responsibility towards the environment.
CONCLUSION
In India, we respect frugality and simplicity in our heroes and icons, we respect sages and Bahuguna had it all. He had the cultural & spiritual support which enabled him to command respect across political ideologies & affiliations. This ability is definitely something that makes him stand apart from others. Yes, we have lost this sage-like soul on 21 May 2021 but his efforts and teaching can’t be lost for times. We still can draw some useful lessons & if someone wants to be an environmentalist as effective and popular as Bahuguna in the current era, he would need to be rooted and make a difference in the community or region in which he is living, not just through impersonal social media.
