Question

Explain with the help of two examples how the participation of local people has led to conservation of forest in the past.

Answer 1

1) The Chipko Andolan movement originated from an incident in a remote village called Reni in Garhwal, during the early 1970s. There was a dispute between the local villagers and a logging contractor who had been allowed to fell trees in a forest close to the village. On a particular day, the contractor’s workers appeared in the forest to cut the trees while the men of the village were absent. The women of the village reached the forest quickly and hugged the tree trunks thus, preventing the workers from felling the trees. The contractors were shocked and they withdrew the decision to fell the trees. This saved thousands of trees from felling.

2) Amrita Devi Bishnoi was a woman who showed her courage by saving 'khejri' trees in 1731. She hugged the tree and dared the king's people (who came to cut khejri trees) to cut her first before cutting the tree. The king's men didn't bother about her request and cut down trees. Along with her, 363 other villagers also sacrificed their lives for saving trees.