NAME:

HARSHALI
ARUN
GHOGALE
STD: FYBCOM
SEM: II
ROLL NO: FC
CHIPKO MOVEMENT 113
SUB: ENVIRONMENTAL ACADEMIC
STUDIES. YEAR: 2020-21
 INTRODUCTION
Chipko movement came into existence in 1973 to protect trees from cutting down. it was a
non-violent movement initiated by the women in Uttar Pradesh’s Chamoli district (now is a
part of Uttarakhand, India) for the conservation of forests to maintain ecological balance in
the environment. after some time, the movement spilled onto the other northern states of
India.

WHAT IS THE CHIPKO MOVEMENT?

The movement was named as “Chipko” that came from the word “embrace” because the
villagers ( especially women) hugged the trees and encircle them to protect from cutting. the
movement also stands for an ecofeminist movement because women only created the nucleus
of this movement. the power of protest through non-violent worked as a powerful agent for
the conservation of the forest land.

FOUNDER OF CHIPKO MOVEMENT

Sunderlal Bahuguna (born 9, January 1927) is an Indian
noted Garhwali environmentalist and Chipko movement
leader. the idea of Chipko movement was of his wife and
the action was taken by him. for years he has been fighting
for the preservation of forests in the Himalayas. first as a
member of the Chipko movement in the1970s, and Padma
Bhushan winner for his contribution in the movement.
 OBJECTIVES OF CHIPKO MOVEMENT
The slogan of the Chipko movement was “ecology is a permanent economy” as coined by
Sunderlal Bahuguna. He said to embrace the trees and save them from being felled down
because they are the property of our hills. save them from being looted.

One of the main objectives of the movement was to protect trees and forest area because it
was the primary source of livelihood for tribal people of this region. they were highly
dependent on the forest resources for their survival.

Along with this, the Chipko movement played an essential role in conserving the
environment to maintain proper ecological balance in the region. it was one of the most
significant movements of India against deforestation to preserve ecology.

CHIPKO MOVEMENT HISTORY

The original Chipko movement is linked with Rajasthan. in the 18 th century. the jodhpur’s
king had ordered to cut trees to build a beautiful palace. the andolan started in khejarli village
of Rajasthan, where 163 people sacrificed their lives to protect khejri trees.

This was the first time when a huge number of people led by ‘Amrita devi’ from the ‘bishnoi’
community resisted cutting of trees by embracing them. after the strong protest of the
movement, the king of jodhpur gave a royal decree preventing cutting of trees in all the
bishnoi villages.

In modern India, the origin of the Chipko movement is a village named “Mandal” in
Uttarakhand (former part of Uttar Pradesh) in the upper ‘Alaknanda’ valley. however, the
andolan got momentum in the 1970s but evolved as one of the most influential protests of
Indian history in the year 1973.

An environmentalist and gandhian social activist ‘Chandi Prasad Bhatt’ was the founder of
modern India’s Chipko movement. he was also founder of a cooperative organization named
‘Dasholi Gram Swarajya Sangh’. in 1964 he used to faster small industries for the rural
people using local resources.

In 1970. a tragic monsoon flood occurred due to industrial logging. Almost 200 people were
killed in this flood. then chandi prasad Bhatt and his cooperative organization. ‘Dasholi Gram
Swarajya Sangh’ involved completely in the protest of large-scale industrial logging/ as a
result. the first Chipko protest was initiated in Mandal village in April 1973.

later on, the movement was actually triggered by the government’s decision where a large
plot of forest land was allotted to a sports goods manufacturing company. when the appeal of
the villagers was denied, then as a reaction of anger, the villagers encircle the trees to prevent
them from cutting. Chandi Prasad Bhatt spreadhead this movement and, after several days of
protest, the govt. cancelled the company’s logging permit.

After the success story of Mandal village. the workers of Dasholi Gram Swarajya Sangh and
Sunderlal Bahuguna (a Gandhian activist) started sharing the movement’s tact ics with the
local people of other villagers throughout this region.
Some other success stories of Chipko movement followed by Mandal village includes-

