Chipko (Hug the Trees) Movement

Abstract

This chapter examines the iconic Chipko movement of the 1970s that protested against deforestation in the Himalayan region using the nonviolent gesture of hugging the trees, thereby showing the interconnectedness of the poor women’s livelihood with natural resources. The movement had three strands: one led by Chandi Prasad Bhatt, the second led by Sunderlal Bahuguna which applied the Gandhian method of satyagraha and was embraced mostly by poor women of the region, and the third being the Marxist and radical strand which was later dissolved. The chapter explores how the Chipko movement emerged initially as a peasants’ movement but later became quite complex and attracted great public support within India and outside. This was the first time that the environmental aspect was introduced into the development discourse.