Mr. Chandi Prasad Bhatt Selected for Gandhi Peace Prize 2013

 [Mr. Chandi Prasad Bhatt]

Eminent Gandhian and environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt has been selected for the 2013 Gandhi Peace Prize.
A pioneer of the Chipko Movement for which he was also awarded the Magsaysay Award in 1982, Mr. Bhatt was given the Padma Bhushan by UPA-I in 2005.

Chipko Movement:
A decision of a group of peasants in a remote Himalayan village (Reni village of Chamoli, Uttrakhand) to stop a group of loggers from felling a patch of trees has been termed as Chipko Movement. The name was dubbed as the protesters hugged trees to protect them from being felled. This landmark struggle to protect trees started on 27 March 1973 and can be considered as the modern Indian environmental movement.

Gandhi Peace Prize:
The government of India launched the International Gandhi Peace Prize in 1995 on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. It is a very prestigious Award and carries an amount of 10 million rupees, a citation and a Plaque. The Award is selected by a Jury under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister.