Sundarlal Bahuguna

Sundarlal Bahuguna is a very noted activist and philosopher in the tradition of Mahatma Gandhi and an environmentalist who has fought for the preservation of forests in the Himalayas as a member of the Chipko movement. In Hindi, "Chipko" literally means "to stick". This movement is famous as Appiko in Karnataka.One of Bahuguna's notable contributions to that cause, and to environmentalism in general, was his creation of the Chipko's slogan "ecology is permanent economy." He helped bring the movement to prominence through a 5,000 kilometer trans-Himalaya march conducted from 1981 to 1983, and met with the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. That meeting is credited with resulting in Ms. Gandhi's subsequent green-felling ban. [http://www.iisd.org/50comm/commdb/desc/d07.htm] .He was a also a big fan of Gaura Devi.

Sundarlal Bahuguna has been a passionate defender of the Himalaya peoples, working for temperance, the plight of the hill peoples (especially working women), and opposing the Tehri dam project for years, although construction and flooding are nearly completed. He has also struggled to defend India's rivers. [http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2117/stories/20040827002803600.htm] [http://uttarakhand.prayaga.org/bahuguna.html]

External links

* [http://resurgence.gn.apc.org/articles/goldsmith.htm An essay by Katherine Goldsmith]
* [http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2117/stories/20040827002803600.htm `My fight is to save the Himalayas']
* [http://www.narmada.org/related.issues/kali/press.releases/20030605.html "If the Himalayas die, this country is nowhere"]