Question

What is the relevance of India’s first environmental movement, the Chipko movement

today?​

Answer 1

Answer:        The Chipko movement or Chipko Andolan, was a forest conservation movement in India. It began in 1970s in Uttarakhand, then a part of Uttar Pradesh (at the foothills of Himalayas) and went on to become a rallying point for many future environmental movements all over the world. It created a precedent for starting nonviolent protest in India,[1] and its success meant that the world immediately took notice of this non-violent movement, which was to inspire in time many similar eco-groups by helping to slow down the rapid deforestation, expose vested interests, increase social awareness and the need to save trees, increase ecological awareness, and demonstrate the viability of people power. Above all, it stirred up the existing civil society in India, which began to address the issues of tribal and marginalized people. The Chipko Andolan or the Chipko movement is a movement that practiced methods of Satyagraha where both male and female activists from Uttarakhand played vital roles, including Gaura Devi, Suraksha Devi, Sudesha Devi, Bachni Devi and Chandi Prasad Bhatt, Virushka Devi and others.

Answer 2

The Chipko movement in today's time had led to a better GDP growth, reduction in afforestation and more employment opportunities.

• The Chipko movement was a movement of forest conservation in India which started in Uttarakhand.

• Essentially, the Chipko campaign can be called a women's campaign. Many women had joined the campaign as they knew that their lifeline was forests.

• In addition to achieving the goal of preserving the sanctity of endangered forests for years to come, the greatest achievement of the Chipko campaign has been to open people's eyes to their rights to forests.

• As per the forest survey report there has also been an increase in the total forest area cover.