Learn about the origin, philosophy, impact and relevance of the Chipko Movement, a landmark environmental movement that started in Uttarakhand in 1973. The movement involved women hugging trees to protect them from commercial loggers and inspired similar movements in India and abroad. The Chipko Movement (or Chipko Andolan) was a famous non-violent forest conservation movement. It started in the 1970s in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand. It was led by key figures like Chandi Prasad Bhatt and Sunderlal Bahuguna. The Chipko movement, also known as the Chipko Andolan, was a nonviolent movement started in 1973 in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand . The protestors who hugged trees to protect them from loggers gave the movement its name since the word “chipko” literally means “hugging”. The Chipko Movement, also known as Chipko Andolan or the “hug the tree” movement, began in 1973 at the foothills of the Himalayas. It was led by environmental activist Sunderlal Bahuguna and started in the Chamoli district of Uttar Pradesh (now part of Uttarakhand).
