Essay On Chipco Movement

Chipko Movement, started in 1970 's, was a non violent movement aimed at protection and conservation of trees and forests from being destroyed. The name of the Chipko moment originated from the word 'embrace ' as the villagers used to hug the trees and protect them from wood cutters from cutting them. Chipko movement was based on the Gandhian philosophy of peaceful resistance to achieve the goals. It was the strong uprising against the against those people, who were destroying the natural resources of the forests and disturbing the whole ecological balance.

It was first started in the Chamoli district in the year 1973 and from there it spread to the other parts of the country. There is one very famous story about the girl, Amrita Devi, who died while trying to save the trees grown in her village. The village was under the rule of the local Maharaja, who desired to built a palace for his family. He ordered his servants to bring wood from the nearby village. When the wood cutters arrived the village to cut the tress, Amrita and other women of the village jumped in front of the trees and hugged them. She said they will have to cut her first before the trees. The servants were helpless to follow the orders and cut the tree. Amrita Devi died on the spot. Before offering her head to the

The incident inspired the several other rural womens, who in 1970 's launched such similar movements in different parts of India.It is really surprising that the women of that age were better aware about the significance of forests. The rural women in India actively participated in the movement, who knows about deforestation and its future consequences. Some of the key women leaders who fought for the protection of forests, whom they call it their maternal mother were Gaura Devi, Sudesha Devi, Bachni Devi, Dev Suman, Mira Behn, Sarala Behn and Amrita