Sundar Lal Bahuguna

(January 9, 1927 – May 21, 2021) 

~A tribute by Vikash Barthwal, translated by Meenu Devrani

Sundar Lal Bahuguna, of Uttarakhand, India, was a freedom fighter, environmentalist, Gandhian activist, and the primary force behind the Chipko movement along with his wife Vimla Bahuguna.

His passing on May 21^st as he succumbed to COVID feels as if the Himalayas have lost their strongest ally. Even so, it appears as if, he has merged with the ocean like a river, fulfilling his journey on this Earth as her most loving, ardent and authentic protector.

The ravaging pandemic snatched away yet another great soul from us. The mountains and their inhabitants needed his counsel more than ever. Sundar Lal Bahuguna’s legacy will continue to inspire generations of people, as a rebel, freedom fighter, an enlightened being, Gandhian, nomad, journalist, environmentalist, activist and guardian figure.

It was really his nomadic nature that appeals to me most. These journeys were both earthly and ideological. His transformation from a student to a rebellious youth from Tehri, from a disillusioned politician to a social worker, the journey from a solo activist to becoming a leading figure of several environment related issues and mobilizing hundreds and thousands of people. The most  memorable thing about Sundar Lal Bahuguna was the several treks into the rough terrain that he undertook. He would sometimes travel solo and on other occasions, with a few of his supporters and fellow activists.

Historian Shekhar Pathak writes that that some people have the propensity to be on the move, whether alone or together. Even if they seem to have settled down for some time, it is often part of a larger movement. It was during these long hikes in the interiors of the foothills that he observed the people and their deep connection to the land and forests. He emerged from these journeys with beautiful insights, renewed curiosities and burning concerns that gave birth to many socio-ecological movements.

The goal of these long undertakings was to discover the Himalayas and its challenges, and also understand the lives and unique difficulties faced by indigenous people. He was deeply invested in figuring out a solution to these problems that were part of living in an ecologically sensitive region. Sundar Lal Bahuguna along with his fellow activists Shamsur Singh Bisht, Kunwar Prasoon, and Pratap Shekhar embarked on the life-altering journey in 1974 from Askot to Arakot. This event is still marked every 10 years where people get together and undertake the same hike amidst the mountains. Sundar Lal Bahuguna told his fellow travelers that they will all travel without carrying any money. He is reported to have said that there was not a place in the mountains where one would go hungry without money. This particular journey had given a new impetus and direction to the Chipko movement. It was during these long walks in the interiors of Uttarakhand where he talked to native people about giving up alcohol, self-governance, caste equality, importance of educating girls and women and significance of self-reliance and independence. He also took this opportunity to write about his first-hand experience about the problems and challenges faced by the locals living in the remote mountains. These were published in major Indian publications and newspapers.

In 1978 he embarked on yet another journey in the Himalayan Glaciers leading up to ‘Gaumukh’ the terminus of the Gangotri Glacier. He observed the receding glaciers and took a pledge to protect and preserve the waters originating from the Bhagirathi river. Realizing the value of water conservation, he vowed never to eat rice again, given the cultivation of rice is a very water intensive process.

From 1981-1983 he hiked from Kohima to Kashmir, a distance of 5000 kms. This journey led him to confirm his fear that the Himalayan glaciers were receding, and that too at an alarming rate. If the rampant deforestation wasn’t stopped, the glaciers that fed the sacred and vital Ganga River would completely dry up. This initiative resulted in legislation to protect some areas of the Himalayan forests. Seeing and experiencing the deep interconnection of land, people and their livelihoods, he brilliantly proclaimed “Ecology is permanent economy”. 

Today all his warnings and caution ring true. In 2013, due to cloudburst, huge cracks had appeared on the glacier. In 2016, after heavy rains, a large chunk of the glacier had collapsed and washed away. The front end of the Gaumukh ceased to exist due to this. This year on February 6, a glacier burst lead to massive floods in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand killing hundreds of people and destroying many villages in its way. He refused one of the highest civilian honors ‘Padma Shree” to protest the government’s lack of comprehensive Himalayan policy. Decades later he accepted the ‘Padma Vibhushan’ award in the hope that “it would give some weightage to [his] proposal for a detailed Himalayan policy.” It is worth noting that during all these expeditions, he always carried a hand cotton yarn spinner and books, in the spirit of a true Gandhian.

On May 21^st , 2021, he left on his last, most mysterious voyage of his life. He was 93. His work and life is even more relevant today in the light of rapid climate change and the threat of global warning. He continues to inspire hundreds and thousands of people and environmentalists across the globe through his eternal legacy. He will always be remembered as one of the most authentic, nomadic Earth warriors of our time.