Identify the reasons which led to the Chipko Movement in U.P in early 1970s. What was the impact of this movement?
Chipko movement was started in 1970s in India in UP against the massive and reckless destruction of forests. It was an organised nonviolent resistance aimed at conserving trees and forests. The movement gained momentum among the community members who aimed at using nonviolent strategies. For instance, the method of hugging tress was used during the Chipko movement to prevent them from being cut to meet insatiable commercial needs. The main reasons for the Chipko movement were:
a. The first Chipko action took place in the year 1973 in the village of Mandal of Chamoli district in the upper Alakananda. It was sparked off by the government's decision to allot a plot of forest area in the Alaknanda valley to a sports goods company.
b. The forest department refused permission to the villagers to fell ash trees for making agricultural tools and instead allotted the same patch of land to a sports manufacturer for commercial use.
c. With the support and encouragement from a local NGO, women got actively involved in embracing trees and prevent them from cutting.
Impact of the movement can be gauged from the following:
a. A large number of activists came to be associated with the Chipko movement, which attracted worldwide attention. Mr. Sunderlal Bahuguna, a Gandhian activist and philosopher, coined the Chipko slogan 'Ecology is permanent economy'. Mr. Chandi Prasad Bhatt, another leader associated with the of the Chipko movement, advocated the development of small scale local industries that were based on the sustainable use of the forests resources and made constant appeal to the then Prime Minister, resulting in issuing a ban on felling of trees in the Himalayan regions for fifteen years to bring about restoration of forest in the region.
b. The movement raised a larger question of overexploitation of forest resources and depletion of resources for commercial gains.
c. The movement witnessed the active participation of women who, along with issue of conservation of forest, broadened the agenda of the movement by raising issues related to alcoholism and other social issues.
d. It raised the issue of customary rights of forest dwellers, right over forest resources.
e. The movement took up economic issues of landless forest workers and asked for guarantees of minimum wages.
f. The movement largely questioned forest policies of the Indian Government that have affected the ecological balance of the area and caused the displacement of the indigenous people who were depended on forest for their survival.
g. The movement gained momentum and became a popular symbol of agitation in the 1970s. The Chipko Movement, which has now spread from one end of the Himalayas in Kashmir to the other parts of India, is endeavouring to alter the Indian Government's forest policy to conserve and protect forests.
a. The first Chipko action took place in the year 1973 in the village of Mandal of Chamoli district in the upper Alakananda. It was sparked off by the government's decision to allot a plot of forest area in the Alaknanda valley to a sports goods company.
b. The forest department refused permission to the villagers to fell ash trees for making agricultural tools and instead allotted the same patch of land to a sports manufacturer for commercial use.
c. With the support and encouragement from a local NGO, women got actively involved in embracing trees and prevent them from cutting.
Impact of the movement can be gauged from the following:a. A large number of activists came to be associated with the Chipko movement, which attracted worldwide attention. Mr. Sunderlal Bahuguna, a Gandhian activist and philosopher, coined the Chipko slogan 'Ecology is permanent economy'. Mr. Chandi Prasad Bhatt, another leader associated with the of the Chipko movement, advocated the development of small scale local industries that were based on the sustainable use of the forests resources and made constant appeal to the then Prime Minister, resulting in issuing a ban on felling of trees in the Himalayan regions for fifteen years to bring about restoration of forest in the region.
b. The movement raised a larger question of overexploitation of forest resources and depletion of resources for commercial gains.
c. The movement witnessed the active participation of women who, along with issue of conservation of forest, broadened the agenda of the movement by raising issues related to alcoholism and other social issues.
d. It raised the issue of customary rights of forest dwellers, right over forest resources.
e. The movement took up economic issues of landless forest workers and asked for guarantees of minimum wages.
f. The movement largely questioned forest policies of the Indian Government that have affected the ecological balance of the area and caused the displacement of the indigenous people who were depended on forest for their survival.
g. The movement gained momentum and became a popular symbol of agitation in the 1970s. The Chipko Movement, which has now spread from one end of the Himalayas in Kashmir to the other parts of India, is endeavouring to alter the Indian Government's forest policy to conserve and protect forests.
