Chipko Andolan

Introduction

Chipko Andolan is one of the most renowned environment and forest conservation movements in India. The word chipko means to embrace and it comes from the fact that women involved in the movement embraced trees to stop them from being hacked. It is also one of the most talked about movements for the involvement of women to protect the environment. Moreover, the women were involved in the movement because the trees scheduled to be cut were the lifeblood of their existence indirectly.

The chipko movement originated in the Chamoli district in Uttar Pradesh of India in 1973. It spread to other North Indian states quickly and became one of the most symbolic women’s movements that also had an impact on the social status of women in India.

What is Chipko Andolan?

Although the Chipko Andolan, started in Uttar Pradesh’s Chamoli district, is considered the first such case in History, the origination of Chipko Andolan dates back to the 18th century. In the 18th century, the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan, led by a lady called Amrita Devi started the chipko movement in order to protect trees from being cut. In this movement, Amrita Devi and a group of other villagers gave up their life, and knowing about this incident, the king of Jodhpur banned the hacking of trees in all villages where the Bishnoi community were present.

The modern Chipko Andolan followed the China border conflict which resulted in the need for infrastructure development. As a result, many foreign companies started to eye the vast forest reserved in UP. The forests, however, were the source of food and fuel for the villagers and they could go to any extent to protect the trees from felling down. Therefore, when the government allowed the felling of trees, the village women took the matter of saving the trees into their own hands. Moreover, due to the cutting down of trees, the area had seen widespread destruction by a flood in 1970. It was also a factor foir the villagers to stand against the further felling of trees.

The villagers who participated in Chipko Andolan were also angered due to the government’s policy which did not allow the villagers to use the trees for fuel and some other purposes. However, the government gave the rights to a sports equipment manufacturer to cut down the trees, allowing massive cutting down of trees. This became the turning point of the andolan and that is when activity and Gandhian philosopher Chandi Prasad Bhatt, the founder of Dasholi Gram Swarajya Sangh led the first chipko movement in 1973.

Image 2: This was the scene in a village in Uttar Pradesh in 1973, now in Uttarakhand, where the modern Chipko Movement took birth under the aegis of Sunderlal Bahuguna, a noted Garhwali environmentalist.

Among the notable leaders of the Chipko Andolan, the renowned involvement of Sunderlal Bahuguna is notable. He was an environmental activist who made the public aware of the dangers of deforestation in the Himalayan region. Due to his endeavors, the then prime minister Indira Gandhi banned the logging of trees. It is Bahuguna who used the slogan, “Ecology is the Permanent Economy.”

The government did not listen to the villagers’ points of view and did not cancel the permit for commercial deforestation. That led Bhatt to go into the forest and embrace the trees to save them from being logged. The agitation and protests ran for a long time but finally, the government had to cancel the permit of the company to log down the trees commercially.

The widespread participation of women is a notable factor of Chipko Andolan. As women were in charge of food, livestock, and children, they had serious consequences of deforestation the effect of which had been visible in the 1970 floods. Therefore, the Chipko Andolan can be essentially called a women’s movement.

The success of chipko movement had a direct message to the workers of the movement. They could see the benefits of collective protest against laws that threaten lives and leads to denuding of forests in the Himalayan regions.The andolan was also called an eco−feminist movement by Google on its 45th anniversary. Google wrote in its blog that the chipko movement was one of the most significant movements that were supported by women. Women were at the center of the movement that directly impacted their needs for firewood and drinking water. The loss of the woods could therefore threaten the existence of the village and women understood this well enough. “The power of protest is an invaluable and powerful agent of social change,” Google wrote in its blog.

Key takeaways

• The first Chipko Andolan occurred in 18th century in a Bishnoi community village.

• The modern Chipko Andolan started in 1973 in the Chamoli district of Uttar Pradesh.

• Chipko Andolan gets its name from the fact that people embraced the trees to protect them from being cut.

• Women took the major participation in Chipko Andolan as they were at the helm of affairs related to food, livestock, and children.

• The China border conflict which led to the improvement of infrastructure resulted in the need for deforestation.

• The government had given the rights of trees to a sports equipment manufacturer.

• However, the villagers suffered a server issue of flooding due to deforestation in 1970.

• Villagers were also angered by the fact that the government did not allow them to use the trees for fuel, food, and other purposes but offered the contract of cutting down the trees to a sports equipment manufacturer.

• Chandi Prasad Bhatt, the founder of Dasholi Gram Swarajya Sangh led the first chipko movement in 1973.

• The government did not listen to the villagers’ points of view and did not cancel the permit for commercial deforestation. That led Bhatt to go into the forest and embrace the trees to save them from being logged.

• The agitation and protests ran for a long time but finally, the government had to cancel the permit of the company to log down the trees commercially.

• The andolan was also called an eco−feminist movement by Google on its 45th anniversary. Google wrote in its blog that the chipko movement was one of the most significant movements that were supported by women.

Conclusion

Chipko Andolan is a historical movement that was supported by a large number of village women. It showed the potential of collective protests and taught the masses the need for movements to protect the environment and forests. Although Chipko was led by many renowned activists, it is the general women who were responsible for its success. Movements of this kind are necessary for the betterment of lives and the conservation of the environment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Qns 1. Who led the first Chipko Movement?

Ans. Chandi Prasad Bhatt, the founder of Dasholi Gram Swarajya Sangh led the first chipko movement in 1973.

Qns 2. What angered the villagers in regard to the government’s policy about the forests?

Ans. Villagers were also angered by the fact that the government did not allow them to use the trees for fuel, food, and other purposes but offered the contract of cutting down the trees to a sports equipment manufacturer.

Qns 3. Who was Sunderlal Bahuguna? What was his activity? Which famous slogan did he preach?

Ans. Sunderlal Bahuguna was an environmental activist who made the public aware of the dangers of deforestation in the Himalayan region. Due to his endeavors, then prime minister Indira Gandhi banned the logging of trees. It is Bahuguna who used the slogan,” ecology is the permanent economy.”