President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday conferred the prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize 2013 to eminent Gandhian and environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt during a function in the Darbar Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
“I salute you for your dedicated, tireless and invaluable work for the conservation of the environment. I also thank you for your immense contribution to our nation and wish you good health as well as long years of continued service to our people,” Mukherjee said after presenting the award to the 80-year-old Gandhian.
The Gandhi Peace Prize carries an amount of Rs 1 crore in cash, which is convertible in any currency in the world, a plaque and a citation.
“The award is an expression of our belief that the ideals that Gandhiji espoused are part of our collective living heritage,” the president said.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Culture and Tourism Shripad Yesso Naik and diplomats from several countries as well as distinguished persons from different walks of life were present on the occasion.
Bhatt was one of the founders of India’s environment movement. He was 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.
Born in 1934, Bhatt was earlier honoured with the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1982. He was also a recipient of Padma Bhushan in 2005.