14th of October has been a sad day for the world of climate lovers and others alike, as the well known social activist Vimla Bahuguna ji left for the heavenly abode. She was best known for the Chipko movement and has time and again proved her love for the environment. Though her countless contributions to the Indian climate paradox cannot be summed up in any manner, this article aims at listing out her life journey as well as her significant contributions to mother earth.
Why is revered social activist Vimla Bahuguna in the news?
When the whole world was celebrating love in the name of Valentine’s day, the woman who had selfless love towards the environment, Mrs Vimla, lost her life. She was 93 years old, and the official news of her demise was further confirmed by the chief minister of Uttarakhand, Mr. Pushkar Singh Dhami when he posted his prayers for the departed soul.
She participated in the Bhoodan Movement in Bihar which aimed to encourage landlords to voluntarily donate land to landless farmers as an effort to reduce social and economic inequality. On the other hand, her devotion as a Sarvodaya worker has also been unmatched. She even received various awards for her work in the field of child education and women upliftment along with strengthening the pleas of Dalit members of society.
All About Vimla Bahuguna ji
There is not one specific profession that sums up the selfless contributions done by Vimla ji for this country, and the world at large. In her early years, she got motivated by her husband’s deeds and began teaching kids. As her influence grew, she undertook several climate savvy initiatives along with the school kids. Her contributions towards women empowerment have also been very peculiar, long before the present wave of feminism took over. She took pride in teaching rural women how to make a living and stand up for themselves. Since most of them were involved in agricultural activities, teaching them how to take care of the environment helped in the long run.
There were several governmental campaigns as well, which had the support of Mrs. Vimla. One of those is the prohibition campaign. Way back in the 1970s, the Tehri Dam project was in full swing. To facilitate the construction of the dam, the government had ordered the felling of trees and other forms of relocation. This campaign prevented that to a large extent and the after effects can be felt till date in terms of a considerably better environment with lots of greenery.
The Famous Chipko Movement
You might be wondering what Devbhoomi Uttarakhand owes to the Bahuguna couple. A lot, because a majority of the forests are in their present condition because of the Chipko movement. It was suggested by the Bahuguna couple as a means of preventing deforestation. Even though the area was then part of Uttar Pradesh, the legacy has been carried out well by the people of Uttarakhand.
Let us dive deeper into what the movement was all about. As the name suggests, there was some sort of clinging attached to the main motive of the movement. It was a trend in the late 1900s to fell down trees for several purposes as India saw the leap of industrialisation and globalisation. Vimla ji, along with her husband, could foresee the ill effects of the same on the environment. Though they tried their best to convince the government to change the plans, they did not get much success. Finally, they began to hug the trees on the spot in order to prevent them from being cut down as a part of the development project. The village women and kids also joined. There were also instances of women tying the sacred threads of Rakhi to the trees as a vow of protection. No environment law class is incomplete without discussing the Chipko movement once, and how the emotions were felt all across the country.
Sunderlal Bahuguna ji’s Motivation
Vimla ji’s husband was also equally involved in improving the environment, and most importantly, trying to stop the degradation. Though their marriage was a not-so-classic one, the union proved to be really beneficial for the Indian climate fraternity. Mr. Bahuguna was initially a politician but changed his profession post marriage, focusing solely on social service. He died 4 years ago, in May of 2021. The motivation he sparked regarding the need for social workers to step out and take action has inspired a lot of people, and continues to do the same. He had a lot of connections in the political world, yet chose to do everything individually with the help and support of his wife.
There were numerous times when this couple mentioned that they were each other’s support system and drew inspiration from the work done in the field of climate activism. The contributions seem more important today because that time frame did not have these many sources for research and so many alternatives. They tried to do their part with available resources, without complaining about things that were not in their control. There is so much to learn from the two of them, and we need to incorporate sustainable practices before it is too late.
Conclusion
As we see the present condition of the environment deteriorating, knowing about the efforts made in the past feels much more important. From social work to climate activism, there is so much to learn from the Bahuguna couple, and particularly from Mrs. Vimla. Their teachings are here to stay forever, and the people of Uttarakhand take a lot of pride in her works throughout the decades.
A lot of places in the state capital were seen mourning the demise, with students observing 2 minutes of silence in educational institutions. Though knowing about her contributions and her journey is equally important, we must not forget that we all need to take the legacy forward. The environment needs more people like Mrs. Vimla and we must try to do our part in saving the environment, however small it might seem.
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