Long before Greta Thunberg admonished world leaders with ‘How dare you?’ at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit, a group of women in India created change, one hug at a time.
‘Chipko’ is a Hindi word that literally means to hug or cling to someone or something. In the 1970s, this word gained momentum as part of an initiative to protect India’s forests from commercial logging. At the heart of The Chipko Movement was the involvement of women, who hugged the trees to prevent them from being razed down. These women hailed from the Himalayan region of Uttar Pradesh (part of Uttarakhand today). Long before the term eco-feminism was coined, India’s tribal women had the foresight to recognise the wealth of the country’s forests as well as the power they could exercise to protect them. It was a unique method of protest, one that gained widespread recognition and continues to resonate.
The Chipko Movement: Inspiration
The Chipko movement drew inspiration from another incident that dates far back to the 18th century in Rajasthan. A lady called Amrita Devi Beniwal was the original Indian environmentalist and martyr. The Maharaja of Jodhpur Abhay Singh was felling Khejri trees, which are considered sacred among the Bishnoi community. Beniwal hugged the tree to prevent it from being cut down, and the king’s men decapitated her.
Why ‘Chipko’?
In Uttarakhand, the tribal women relied on the Himalayan forests for their lives and livelihood. The trees provided them with food, fuel and timber, sustaining entire local communities. However, this was a time when commercialisation called for large-scale deforestation as urban land was scarce. The initial attempts at commercial logging led to soil erosion, landslides and floods, adversely affecting the communities who lived there. The women recognised the value of keeping forests intact, and the Chipko movement was born.
In Reni in 1974, Gaura Devi led a group of villagers who physically confronted the fellers and hugged the trees in retaliation. They refused to let go and spent hours, even days, until the government revoked its orders. Other women leaders such as Bachu Devi and Sudesha Devi were able to mobilise villagers against logging.
Although the Chipko movement primarily saw the participation of women, there were several notable men who came on board and contributed to the cause. Chandi Prasad Bhatt was the Founder of the Dasholi Gram Swarajya Sangh (DGSS) and promoted sustainable forest management. Sunderlal Bahuguna linked the Chipko Movement to broader ecological concerns and later played a key role in the Anti-Tehri Dam protests.
Strategies And Impact
The principles of the Chipko movement were based on non-violent resistance, in keeping with Mahatma Gandhi’s ideology. The hugging of trees was seen as a peaceful protest and passive act of resistance to keep loggers from cutting them down. Ancillary events such as dharnas and hunger strikes took place as well, drawing the attention of activists and policymakers across India and the world. Leaders of the Chipko Movement also took it upon themselves to educate the locals in the area about environmental conservation. Although there were significant criticisms and people accused the Chipko movement of hindering growth and progress, the villagers stayed resolute.
As the 1970s drew to a close and 1980 rolled in, there was finally good news. Policymakers took note and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s government imposed a 15-year ban on commercial logging in the area. This would eventually set a precedent for other states, such as Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh, to follow suit with similar protests. The Forest Conservation Act was passed in 1980 to control the extent of deforestation and promote forest preservation.
Ripple Effect
The Chipko Movement was the beginning of modern India’s attempts to ensure conservation. In 1983, the people of Karnataka launched a similar effort called the Appiko Movement which involved tree-hugging to prevent deforestation. Other peaceful protests included the Narmada Bachao Andolan and Silent Valley Movement in Kerala. It also highlighted the power of India’s tribal women who reclaimed their destinies with non-violent protests. It also sparked conversations around the links between gender and the environment. Over fifty years ago, these were still nascent concepts around the world.
International Day of The Forest
This year’s theme for International Forest Day 2025 is ‘Forests and Food’. The Chipko movement was ahead of its time, recognising the fact that forests were vital to the existence of indigenous forest tribes. Even today, it is important to celebrate the crucial roles of forests in promoting food security, livelihoods and nutrition.