Yeşim Dinçer narrates the story of the Chipko movement that emerged from the rebellion of women fighting to prevent deforestation in India. The movement has become an essential memory of ecofeminist struggle.
The Chipko movement originated from the rebellion of women in India who fought to prevent deforestation. The word “chipko,” which means “to hug” or “to embrace” in the Hindi language, symbolized the method employed by activist women who refused to let go of the tree trunks marked for cutting. The Chipko movement emerged in the 1970s as a response to the commodification of forests, which were the primary source of livelihood for many villagers. Within a few years, it spread across all of India and led to reforms in the field of forestry.
In some sources, it is narrated that the inspiration for this beautiful and effective form of protest unique to the Chipko movement came from an ancient Indian legend. According to the story, when Mihrace’s ax-wielding men came to cut down the villagers’ trees for the construction of a new fort, a young girl named Amrita Devi stood with the villagers and hugged the trees to stop them. [1] In other sources, there is mention of a Chipko-like movement that took place in 1730, during which 363 people sacrificed their lives to save the trees.
The stories ingrained in the memory of women living at the foothills of the Himalayan mountains had concrete reasons, undoubtedly. Preserving nature was of vital importance to the people residing in this region. The forests, which provided essential needs such as food, fuel, and animal fodder, also played a significant role in maintaining water sources. Moreover, the forests were crucial for absorbing rainfall and preventing floods on the steep slopes of the Himalayas.
However, the Indian government aimed to earn foreign currency by exporting more timber. Starting from the 1960s, permits were granted to traders, leading to an accelerated pace of tree cutting. The destruction of the forests, bit by bit, resulted in “natural” disasters like soil erosion, floods, and landslides. The ones most affected by this widespread desertification were women. They had to walk even further to fetch fuel, fodder, and drinking water from the forest. Disasters harmed their crops, and some lost their homes and belongings.
As a result, villagers and women began to organize themselves in small groups against policies that threatened their livelihoods. Various marches and protests were held in October 1971 and towards the end of 1972. However, the event that truly sparked their movement occurred on April 24, 1973, in the village of Mandal. Those who came to cut down trees for a company that made tennis rackets under a government contract were driven away from the village accompanied by drum sounds and slogans.
The government’s announcement of a new auction for 2500 trees near the village of Reni, overlooking the Alaknanda River, was the final straw. After rallies and meetings, the decision to resist was made in Reni. As the firm that won the bid and government officials were aware of this decision, they devised a scheme to weaken the strength of the protesters. On March 26, 1974, the day the trees were to be cut down, the men living in the village were lured away under the pretext of receiving compensation.
Gaura Devi, a widow in her fifties, upon seeing the logging team, immediately gathered 27 women from the village and rushed to the forest. The women took refuge by hugging the trees with their bodies. When the armed men started shouting and harassing them, they clung tightly to the trees to avoid falling. The threats did not scare them, and they spent the entire night guarding the forest. As news spread, reinforcements arrived from other villages the next day. The four-day resistance ended in victory. The demoralized workers left, and the contracting company withdrew.
The Chipko movement was born and spread in the states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh in India, as a response to deforestation policies that harmed both nature and people. The movement, which was mainly led by women, gained momentum through discussions at village wells, along village roads, and in markets. It raised ecological awareness and mobilized civil society. It also inspired environmental and forest conservation movements around the world. Today, it is remembered as part of the ecofeminist struggle.
[1] https://ekmekvegul.net/bellek/sariliyor-ve-asla-kipirdamiyorlar-ta-ki-agaclari-kesmek-isteyenler-vazgecene-kadar
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipko_movement#cite_note-13