Sunderlal Bahuguna, Environmental Activist
Environmental Activist

Sunderlal Bahuguna

Born 9 January 1927 · Uttarakhand — Died 21 May 2021

Led the Chipko movement to protect Himalayan forests and opposed the Tehri Dam project.

Sunderlal Bahuguna was an Indian environmentalist and Chipko movement leader. The idea of the Chipko movement was suggested by his wife Vimla Bahuguna and him. He fought for the preservation of forests in the Himalayas, first as a member of the Chipko movement in the 1970s, and later spearheaded the anti-Tehri Dam movement from the 1980s to early 2004. He was one of the early environmentalists of India, and later he and others associated with the Chipko movement started taking up wider environmental issues, such as being opposed to large dams.

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A detail that
surprised us

“

Sunderlal Bahuguna walked over 4,700 kilometers on foot across the Himalayas between 1981 and 1983 to personally rally villagers for forest conservation.

The Story

1
Before India’s independence, a 13-year-old Sunderlal Bahuguna was already imprisoned at 17 for mobilizing villagers against British colonial rule in the Himalayas, setting the stage for decades of fearless activism.
2
🌲 In the early 1970s, inspired by his wife Vimla’s idea, Bahuguna co-founded the Chipko movement, where villagers literally hugged trees to stop contractors from cutting them, pioneering grassroots environmental resistance in Uttarakhand’s forests.
3🚶 From 1981 to 1983, Bahuguna walked over 4,700 kilometers on foot across the Himalayas, from Srinagar to Kohima, rallying remote villages to join the Chipko cause and spreading the motto “Ecology is permanent economy.”
4🛑 In 1980, a meeting between Bahuguna and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi led to a historic 15-year ban on green tree felling, a rare moment when grassroots activism directly shaped national environmental policy.

🏅 Awards & Honours

—
Padma Vibhushan

🔍 One thing most people don't know

“

At just 13 years old, Bahuguna was already active in India's freedom struggle, and by 17 he was imprisoned for mobilizing mountain villagers against British colonial rule.

🖼️

Through the Years

2 photographs from the archives
Sunderlal Bahuguna at New Tehri continuing his campaign for forest conservation (2010)
Sunderlal Bahuguna at New Tehri continuing his campaign for forest conservation (2010)
2010
Sunderlal Bahuguna receiving the Ganga Gaurav Award from Samarth Yogi Arwind (2010)

🗓️ A Life in Moments

🕊️
Birth
Born in Maroda, Tehri Garhwal
Sunderlal Bahuguna was born in the Himalayan village of Maroda near Tehri, Uttarakhand, laying roots in the region he would later fight to protect.
1927
⚡
Career
Imprisoned for Anti-Colonial Activism
At age 17, Bahuguna was jailed for mobilizing villagers against British rule, marking his early commitment to social and political causes.
1940
⚡
Career
Co-founds Chipko Movement
Together with wife Vimla, Bahuguna helped start the Chipko movement in Uttarakhand, where villagers hugged trees to prevent logging.
1970
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Career
Meeting with Indira Gandhi
Bahuguna’s meeting with Prime Minister Gandhi led to a 15-year ban on green tree cutting, a landmark environmental policy in India.
1980
⚡
Career
Begins Anti-Tehri Dam Campaign
He started leading protests against the Tehri Dam project, using hunger strikes and nonviolent resistance to highlight its environmental risks.
1980
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Career
Starts 4,700 km Himalayan March
Bahuguna embarked on a 2-year foot journey from Srinagar to Kohima, spreading Chipko’s ecological message across the Himalayas.
1981
🕊️
Death
Passes away in Rishikesh
At age 94, Bahuguna died in Rishikesh, leaving behind a legacy as the Himalayan environmental crusader.
2021
More moments to come...
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🗝️Discoveries

Swipe to uncover hidden stories
01 / 05
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

Between 1981 and 1983, Bahuguna trekked 4,700 kilometers from Srinagar to Kohima, personally meeting villagers across the Himalayas to expand the Chipko movement.

02 / 05
🌍HISTORICAL IMPACT

His meeting with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1980 reportedly influenced the imposition of a 15-year ban on cutting green trees in India.

03 / 05
👤PERSONAL

Bahuguna and his wife Vimla made a pact to live in rural villages and set up an ashram, dedicating their lives to Gandhian principles and environmentalism.

“

“Ecology is permanent economy.”

— Sunderlal Bahuguna

🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

These recordings preserve the legacy of Bharat's icons
IN CONVERSATION - SUNDERLAL BAHUGUNA
More from this archive
IN CONVERSATION - SUNDERLAL BAHUGUNA
01
IN CONVERSATION - SUNDERLAL BAHUGUNA
In Conversation: Sunderlal Bahuguna with Dr. George A. James
02
In Conversation: Sunderlal Bahuguna with Dr. George A. James
Headlines: Sunderlal Bahuguna, Man Behind "Chipko Movement" Dies of Covid-19
03
Headlines: Sunderlal Bahuguna, Man Behind "Chipko Movement" Dies of Covid-19
Sunderlal Bahuguna on Displacement vs The Spirit of Freedom in the Hills at Navdanya #ahimsa
04
Sunderlal Bahuguna on Displacement vs The Spirit of Freedom in the Hills at Navdanya #ahimsa
Prime Time With Ravish Kumar: Sunderlal Bahuguna, Noted Environmentalist, Dies Of COVID-19
05
Prime Time With Ravish Kumar: Sunderlal Bahuguna, Noted Environmentalist, Dies Of COVID-19
Interview with Vimla and Sunderlal Bahuguna
06
Interview with Vimla and Sunderlal Bahuguna
Address by Shri Sunderlal Bahuguna, Eminent Environmentalist
07
Address by Shri Sunderlal Bahuguna, Eminent Environmentalist
Sundarlal Bahuguna || Leader of CHIPKO Movement || Passes away || Upsc || InAccademy
08
Sundarlal Bahuguna || Leader of CHIPKO Movement || Passes away || Upsc || InAccademy
Sunderlal Bahuguna | Wikipedia audio article
09
Sunderlal Bahuguna | Wikipedia audio article
Sunderlal Bahuguna || Documentary || Environmentalist || Chipko Movement || Himalayan Gandhi
10
Sunderlal Bahuguna || Documentary || Environmentalist || Chipko Movement || Himalayan Gandhi

🌱 What changed because of them

Bahuguna’s leadership in the Chipko movement led to a 15-year national ban on green tree felling in 1980, marking one of India’s earliest legal recognitions of forest conservation. His prolonged anti-Tehri Dam protests brought national attention to the environmental and social consequences of large dams, influencing India’s approach to sustainable development. The spread of Chipko-inspired movements like Appiko in the Western Ghats owes much to his grassroots advocacy and ecological philosophy.

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