Chipko Movement

Nature of the Chipko Movement

The Hindi term ‘Chipko’ or ‘chip jayenge’ means ‘to hug’. The localities considered ‘Chipko’ as a fight for basic subsistence. Their fundamental rights have been snatched from them by the institutions and the State policies . Moreover, the meticulousness of the local people; the involvement of women to protect their household and family, and the massive support in favor of the anti-alcohol campaign have resulted in the overwhelming support of women.

Chipko movement refrained from the mannerism of other environmental movements as it adhered to the Gandhian policy of non–violence. 

In the end, the simplicity and devotion of the leaders like Sunderlal Bahuguna and their close association with national political leaders like Mrs. Indira Gandhi, along with her officials largely contributed to the triumph.

Demands of the Chipko movement

1. Abstain from cutting trees for commercial requirements;
2. The traditional rights must be respected in terms of minimum needs of the people;
3. People are to be encouraged in forestation to get rid of arid soil;
4. Rural committees are to be formed to look after forests;
5.  Availability of the raw forest materials, money, and technical know-how for the growth of the home-based industrial sector.  
6. Prioritize forestation in the light of local breeds, requirements, and conditions.

Origin of the Chipko Movement

The Chipko Movement originated in the Garhwal Himalayan region of the present Uttarakhand state. In the early 1940s, Mira Behn (Madeleine Slade) moved to the Himalayan region to promote agricultural growth. She was an associate of Mrs. Indira Gandhi. She pointed out that cattle are the most important resource. To take care of these cattle, Mira Behn initiated Pashulok (Animal World), a cattle center in the region. She was one of the pioneers in spotting the drastic effects of deforestation and its impact on water. Her cautious attention even speculated about the disappearance of banj trees. They were replaced by commercially fruitful pine trees. When compared to each other, the banj trees are more eco-friendly. 

Sunderlal Bahuguna operated alongside Mira Behn and inherited many of her meritorious ideologies. In 1936, Sarala Behn, another disciple of Gandhi, joined him at his Sevagram ashram to assist in the former’s experiments in basic education. She launched movements to spread environmental awareness. She worked in the Kumaon hills where she inaugurated an ashram for girls along Gandhian lines. Very soon she collected a group of dedicated young women social workers around her. In 1961, she started the ‘Uttarakhand Sarvodaya Mandal’ that worked towards the upliftment of the population and the conservation of the hill environment. To protect the supporting resources from the forest region, the women of the region combined with the cooperatives and Gandhian bands like Dasholi Gram Swaraj Sangh (DGSS), Gangotri Gram Swaraj Sangh, etc. They fought to protect their needs and traditional rights. 

CHIPKO – AN ECO-FEMINIST MOVEMENT 

Though the contribution of the local communities consisting of both men and women is not overlooked, the valiant role played by the women, and their firm resolution to restore nature to its purest form, attracted worldwide respect. The movement can be tagged as Satyagraha in the ecological realm as it has been a complete non-violent accomplishment. The women are known as nurturers of creatures by birth. Firstly, Mother Nature is considered in terms of feminine principles. Since the beginning of civilization, women all across the world and generally in India are viewed as an inseparable part of nature. At one level, nature is looked forward as the embodiment of the feminine traits and at another, she is brought up by the females to give birth to live and ensure sustenance. In a broader sense, this is a manifestation of shakti or energy, from which all existence takes birth. We also call this ‘Prakriti’. Both animate and inanimate natural components are thus an expression of shakti. Further, nature is inherently active, a powerful, productive force that regulates the creation, renewal, and sustenance of all life. From this, the world derives its activity, and diversity is reflected in the forms of life on earth – human, animals, mountains, trees, rivers, etc. The human being is to live in consonance with nature. Unfortunately, man’s attitude towards nature converted into a dominant force, who thinks that he can control nature to the greatest extent. Somehow, this symbolizes man’s eternal desire to enjoy domination over women. 

Simultaneously, there is also a critical opinion that women are naturally dependent for their sustenance economically. Since the disharmony surely disturbs the latter’s sustenance, they are compelled to take up the duty of resource protection on their hands, not just for restoring nature to its original state but also to protect their selfish motives. The women’s environmentally friendly ways are directed to their short-term benefits. The household responsibility and the daily supplies are said to be the main reasons for a woman’s friendly co-existence with nature. The eco-feminist perspective also failed to end the marginalization of women, thus it is criticized. Though the movement has brought forward the issues of forest management and concern for ecological conservation, it failed to reduce the other objectives that included the misery of women who have to move far in search of resources needed for subsistence. Moreover, the non-participation of women in the official roles like joint forest management bodies further deprives them of leading a direct, productive, and authoritative role. Thus, the discrepancies in representation are obvious rendering the constructive role of women in the whole debate obsolete. 

Conclusion

 The Chipko movement is essentially an effort to save the natural resources and forests for the benefit of all. Chipko women provide a non-violent alternative in forestry to the violence of reductionist forestry with its inherent logic of indispensability. They have taken the first step towards recovering their status as the other silviculturists and forest managers, who participate in nature’s processes instead of working against them and share nature’s wealth for basic needs instead of privatizing it for profit.