Question

Write short notes on the Chipko Movement of Bishnoi.

Answer 1

Hint: Protecting trees by hugging them is called chipko movement. There have been enough instances of local people working traditionally for the conservation of forests.

Complete answer:
The Chipko Movement was a socio-ecological movement that followed non-violent methods to protect trees from cutting down. In this, people hugged trees to prevent them from cutting, many were also killed. It was a forest conservation movement. The two main objectives behind this movement were to prevent the construction of private mills in the forest area and to protect the forests from the process of deforestation. People belonging to the Bishnoi community actively participated in this movement. Bishnoi (also known as Vishnoi) is a Hindu religious sect found in the Western Thar Desert and northern states of India. They follow a set of 29 principles/commandments given by Guru Jambeshwar (1451-1536). They are not a caste but a sect. The famous 'Chipko Movement' was inspired by the true story of Amrita Devi Bishnoi, who refused to let the king's men cut trees in her village. Her head was severed. Amrita Devi sacrificed her life along with her three daughters viz. Asu, Ratni, and Bhagu in 1730 to save green trees being felled by the Maharaja of Jodhpur at a place known as Khejarli in Marwar, Rajasthan. Along with her more than 363 other Bishnois, died saving the Khejri trees.
For example, the case of the Bishnoi community in Rajasthan, for whom conservation of forest and wildlife has been a religious tenet.

Notes:
1. Blackbucks, chinkaras, vultures, partridges, peacocks, and even the endangered Great Indian Bustard, find the Bishnoi village a haven. Bishnois protect them from poachers and they also actively participate in helping them lead a life.
2. The government of India has recently instituted an “Amrita Devi Bishnoi National Award for Wildlife Conservation” in the memory of Amrita Devi Bishnoi.