It Was the Ladies Who Hugged the Trees

On May 21, 2021, an influential environmental activist died of Covid-19 and you probably didn’t hear about it. Sunderlal Bahuguna’s passing didn’t make the major news outlets in the US, but it was a big deal in India, where he was the renowned leader of the Chipko movement against deforestation in the 1970s.  Chipko is a Hindi word for “hugging”, but according to Bahuguna, he was just the messenger of the movement. “It was the ladies who hugged the trees,” he said. This story is about the life and legacy of Sunderlal Bahuguna, and the tree huggers that saved India’s forests. Featuring: Haritima Bahuguna   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter. Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or join our private discussion group on Facebook   LINKS On The Fence: Chipko Movement Re-visited The Axing of the Himalayas Appiko (To Embrace)   CREDITS Reported and produced by Felix Poon Host: Justine Paradis Edited by Taylor Quimby Additional editing by Justine Paradis, and Erika Janik Executive producer: Rebecca Lavoie Mixed by Felix Poon Theme: Breakmaster Cylinder Additional music by Saumya Bahuguna, Samuel Corwin, and Blue Dot Sessions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices