Chipko movement , nonviolent social and ecological movement by rural villagers, particularly women, in India in the 1970s, aimed at protecting trees and forests slated for government-backed logging. The name of the movement reflects the demonstrators’ primary tactic of embracing the trees to impede loggers. The Chipko Movement (or Chipko Andolan ) was a famous non-violent forest conservation movement. It started in the 1970s in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand. It was led by key figures like Chandi Prasad Bhatt and Sunderlal Bahuguna. The movement's name, which means "to hug," came from the women villagers' brave act of embracing trees to save them from commercial loggers. This people-first movement successfully fought deforestation. It became a global symbol of grassroots environmental ... Learn about the origin, philosophy, impact and relevance of the Chipko Movement, a landmark environmental movement that started in Uttarakhand in 1973. The movement involved women hugging trees to protect them from commercial loggers and inspired similar movements in India and abroad. The Chipko Movement, also known as Chipko Andolan or the “hug the tree” movement, began in 1973 at the foothills of the Himalayas. It was led by environmental activist Sunderlal Bahuguna and started in the Chamoli district of Uttar Pradesh (now part of Uttarakhand).