Chipko movement was a non-violent movement initiated for the conservation of forests to maintain ecological balance in the environment. Chipko is Hindi for “to cling” or “to hug”. Eventually, these women’s aim to protect India’s forests evolved into a green movement that continues to persist amid the rapidly accelerating climate crisis. The story of Chipko was inspired by Amrita Devi from the northwestern state of Rajasthan. 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). The Chipko movement , a grassroots environmental movement that originated in the Indian Himalayas in the 1970s, holds a profound historical significance. This article delves into the origins and explores the deeper meaning behind this iconic movement that embraced tree-hugging as a form of protest against deforestation and the exploitation of natural resources. — Five decades ago, women from the Himalayan villages of Reni and Mandal in India used their bodies to shield trees from loggers in ...
