ENVIRONMENTAL
MOVEMENTS
IN INDIA
Save Silent Valley Movement
Narmada Bachao Andolan
Chipko Movement
Jungle Bachao Andolan
What is an
Anenvironmental movement can be
defined as a social or political environmental
movement for the conservation or the
improvement of the state of movement?
environment.
The terms 'green movement' or
'conservative movement' are
alternatively used to denote the same.
They favour the sustainanble
management of natural resources and
often stress the protection of
environment via changes in public
policy.
SAVE SILENT VALLEY MOVEMENT
Year: 1978
Place: Silent Valley, an evergreen tropical forest in
the Palakkad district of Kerala.
Leaders: The Kerala Kala Sastra Parishad
(KSSP) an NGO and the poet – activist
Sugathakumari played an important role.
Aim: In order to protect the Silent Valley, the
moist evergreen forest from being destroyed by a
hydroelectric project.
WHAT WAS IT It was a social movement
ALL ABOUT aimed at protecting Silent
Valley. The Kerala State
Electricity Board (KSEB)
proposed a hydroelectric dam
across the Kuntipuzha River
that runs through Silent
Valley. In February 1973, the
Planning Commission
approved the project at a cost
of about Rs. 25 crores.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
Many feared that the project would submerge
8.3 sq km. of untouched moist evergreen forest.
The IUCN (International Union of Conservation
of Nature) passed a resolution recommending
protection of lion-tailed macaques and
the controversy heated up. Silent Valley is a
home to the world's rarest and most
threatened species of lion-tailed macaques.
LEADERS OF THE MOVEMENT
Kerala Sasta Sahithya Parishad
(KSSP) effectively aroused public
opinion to save the valley.
The poet-activist Sugathakumari
played an important role in the
Silent Valley protest and her
poem "Marathinu Stuthi" (Ode to a
Tree) became a symbol for the
protest and was the opening song
for most of the campaign meetings.
SUCCESS OF THE MOVEMENT
In January 1981, bowing to unrelenting
public pressure, Indira Gandhi declared
that Silent Valley will be protected.
In November 1983, the Silent Valley
Hydroelectric Project was called off.
In 1985, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
formally inaugurated the Silent
Valley National Park.
NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN
Year: 1985
Place: Narmada river, which flows through
the states of Gujrat, Madhya Pradesh &
Maharashtra.
Leaders: Medha Patker, Baba Amte,
adivasis, farmers, environmentalists and
human rights activists.
Aim: A social movement against a number
of large dams being built across the
Narmada River.
WHAT WAS IT ALL ABOUT
NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN is an Indian social
Movement against a number of large dam projects across the
Narmada River. Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat is one of the
first focal points of the movement. It is part of the Narmada
Dam Project, whose main aim is to provide irrigation and
electricity to people of the above states.
BENEFITS PROBLEMS
Provides flood protection. Displacement of people.
Helps in generation of Rehabilitation & resettlement
electricity. of people.
Helps in supply of water and Loss of agriculture land and
irrigation. forest.
Raise agricultural growth rates Destruction of flora & fauna.
to high levels.
H0W DID THEY DO IT
5000 people marched on the Narmada valley
Development authority offices forcing them to
close.
March 1990- 10000 protesters blocked the highway
from Bombay for 2 days people staged a sit-in
outside the Prime Minister’s house in Delhi.
Media campaigns
Long march-3000 people walked, 100Km, which
took a week to the Dam site, once they got there
Medha Patkar & 6 others went on a hunger strike, It
lasted for 22 days until they broke fast- this made
Narmada an international issue.
SUCCESS
Partially successful
Some objectives got achieved
New leaders are emerging through NBA
NBA has attracted an international network of support
Success in the rehabilitation of people
CHIPKO MOVEMENT
It was started in 1973 aimed to protect trees.
The word “Chipko" refers "to stick" or "to
hug“, the name came from a word meaning
"embrace”.
It was started in In Chamoli district and
later at Tehri-Garhwal district of
Uttarakhand.
Leaders were Sundarlal Bahuguna, Gaura
Devi, Sudesha Devi, Chandi Prasad Bhatt,
Govind Singh Rawat, Dhoom Singh Negi,
Shamsher Singh Bisht and Ghanasyam
Raturi.
