Bipin Chandra Tripathi was a founder member of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, a political party recognised in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Bipin Tripathi was a prominent socialist activist, environmentalist and a journalist from Uttarakhand. When he was on a hunger strike with a demand for the establishment of Degree College at Dwarahat, Almora he had lost sizeable weight but was still determined to continue his hunger strike till death or till the accomplishment of his demand. At that time he was working as an Owner Editor of Dronanchal Prahari, a fortnightly paper which he used to publish from Dwarahat.
After he graduated from Kumaon University in 1967 he threw his lot to the cause of the Samajwadi Andolan. He was highly influenced by the thoughts of socialist leader Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia. He fought for the landless villagers of Terai of Nainital district from 1965 to 1969. In 1968-69 he started publication of a fortnightly newspaper Yuvjan Mashal and worked for the achievement of the people’s demands. He led many public agitations highlighting various demands. In 1970 held the State Level Conference of the Yuvjan Sabha. During this period he was arrested by the state government of Uttar Pradeshfor the first time. After his release, he came back to Dwarahat. In 1971 he started his fortnightly paper Dronanchal Prahari. He also fought against the loot of forests by mafias and businessmen like Star Paper Mill, Lalkuan through his paper, with the result that a case was filed against him in the press council. He was among the frontrunner of the forest movement in uttarakhand. In 1974, along with other activists, he opposed forest aution in Nainital and was arrested with other 18 activists, this protest provoked demonstration throughout the region. In 1974 under his leadership, the biggest fight of Chipko movement, for saving Chacharidhar forest, was fought against Saharanpurpaper mill, where they successfully saved the forest. In 1975 during Emergency he went to Jail for more than 22 months.
Political career
Tripathi was a founder member of Uttarakhand Kranti Dal along with Dr. D. D. Pant, Indramani Badoni and Kashi Singh AiryHari Dutt Bahuguna. The party was founded on 26 July 1979 at Nainital. Tripathi was essentially a democrat, committed to the struggles of the Highlanders of Uttarakhand. He was one of the staunch stalwarts who stood for the establishment of Uttarakhand and he successfully worked for the achievement of this goal. He became a member of the 1st Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly in the year 2002 in the newly formed Uttarakhand State. He devoted himself for the cause of the development of Uttarakhand. He continued his fight with redoubled vigour and enthusiasm.
