The Chipko movement or Chipko Andolan refers to a forest conservation movement where people clung onto trees to prevent them from being cut, as a last resort, to save the environment without caring for their own lives. Chipko–type movements date back to 1730 AD when in Khejarli village of Rajasthan, 363 Bishnois sacrificed their lives to save khejri trees. In modern India, it began in 1973 in Uttarakhand (then in Uttar Pradesh) and went on to become a rallying point for many future environmental movements all over the world. It created a precedent for starting of nonviolent protest in India,and its success meant that the world immediately took notice of this non-violent movement, which was to inspire in time many such eco-groups by helping to slow down the rapid deforestation, expose vested interests, increase ecological awareness, and demonstrate the viability of people power. Above all, it stirred up the existing civil society in India, which began to address the issues of tribal and marginalized people.The chipko aandolan is a movement that practised methods of Satyagraha where both male and female activists from Uttarakhand played vital roles, including Gaura Devi, Suraksha Devi,Sudesha Devi, Bachni Devi and Chandi Prasad Bhatt. ( From Wikipedia)
CHIPKO MOVEMENT &
RELATED QUOTES
” Embrace the trees and
Save them from being felled;
The property of our hills,
Save them from being looted.”
– Mr Ghanasyam Raturi, the Chipko poet
“The Chipko activists have always been close to my parents, since my father was among the few forestry officials who supported them within the bureaucracy. And I was involved with the Chipko movementin my student days.”— Vandana Shiva
“ It is a man made disaster.When you try forcefully to change nature and its landscape,it gets back and punishes you.” – Sunderlal Bahuguna
“I saw brilliant ideas coming out of the [Chipko] movement that needed better articulation, that needed elaboration and systematic analysis. I just followed that and it’s been very exciting.”— Vandana Shiva
“Mainly unscrupulous development, like unplanned roads and facilities for tourists,that has led to widespread deforestation.” – Sunderlal Bahuguna
“My father had been a forester and I had grown up on those hills. I had seen forests and streams disappear. I jumped into Chipko movement and started to work with the peasant women. I learned from them about what forests mean for a rural woman in India in terms of firewood and fodder and medicinal plants and rich knowledge.”— Vandana Shiva
“The solution of present-day problems lie in the re-establishment of a harmonious relationship between man and nature. To keep this relationship permanent we will have to digest the definition of real development: development is synonymous with culture. When we sublimate nature in a way that we achieve peace, happiness, prosperity and, ultimately, fulfilment along with satisfying our basic needs, we march towards culture.” – Sunderlal Bahuguna
