The President Pranab Mukherjee conferred the Gandhi Peace Prize 2013 on eminent Gandhian and environmentalist Shri Chandi Prasad Bhatt at a glittering function in Darbar Hall at Rashtrapati Bhawan. Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Culture and Tourism Shripad Yesso Naik, Secretary, Culture Ravindra Singh, diplomats from several countries and distinguished persons from all walks of life were present on the occasion.
Launched in 1995, the Gandhi Peace Prize, named after Mahatma Gandhi, is awarded annually by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. This award is given to individuals and institutions for their contributions towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods. The Award carries an amount of Rs. 1 crore in cash, convertible in any currency in the world, a plaque and a citation.
A Gandhian environmentalist and social activist, Shri Chandi Prasad Bhatt is one of the founders of India’s environment movement. True to Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of Peace and Non-violence, Shri Bhatt is one of the leaders of the Chipko movement, adopting non-violent means in preventing deforestation in the Garhwal Himalayas by hugging trees to prevent them from being felled during the early 1970s.
Shri Bhatt, at the age of 80, is still actively involved in his mission and attends meetings and lectures on social and environmental issues in various parts of Uttarakhand and outside. Being the follower of Gandhian ideology, he leads a very simple life and is a true torch-bearer of Gandhian principles. He is a great source of inspiration for environmentalists and the country at large.
Born in 1934, Chandi Prasad Bhatt was earlier awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1982. He is also a recipient of the Padma Bhushan in 2005. One of India’s first modern environmentalists, today he is known for his work on subaltern social ecology.
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