Chandi Prasad Bhatt-India's first modern environmentalist

Chandi Prasad Bhatt, an environmentalist and social activist by profession who founded Dasholi Gram Swarajya Sangh(DGSS) in Gopeshwar in 1964, which later became a mother organisation to the Chipko Movement, in which he was pioneers, and for which he was awarded the Ramson Magsaysay Award for community leadership in 1982. He was also awarded  with Padma Bhushan in 2005. He is also an author of Pratikar Ke Ankur, Future of Large Projects in the Himalaya , Ecosystem of Central Himalaya. Today this visionary man is known for his work on subaltern social ecology and considered one of India;s first modern environmentalist. Although, Bhatt has attended meetings in lowland India and abroad as a spokesperson for chipko, he has remained a man of his land. He along with his wife continue to live a simple life of their Himalayan neighbours. Bhatt is also a recipient of the Gandhi Peace Prize in 2013. He is truly an environment hero and inspiration for youngsters.