The main objective was to protect the trees
on the Himalayan slopes from the axes of
contractors of the forest.
INTRODUCTION
It is primarily a forest conservation movement.
It created a precedent for non-violent protest started in
India.
It inspire many eco-groups by helping slow down rapid
deforestation.
It stirred up the civil society in India to address the issue
of tribal people.
It is seen as a ecofeminism movement
In 1987 it was awarded as the "Right livelihood award"
CAUSES OF CHIPKO MOVEMENT
In Uttarakhand during 20th century, large scale deforestation
brought a lot of hardships to common people.
problems arose due to inefficient polices of the government.
lack of environmental & ecological awareness in the society.
people gave up on keeping large livestocks.
caused malnutrition among people.
heavy effect on ecological balance of the region.
poor condition of land.
scarcity of drinking water.
FOUNDER OF
CHIPKO
MOVEMENT
Sunder Lal Bahuguna
(Environmentalist)
Enlightened the country
and out world about the
movement, its success and
environmental impact.
Padmabhushan winner for
his contribution in the
movement.
Success of Chipko movement
The movement has spread to many states in the country.
It stopped felling of trees in the Western Ghats and the
Vindhyas.
Generated pressure for formulation of a natural resource
policy.
Achieved a major victory in 1980 with a 15-year ban on
green felling in the Himalayan forests
More than 1,00,000 trees have been saved from excavation.
Started protecting forest slopes and Restoring bare ones
JUNGLE BACHAO ANDHOLAN
Year: 1982
Place: Singhbhum district of Bihar
Leaders: The tribals of Singhbhum.
Aim: Against governments decision to replace the natural sal forest with Teak.
WHAT WAS THE MOVEMENT ABOUT?
The tribals of Singhbhum district of Bihar started the protest when the
government decided to replace the natural sal forests with the highly-
priced teak. This move was called by many as “Greed Game Political
Populism”. Later this movement spread to Jharkhand and Orissa.
MOTIVE BEHIND THE MOVEMENT
The historical background of the Jungle Bachao Movement is the natural
attachment of people with land, forest and water. They touch the every aspect of
people’s life and death, pain and pleasure.
The tribes have birth-relation with land, forest and water, the concept of right came
much later, this is a conspiracy to break this relation of tribes by broken promises.
The innocent tribal by nature are trapped into by so called mainstream civilized
communities. The Jharkhandis are animists and natural beauty of land, forest and
water are the centers of their devotion.
This is their unique system of devotion to the earth, Tribal’s devotional way of life
to the earth may be the subject of lesion and inspiration for the environmentalists
and intellectuals who are organizing national and international seminars on
environmental issues and for the policy makers of this land.
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE MOVEMENT?
The agitation intensified in mid-1978 with incidents against the forest
development corporation, which had begun clear felling of mixed forest and
planting teak.
Several teak nurseries of the corporation were destroyed, resulting in losses of
lakhs of rupees.
Soon, the protest took the shape of reclaiming ancestral lands.The agitation
became a part of the movement for the creation of the Jharkhand state.
The government responded with police action. There were numerous incidents of
police firing and killing agitating tribals. Police repression led to several cases of
human rights abuse.
Several leaders of the andolan were arrested, including Majhi, who had emerged as the
most visible leader of the andolan.
In 1981, another organisation came to the fore of the andolan: the Kolhan Raksha
Sangh (KRS). These leaders faced sedition charges. Other leaders went underground
and encouraged the Jungle Andolan's spread eastwards into the famous Saranda forest.
SUCCESS OF THE MOVEMENT
The tribals who had taken back the land of their ancestors
are still cultivating that land, though they complain that the
forest department troubles them ceaselessly.
After 27 years Forest Rights Bill passed in December 15,
2006 in Lok Sabha during the office of UPA, headed by Dr.
Manmohan Singh. It was the result of Jungle Andolan in
Singhbhum and other tribal movements across the tribal
belts in India.
THANK YOU
A presentation by :
Pratishtha Arya
Monika Lakra
Padam Bansal
Rayan Arora
