Popular Movements In India

Chipko Movement

• In 1973, the Chipko movement was launched. It was a peaceful protest aiming at tree conservation and protection. However, it is primarily known for the collaborative movements of women for the cause of protecting forests
• In 1973, a movement against tree felling and the preservation of ecological integrity began in Uttar Pradesh’s Chamoli district (presently Uttarakhand). It quickly spread to neighbouring regions in north India.
• The surge in progress that Uttar Pradesh experienced after the 1963 China border dispute was the catalyst for the prevailing Chipko movement, an environmental movement. Forests have long been the peasants’ lifeline, and they leaned on them for both fuel and food. Floods devastated the region in 1970, which was blamed on mishandling due to commercial cutting
• The locals were also enraged by the government’s stance prohibiting local agriculturists from cutting down trees for fuelwood and other reasons. On the other hand, a sports production company was permitted to cut down trees and utilize the wood to manufacture equipment. In 1973, Chandi Prasad Bhatt, an environmentalist and Gandhian social reformer who founded the cooperative Dasholi Gram Swarajya Sangh, spearheaded the first Chipko movement near Mandal village
• Bhatt led a group of locals into the forest and hugged the trees to halt cutting after their petitions were dismissed. The authorities revoked the logging permission after several days of protest
• Sunderlal Bahuguna, an ecological activist who dedicated his life encouraging and teaching the peasants to fight against the loss of the forests and Himalayan mountains, helped the Chipko Movement ramp up. It was because of his efforts that then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi banned tree cutting in ecologically sensitive geography

Narmada Bachao Andolan

• Narmada Bachao Andolan is a social revolution in India spearheaded by indigenous peoples, environmentalists, farmers, and human rights campaigners. They utilized this tactic to fight huge dam developments on the Narmada River
• One of the critical elements of the initiative was the Sardar Sarovar Dam. The Narmada dam project includes this dam. This project aims to offer electricity and irrigation to residents of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra
• Court battles, hunger strikes, protests, and enlisting the backing of significant figures are all part of the Narmada Bachao Andolan, one of the popular environmental movements
• The longest-running Gandhian movement is the Narmada Bachao Andolan
• After deciding upon the dams across the Narmada River, the Adivasis were informed about shifting from their current location. The officials assured them that they would be provided with enough amenities in their new site

Kerala People’s Science Movement (KPSM)

• The Kerala People’s Science Movement (KPSM) aims to exemplify the science established by a powerful team of scientists. It promotes long-term development. The KPSM conducts pediatras to foster awareness of the importance of a people-centred environment. They spread material about pollution, natural resource loss, land degradation, and other topics.

The Anti-Corruption Movement in India

• The movement ‘India Against Corruption’ was organized by a group of social protesters led by an octogenarian Gandhian – Anna Hazare.  He chose death by fasting and sought the passage of the long-delayed Jan Lokpal Bill (Anti-Corruption Law)
• Surprisingly, the movement was successful in rallying public support and enticing the media to cover the problem
• The transformation in social issues from being mainly rural to now incorporating urban individuals is one notable tendency it has demonstrated
• The Anna campaign’s main combatants are educated and urban. As a result, this movement and previous citizen protests have gained traction among educated and aware youth

Nirbhaya movement

A female medical student was savagely gang-raped on a moving bus in New Delhi in December 2012 and then dropped onto the highway, wounded and helpless. Nirbhaya, as the media dubbed her, did not survive the assault. However, she ignited a movement in India and its neighboring countries