Chipko Movement Bishnoi Community
The bishnois are considered as the first environmentalists of india.
Chipko movement bishnoi community. The chipko movement was originally started by amrita devi in the bishnoi community in rajasthan who protested against the king s men who were trying to cut the trees in the 18th century. In 2013 the department of environment and forests declared september 11 as national forest. The bishnois are one of the first organized proponents of eco conservation wildlife protection and green living.
They took the non violence method to fight against the loggers and contractors. Sunderlal bahuguna was a renowned gandhi follower and he emphasized on the gandhian non violence protest satyagraha. Long before environmentalism became a buzzword 363 members of rajasthan s bishnoi community led by the fearless amrita devi sacrificed their lives to save the khejri tree.
The origin of the chipko movement goes back in history. The bishnoi society is india s leading environmentalists at that time who inspired the chipko movement in 1973. This was the forerunner of the chipko movement more than 300 years later.
They gained considerable popularity as an eco friendly movement for the environment. In the unquiet woods i argued that chipko was first and foremost a peasant movement in defence of community rights. The movement began in chamoli district in 1973 against trees being felled for wood and infrastructure development and it soon spread to other himalayan states.
The name of the movement came from a word meaning embrace. Chipko movement is an important environmental initiative took by the villagers of the uttarakhand garhwal region. The modern chipko movement started in the 1970s by sunderlal bahuguna.
The tribal community living in this village are familiar with the bishnois who believe in non violence and respect for all forms. When the news reached to the king he ordered never to cut a tree from the bishnoi areas. Sahapedia trains the spotlight on the significance of the khejarli massacre and how it inspired another environmental movement the chipko andolan in 1973.