Chipko Movement

Dear friends today we are going to remember the movement which shook the minds of peoples regarding environmental protection.

Chipko movement was born in a small hilly village of the upper reaches of Himalayas. The illiterate tribal women commenced this unique moment in December 1972 that became famous as the Chipko Movement. The movement commenced in the Tehri Garhwal district of UP, that actually gathered Momentum in 1978 when the woman faced police firing. It looked as if the movement aimed at saving trees on the Himalayan slopes from the axes of greedy contractors but its objective were broad-based. It questioned the development based on the ruthless butchery of nature to achieve short term gain. It challenged the  old belief that forest mean only Timber, and emphasized their role in making soil, water and pure air which are the basis of life. it was this philosophy which popularised this Movement in many countries. The women of Advani village in Tehri Garhwal had tied the sacred thread around trees, actually hugged the trees, faced police firing in February 1978 and later courted arrest. The movement continued under the leadership of Shri Sunderlal Bahuguna in various villages like Advani and Budhekar of Tehri Garhwal. Mr Bahuguna presented the plan of this movement for protection of soil and water through ban on tree - felling in the Himalayas at the UNEP meeting held in London in June 1982.

" Every standing green tree in the forest is Sentry to protect us from avalanches and landslides, to save our soil and conserve our water. Important gift of tree to us is not Timber, but soil, water and oxygen."

           The Chipko's plan is infact a slogan of planting five Fs - food, fodder, fuel, fibre and fertiliser trees to make communities self sufficient in all their basic needs. It should generate a decentralized 

, self renewing and long-term prosperity. It will protect the environment and bring permanent peace, prosperity and happiness to mankind. Mr Bahuguna along with a team of dedicated workers later under two markers of 300 kilometre from Srinagar to Siliguri. This movement widely spread in different parts of country. Not only this, people from many other countries as France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland etc. have visited Mr Bahuguna to have accounts and experience of his marches in different parts of the country. In an exhibition, organised on June 5 in Stockholm to mark the World Environment Day, following was written about Chipko Movement:

" A powerful environmental movement has grown up on the slopes of mountains of Himalayas. Villages have created an effective non-violent way to stop the devastation by forest industries. When the axemen comes, the people form ring around the trees - they embrace the trees. This has given the moment its name Chipko Aandolan - 2the tree hugging movement."