Today, Google celebrates the famous ‘Chipko Movement’ or ‘Chipko Andolan’.
The meaning of the word ‘Chipko’ is to stick. This was basically a forest conservation movement. Initially the movement started in 1730 AD in villages of Rajasthan, where around 363 people sacrificed their lives to save the Khejri Trees.
In modern times, the Chipko Movement started in 1973 in Uttrakhand (previously Uttar Pradesh). Started by famous environmentalist and Gandhian activist Sunderlal Bahuguna, this movement was against the cutting of trees and preserving nature. He gave a new lease of life to this drive and his efforts led Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister, to ban cutting of trees.
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The success of this movement encouraged people to think seriously about the environment and take steps to conserve and preserve it. It made people conscious about their surroundings, thinking deeply about deforestation and increasing ecological awareness. To add to this, it also increased the prevalence of civil society in India, which eventually began to address the issues of tribal and marginalized people.
The one outstanding highlight about the Chipko Movement was the women participation. Women in large numbers would come and stand around the tress by, not allowing them to be cut.
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The movement worked on the Gandhian model of Satyagraha. Men and women worked together to save trees from getting cut. Major Key members of this movement were Bachni Devi, Sudehsha Devi, Gaura Devi, Chandi Prasad Bhatt and others.
According to Google, this movement has been seen as an ecofeminism movement. Because majorly affected by deforestation were women and they acted as the backbone of the movement.
Today’s Google Doodle illustrates an image of women coming together and standing in a row to save the trees from getting chopped off.
The success of Chipko Movement from Uttar Pradesh spread to other parts of the country and similar things started to happen in other parts as well.
In 1987, Chipko Movement was awarded the “Right Livelihood Award”.