Question

Who led the Chipko movement in history?

Answer 1

Hint: The name of the 'chipko' movement comes from the word 'embrace' as the villagers hugged the trees and surrounded them to prevent the trees from being cut down.

Complete Answer:
- Forests have a great impact on biodiversity. The original 'Chipko movement' was started by the Bishnoi community in Rajasthan in the early 18th century. The popular 'Chipko Movement' was inspired by Amrita Devi Bishnoi's true story, who protested against the cutting of trees in her village by the king's men.
- A large number of villagers led by Amrita Devi laid their lives in an effort to save the trees from being cut under the orders of the Maharaja of Jodhpur. Following this incident, the Maharaja issued a strict royal decree banning the cutting of trees in all the villages of Bishnoi.
- In the 20th century, the movement originated in 1973 in the Himalayan region of Uttar Pradesh, now called Uttarakhand, and quickly spread throughout the Indian Himalayas. This movement was prompted by a government decision to assign forest land to a sports goods corporation. Angered by this decision, the villagers hugged the trees to prevent the trees from being cut down.
- The Chipko movement gained momentum under SunderlalBahuguna, an activist who spent his life encouraging and advising villagers to protest against the destruction of the forests and mountains of the Himalayas. His endeavour led the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to ban the cutting of trees.

Note: As the campaign progressed, the movements became more project-oriented and grew to encompass the entire ecosystem of the area, finally becoming the "Save the Himalayas" campaign.