The Chipko movement was a nonviolent forest conservation movement that began in India in the 1970s, primarily in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand (then part of Uttar Pradesh). It was a grassroots effort by rural villagers, especially women, to protect trees and forests from commercial logging and government policies that allowed deforestation
. The name "Chipko" means "to hug" or "to cling to" in Hindi, reflecting the movement's signature tactic: protesters literally embraced trees to prevent loggers from cutting them down
. This method was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolent resistance, or satyagraha
. The movement arose because local communities depended heavily on forests for firewood, fodder, water, and overall livelihood, but government policies favored commercial exploitation by outside companies, leading to environmental degradation such as soil erosion, flooding, and loss of agricultural productivity
. Women played a central role in the Chipko movement, as they were most affected by deforestation's impact on daily life. Their leadership and participation framed the movement as an early example of ecofeminism
. The movement spread to over 150 villages, resulting in significant protests and eventually leading to a 15-year ban on commercial tree felling in the Uttarakhand Himalayas in 1980
. The Chipko movement is credited with influencing environmental policies in India and received the Right Livelihood Award in 1987 for its dedication to conservation and sustainable use of natural resources
. In summary, the Chipko movement was a pioneering, peaceful environmental and social movement that used tree-hugging as a form of protest to protect forests and rural livelihoods from destructive commercial logging in India during the 1970s
