Eminent Gandhian, Sarvodya worker Vimla Bahuguna, wife of environmentalist Sundar Lal Bahuguna and the real inspiration behind him dead
Eminent Gandhian, Sarvodya worker Vimla Bahuguna, wife of environmentalist Sundar Lal Bahuguna and the real inspiration behind him dead
S.M.A.KAZMI
Dehradun , Feb 14
Vimla Bahuguna (93), a veteran Gandhian and wife of eminent environmentalist Sunder Lal Bahuguna, who was the real inspiration behind him, died early morning today, here. A veteran ‘Sarvodaya’ worker she celebrated the 98th birth anniversary of her husband Sunder Lal Bahuguna, on January 9, 2025. She is survived by her daughter Madhuri Pathak, son in law Dr. B.C. Pathak and two sons namely Rajeev Nayan Bahuguna and Pradeep Bahuguna, both journalists.
Vimla Bahuguna (92), a recipient of the Jamna Lal Bajaj Award for Development and Welfare of Women and Children in the year 1995 remained steadfast on her ideals and never wavered facing hardships in struggle which she participated along with her husband.
Recalling her association with Vimla, Sunder Lal Bahuguna when alive before 2021 had said that belonging to a highly respectable family of Tehri, she went to study under famous Gandhian Sarla Behn at her Kausani Ashram.
Sarla Behn (born Catherine Mary Heilman; 5 April 1901 – 8 July 1982) was an English Gandhian social activist who inspired by Mahatma Gandhi went to jail during freedom struggle and later worked in the Kumaon region to help create awareness about the environmental destruction in the Himalayan forests of the state till her death .
Vimla her student had come with her to Tehri to stage a play in support of ‘Bhoodan Andolan’ of Acharya Vinoda Bhave. Sunder Lal Bahuguna had said that he was conducting the stage and fathers of both, his and Vimla’s were in the audience. The elders of both the families decided to get them married but there was a big no from Vimla. Since Sunder Lal Bahuguna at that time was also dabbling in Congress politics, Vimla put up a condition that he had to leave politics forever for social service for which he finally agreed. Even Sarla Bhen was reluctant on this marriage but later agreed.
Sunder Lal Bahuguna and his wife Vimla stayed at Silyara Ashram set by Sunder Lal Bahuguna as per the directions of Mahatama Gandhi for upliftment of poor, downtrodden and dalits and to protect the environment. Working for ‘Sarvodya Andolan’, both plunged into environment protection following reckless destruction of forests in the Himalayas. Sunder Lal Bahuguna died in 2021
Vimla Bahuguna participated in the ‘Bhoodan Movement’ in Bihar in 1953- 55 where she came in contact with Acharya Vinoba Bhave, Jayaprakash Narayan and Dada Dharmadhikari, who were all impressed by her work. A constant companion and inspiration for Sunder Lal Bahuguna in his unrelenting struggles for environmental protection and dalit upliftment, Vimla Bahuguna also led women of garhwal hills successfully in the fight against liquor.
In 1971 along with her 6 year old son she went to jail. Vimla Bahuguna also persuaded and prevailed upon her old mother to join the campaign for prohibition. The common village women were also inspired to join the Chipko movement and the prohibition campaign. Under her inspiration, thousands of women participated in the Tehri dam agitation in 1990 and 1990-91. . Vimla Bahuguna has been awarded the Kheti Award by Indian Council of Agricultural Research in 1975 during International Women’s Year.
Adopting austerity, and implementing Gandhian values throughout their lives remained the key note of all the actions of Bahuguna couple.
Her brother Vidya Sagar Nautiyal, was an eminent Hindi writer and a communist party legislator from Devprayag assembly segment in the Uttar Pradesh assembly. He was also once President of Banaras Hindu University Students’ Union in the sixties. Her cremation will take place at Rishikesh on Feb 15, 2025 as per her family members.
