Environmental Movements in India

Posted 21 May 2024

5 min read

2023 marked the 50th anniversary of the Chipko movement.

The Chipko movement was a nonviolent resistance against forest cutting that began in the Reni village in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district.
Meaning of ‘chipko’: It comes from the word ’embrace’, as the villagers hugged the trees and encircled them to prevent being hacked.
Origin of the movement: Dates back to the 18th century and was started by Rajasthan’s Bishnoi community.
- It was led by Amrita Devi against the orders of then King of Jodhpur.
- It resulted in the passing of a royal decree that banned cutting of trees in all Bishnoi villages.
Movement’s leaders and activists: Primarily village women, acting to save their means of subsistence and their communities.
- Major leaders: Sunderlal Bahuguna, Chandi Prasad Bhatt, Gaura Devi, etc.
It is renowned for its collective mobilization of women in the effort to conserve forests, manifesting the philosophy of Eco-feminism.

It is a philosophical and political movement that examines connections between ecological concerns and women.
- It contends that our culture is dominated by a capitalist patriarchal system, where societal values and ethics are dictated by a profit-driven, sexist, and male-centric society.
Reasons behind the emergence of Eco-feminism:
- The interconnectedness of exploitation and degradation of the natural environment and the subjugation of women in patriarchal societies.
- Significance of traditional knowledge often held and transmitted by women, in promoting sustainable practices.
- Women’s lived experiences where women have close and direct relationships with the natural environment, being responsible for collecting water, firewood, etc.
Contemporary relevance of Eco-feminism: Critique of capitalist exploitation, valuing traditional ecological knowledge, recognition of Environmental Justice, etc.

Silent Valley Movement (1973): Against the hydroelectric dam, to be built on the Kundapuzha River, in the Palakkad district of Kerala.
Appiko movement (1983): Led by Panduranga Hegde in Karnataka. It was inspired by the Chipko movement and included women in Karnataka's Western Ghats embracing trees to prevent deforestation.
Narmada Bachao Andolan (1985): Led by environmental activist Medha Patkar against the construction of a large dam on Narmada.
Other important environmental movements: Chilika Bachao Andolan, Against Bauxite Mining in Kashipur, Gandhamardan Environment Protection, etc.

Leadership to women: In many environmental movements, women took the lead, both as leaders and the participants. E.g., Medha Patkar, Gaura Devi.
Push to Environmental Policy and Legislation: Influenced the formulation of policies such as the Forest Right Act 2006, which involves local communities in forest management.
Continued Legacy of nonviolent protests: In almost all movements, the people adopted the Gandhian Concept of nonviolence and Satyagraha.
Sustainable development: These movements checked development at the cost of the environment by raising awareness and mobilizing public support. E.g., Narmada Bachao Andolan.
Protecting cultural identity: The movements stressed that Indigenous and local communities were best suited to conserve natural resources as their culture is closely tied to their relationship with the environment.
Advocated the ideology of ‘environmentalism of the poor’: The movements criticized modern developmentalism and strongly advocated the revival of traditional sustainable practices.

Alternative people-friendly development plans can be proposed by movements that will move society towards becoming sustainable and equal.
Enhance public participation in development by campaigning for laws that will give more control to people to manage their environments.
- E.g., They can campaign for environmental impact assessments to be done by impacted populations rather than by project proponents.
Technical and data-related knowledge should be incorporated into the movement so that demands can be more beneficial to the people affected.
Link-local and global issues such as resource conservation and environmental protection to global environmental issues such as sustainability.
Promoting individual action along with movements. E.g., LiFEStyle for Environment (LiFE) is a public movement to mobilize individuals to become 'Pro-Planet People' based on the traditional way of life.

Compassionate capitalism: As seen in Gandhiji Sarvodaya, Indian tradition believes in uplifting all and providing equal opportunities to all.
Circular economy: In India resources are used as long as possible, extracting maximum value followed by recovery and regeneration of products and materials at the end of each service life. E.g., reuse of old clothes.
Energy conservation: Indian house construction utilizes local materials like bamboo, stones, and clay, requiring less energy to cool or warm.
Sacred groves: These are patches of forests or natural vegetation that are usually dedicated to local folk deities (Example – Ayyanar and Amman) or tree spirits (Vanadevatais).
- This tradition helps in carbon sequestration and maintains moisture-retaining properties of soil while maintaining biodiversity.
Conservation of Animals: In India, animals are symbolically significant as vehicles of gods and goddesses or deities themselves.
Health: India is known for practicing traditional medicinal systems– Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, Sowa-Rigpa and Homeopathy.