In 1974, a major protest near ‘Reni

village’ happened where more than 2000
trees were planned for cutting. the
government summoned the men from
surro unding villages for compensation.
however, the women of the town,
spearheaded ‘Gaura Devi’, refused to cut
the trees. as a result, the loggers had to
withdraw their plan of cutting the trees in
the region. from now, the Chipko
movement emerged as a women’s movement to fight for forest conservation.
‘Sunderlal Bahuguna’ also took part in this protest. he fasted for two weeks (inspired
by satyagraha movement) to protest against the felling of trees.
In 1978, ‘Dhoom Singh Negi’ led the Chipko movement to protest auctioning of the
forest in the ‘Advani’ forest in ‘Tehri garhawl’ district. he fasted to protest the
auction. also, the local women tied secured threads around the trees and read
‘Bhagavad-Gita’ to protest the trees.
In 1978. once again. the women in other areas confiscated the tools of loggers and
forced them to withdraw from the forest.
An estimate is that between 1972 and 1979, nearly about 150 local people participated
in the Chipko movement, protesting about 12 major and many other minor
confrontations to protect trees in the Uttarakhand region.
In 1980, a big success was achieved lead by ‘Sunderlal Bahuguna’, he gave a
direction to the movement and appealed Indira Gandhi (the prime minister of the
India that time) to stop felling the trees. as a result, the govt. initiated a 15-years ban
on commercial cutting of trees in Uttarakhand Himalayas for the conservation of the
environment.
Some other participant name associated with the movement includes- Suraksha Devi, Bachni
Devi, Virushka Devi, Sudesha Devi, and many more. later on, the success of the Chipko
movement inspired other Himalayas states to take the initiative to protect the cutting of trees
to their regions.
 CAUSES OF CHIPKO MOVEMENT
This movement was started for an
ecological purpose to save the trees,
these are same of the primary reasons
that force the tribal people stood bravely
in front of the loggers to protect their
forest land.

In the 20th century, the common

people of the Uttarakhand hill
region suffered a lot due to large-
scale deforestation.
The problems started with the
inefficient policies of the govt.
Rejection from the govt. to the appeal of the poor condition of local people.
The ecological balance of the Uttarakhand region was affected big time by cutting of
trees.
The local people also had to face the problem of scarcity of water and poor land
condition.
Lack of awareness about the environmental and ecological importance of the trees in
the society.
The local people of the region gave up on keeping a high number of livestock.
Malnutrition among local people was also a reason for the origin of the Chipko
movement.
 IMPORTANCE OF CHIPKO MOVEMENT FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.
Chipko movement was basically a forest
conservation movement started against
unquestionable rights of govt. agencies to order
the felling of the trees. the word Chipko literally
means “Hugging” the trees to save them from
cutting. the local people act as a protective shield
against contractors by hugging the trees.
In the 1970s, an organized protest to shop the
destruction of trees spread throughout India quite
rapidly from its epic enter Mandal village. it was the courage of local people, especially
women who confront the loggers as interpose between them and the trees.
The importance of Chipko movement was to protect forest resources from destruction. trees
are not only used as resources for fuel-wood, timber, food. fodder, etc. but it has much more
importance. trees help to prevent soil erosion, flood, and bring rainfall, etc.
In short, it maintains ecological balance in the environment. so, the people of the hill region
of Uttarakhand saved the trees not only for their own benefits but also to help the
environment.
Chipko movement is an important environmental initiative took by the villagers of the
Uttarakhand Garhwal region. they took the non-violence method to fight against the loggers
and contractors. they gained considerable popularity as an eco-friendly movement for the
environment. the movement started in Man dal village paved the way for various such
environmental changes in India.
 ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE CHIPKO
MOVEMENT
Although our country is male dominating
country where most of the actions are taken by
the men, but women has also shown their impact
and importance at times. Chipko movement was
the one where women showed what they can do
when its needed.
Chipko movement was launched to protect
the trees being cut down. this was not the first
time when women came up to the protect the
environment. An ancient Indian legend tells of a
girl, Amrita Devi , who died trying to protect the
trees that surrounded her village. in the story the
woodcutters of the local Maharajah come with
the intention of cutting the trees of the peasants,
to obtain the wood to build a new fortress.
In 1974,some women from nearby area used the same technique of hugging trees to
protest against the clearing of the forests of their lands. and in 1977, in another area, women
tied sacred ribbons around the tress destined to die- a symbolic gesture in the Hindu costume,
which indicates the link between brother-sister relationships. they claimed that their trees
would be preserved even at the cost of their lives.
In the 1980s the ideas of the Chipko movement spread, often among women who talked
it about it in places where water was collected, on village paths, and in markets. the women
realized that they were not powerless; there were actions they could take and a movement
that would support them.
 SLOGANS

“ECOLOGY IS PERMANENT ECONOMY”

Ghanshyam Raturi, the Chipko poet, whose songs echoed during the movement describing
the method of embracing the trees to save them from felling.

“Embrace the trees and

save them from being felled;

The wealth of our hills,

Save them from being looted”.

Girda (Girish Tewari)

Inspired the movement in kumaon region with USV.

By beating of hudka (a rhythming instrument) and

singing various songs.

“Today Himalayas is calling you,

Wake up my son;

Do not allow my auction,

Protect ,e from being slaughtered.”

 CONCLUSION
Chipko movement was a livelihood movement rather than forest conservation movement. it
also generates a new way to protect environment. it is also eco-feminist movement. The
Chipko movement is an important environmental movement, which has gained considerable
popularity and success by adopting a Gandhian non-violent method. the movement paved the
way for many such environmental movements in the country. In 1987 the Chipko movement
was chosen for an “Award for the Right to Subsistence”, known as the “Alternative Nobel
Prize”. the award was rightly deserved for this small movement dominated by women that
had become a national campaign for the presentation of forests.

REFERENCE
[Link]

[Link]

[Link]

newspaper: Times of India.