 |
| Image Source: The Indian Express |
The Chipko The movement was a famous, non-violent but strong ecological movement that aimed to protect the forests of the Himalayan foothills from being axed by government contractors.
It began in the 1970s, however, the original uprising of Chipko Andolan dates back to the Bishnoi struggle of the 18th century when Amrita Devi Bishnoi sacrificed her life along with her three daughters, Asu, Ratni, and Bhagu in the 1730s to protect the Khejri trees from being cut on the orders of the Maharaja of Jodhpur at a place called Khejarli in Rajasthan.
The three were beheaded for disobeying the royal orders of Maharaja Abhay Singh. The brave woman-led 363 other Bishnoi villagers embraced the trees and laid their own lives in front of the King’s men instead of allowing the desecration of the environment.
Successfully, but at the cost of human lives, the forest was spared due to the strong resistance that was shown by the villagers. The king promised never to demand tinder from the local villagers and banned the felling of trees in all Bishnoi villages. Amrita Devi and her band of mighty Bishnoi villagers who fought deforestation sparked worldwide mobilization and laid the foundation for other major movements in India.
The Bishnoi struggle inspired Bachni Devi and Gauri Devi of Uttar Pradesh to uprise the massive Chipko Movement in 1972. The Chipko Movement began in Chamoli in Uttarakhand (then part of Uttar Pradesh) and later spread to the Tehri-Garhwal district. By the end of the decade, it spread throughout the entire state of Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Bihar, and Vindhyas.
The movement was led by Sunderlal Bahuguna who went on a 5,000-kilometre trans-Himalaya foot march in 1981-83, thereby making the movement widespread.
The Bishnoi struggle inspired Bachni Devi and Gauri Devi of Uttar Pradesh to uprise the massive Chipko Movement in 1972. The Chipko Movement began in Chamoli in Uttarakhand (then part of Uttar Pradesh) and later spread to the Tehri-Garhwal district. By the end of the decade, it spread throughout the entire state of Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Bihar, and Vindhyas.
The movement was led by Sunderlal Bahuguna who went on a 5,000-kilometre trans-Himalaya foot march in 1981-83, thereby making the movement widespread.
Many other phenomenal leaders like Sudesha Devi, Virushka Devi, Chandi Prasad Bhatt, Govind Singh Rawat, Dhoom Singh Negi, Shamsher Singh Bisht, Ghanasayam Rautri, Vandana Shiva, etc. played a vital role in giving the movement a proper direction.
Hence, inspiring many similar eco-groups to come forward and lend the environment a hand by raising their voice to slow down rapid deforestation, increase social and ecological awareness about the urgent need to save trees, and demonstrate the capacity and viability of people's power.
“Chipko” is a Hindi word that literally means “to stick/hug/cling to”. The Chipko Movement began most dramatically as Bachni Devi of Adwani led a resistance against her own husband who had obtained a local contract to cut the trees. Several rural villages, especially from the Garhwali division, came together to protect the forests by sticking to and hugging the trees in the face of government contractors who came to cut them.
All the villagers relied on forests to obtain firewood, fodder, and other daily necessities, and with this contract, their subsistence was at stake. The lives of the poor villagers were placed at an odd parallel against the government’s desire of generating revenues through the sale of timber.
“Chipko” is a Hindi word that literally means “to stick/hug/cling to”. The Chipko Movement began most dramatically as Bachni Devi of Adwani led a resistance against her own husband who had obtained a local contract to cut the trees. Several rural villages, especially from the Garhwali division, came together to protect the forests by sticking to and hugging the trees in the face of government contractors who came to cut them.
All the villagers relied on forests to obtain firewood, fodder, and other daily necessities, and with this contract, their subsistence was at stake. The lives of the poor villagers were placed at an odd parallel against the government’s desire of generating revenues through the sale of timber.
Thus, villagers’ subsistence was pitted against the government’s profit-driven/capitalist commercial interests. The Chipko Movement was an expression of distance and bitterness between the villagers and the government that seemed ignorant and hostile to their demands and concerns.
Addressing the issue of this social inequality, the movement also addressed the issue of ecological sustainability. The felling of forests led to environmental devastation triggering severe disasters such as floods and landslides in the region. For the villagers, it was a hurricane of destruction. Their survival depended on the survival of the forest. The Chipko Movement undertook concerns related to the economy, ecological depletion, and political representation altogether.
Addressing the issue of this social inequality, the movement also addressed the issue of ecological sustainability. The felling of forests led to environmental devastation triggering severe disasters such as floods and landslides in the region. For the villagers, it was a hurricane of destruction. Their survival depended on the survival of the forest. The Chipko Movement undertook concerns related to the economy, ecological depletion, and political representation altogether.
 |
| Image Source: India Today |
The chief demands of the movement were:
- The ultimate control of the forest resources should remain in the hands of the local people. They should have the legal rights to these resources.
- Deforestation for commercial purposes should be completely stopped.
- No forest-exploiting contracts should be given to outsiders.
- Afforestation – multiplication of tree cultivation and making arid areas greener.
- Formation of management communities to look after the forests.
- Building forest-related home-based industries – providing raw materials, money, and techniques for the process. It also wanted the government to support small industries by providing them low-cost resources and ensure development without disturbing the ecological balance.
- Demanded guarantees of minimum wage.
The mass agitation gained momentum in 1978 when women had to face police firings and other forms of torture. Nevertheless, the movement remained true to Mahatma Gandhi’s concept of satyagraha (non-violent resistance).
The activists adopted a non-violent approach of protesting – Sunderlal Bahuguna fasted for two weeks in 1974 to protest against foreign policy; Dhoom Singh Negi fasted to protest against the auctioning of the forest in the Tehri Garhwal district; local women read Bhagavad Gita and tied sacred threads around the trunk of trees; women confiscated the contractors’ tools and promised to return them only if they promised to withdraw from the forest.
Approximately more than 150 villages took part in the Chipko Movement between 1972 to 1979, leading to 12 major protests and numerous minor confrontations in Uttarakhand. The movement also took up economic issues of landless forest workers.
Finally, the movement triumphed when the then Chief Minister of the state, Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna, brought together a committee to look into the matter which eventually ruled in favor of the villagers and the environment.
Finally, the movement triumphed when the then Chief Minister of the state, Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna, brought together a committee to look into the matter which eventually ruled in favor of the villagers and the environment.
The movement reached its peak of success in 1980 when Bahuguna’s appeal to the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi led to a 15-year ban on commercial felling of trees (until the green cover recovered) in the Himalayas of Uttarakhand.
The same course of action was implemented in other states as well, like Himachal Pradesh (formerly Uttaranchal). This was one major turning point in the history of eco-developmental struggles not only in the region but also around the world.
Written By – Vidhi Nankani
Written By – Vidhi Nankani
Edited By - Anamika Malik
0 Comments