When And Who Started Chipko Movement?

• Who started Chipko movement and when?

The modern day Chipko movement began in the early 1970s by a group of Indian peasant women. The women were from the Reni village Hemwalghati in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.

The very first Chipko event is thought to have taken place in 1730 when 363 people sacrificed their lives for the forest around them. They tried to protect the trees by hugging them but they were killed with axes. These people who first began the movement hundreds of years ago were Bishnois which is a type of religion where they believe in the preservation of animals and vegetables.

• What is the Chipko Movement?

The Chipko movement was one of the first non-violent 'tree hugging' resistances. The women were protesting again deforestation and were protecting the trees of their forest from being cut down with a non-violent protest. The protest spread throughout India and by the end of the 80s there were new laws in place to stop deforestation and the open felling of trees.

The movement began as a way for people to maintain their livelihood rather than a way of preserving the countryside like it is often seen today. The Chipko movement has developed over the years and is now a way for eco groups to help slow the rapid deforestation that we see in many parts of the world. People are trying to protect the environment as we need trees to live and they provide homes for many plants and animals that would soon die out without their homes in the forest. The protests raise our awareness of how important it is to take care of our environment and also that people can work together for a good cause. This is 'People Power' and is to show large corporations that they cannot do whatever they wish simply because they have large amounts of money.

Maine

Bahuguna

Local villagers

It was my grandfather's uncle.

It started in 1970 but no one started chipko movement