Today Google celebrates its 45th anniversary of Chipoko Movement via presenting a doodle. No, need to say the Chipko Movement is one of the most important social movements in our Indian history.
Chipko Movement is known as a non-violent movement which was organized more than 4 decades ago for the conservation of forest and all natural vegetation.
Chipko Movement was beginning around the 1970s, Chipko Movement received its name from the way people embraced the trees in order to safeguard it or to protect it from being cut.
The Chipko Movement followed Gandhian philosophy which being focused and emphasized on the peaceful resistance of against the deforestation and this one is also the revolution against the people destroying ecological balance.
The original Chipko Movement took place in the 18th century in Rajasthan. A large group of people from the Bishnoi community refuses to go along with the felling of trees by embracing them.
The trees have received an order to cut down by the Jodhpur’s Maharaja. But soon post the movement took place he gave a royal decree put a stop to cutting of trees in all Bishnoi villages.
In contemporary India, Chipko Movement begins in April 1973 in Uttar Pradesh’s Mandal village in the upper Alakananda valley. Almost right away it extended and spread to other Himalayan districts of the state.
The Chipko Movement was set off by a government decision to deal out with the forest land to a sports goods company which one is very required.
Infuriated by this step and move, villagers formed circles around the trees which created hindrances’ from being cut down the trees.
The Chipko Movement, handed and taken forward by the local women, was organized by Chand Chandi Prasad Bhatt and his NGO Dasholi Gram Swarajya Sangh.
Inspired by the success in Uttar Pradesh, the Chipko Movement eventually spread in the whole nation.
Some of the important figures who were part of the Chipko Movement were Dhoom Singh Negi, Bachni Devi, Gaura Devi and Sudesha Devi.
The Gandhian activist Sunderlal Bahuguna actually provided his direction to the movement and did appeal to the honorable of that time Indira Gandhi and the main aim of the same was to support the green revolution.
Then the Prime Minister of India finally made an announcement that there will be a ban on the cutting trees.
The Google Doodle said this time, “The Chipko Andolan also stands out as an eco-feminist movement. Women formed the nucleus of the movement, as the group most directly affected by the lack of firewood and drinking water caused by deforestation.”
Today’s doodle is illustrated by Svabhu Kohli and Viplov Singh which actually rejoices the bravery and perseverance of all of the ecological protectors in this whole world, and thanks them for their endeavors, said Google.
So via this Doodle Google actually display and mark their gratitude to the very famous and fruitful Chipko Movement.
“The power of protest is an invaluable and powerful agent of social change. Take some time to hug your favorite tree-hugger in celebration of the Chipko movement!”
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