CHIPKO A DISTANT MEMORY

Whenever a dictionary of green terms is written, no matter in what language, it will contain at least one Hindi word-Chipko, which means to hug.

- RAJU SAJWAN

In the 1970s, women from the Himalayan villages of Reni and Mandal hugged trees in the nearby forests to protect them from commercial loggers. The tree-huggers' movement was an assertion of local people's rights over their resources. It told the world that it is the poor who suffer the most when the environment degrades and, therefore, they have a vested interest in its management on a sustainable basis. Chipko enthused so many people that it inspired a nationwide environmental concern and influenced policy formulation to balance economic development with environment protection. As the Chipko movement marks its 50th anniversary, RAJU SAJWAN travels to the upper Alaknanda Valley in Uttarakhand to meet the women who led the crusade. Their words demand introspection.

'THE YOUNG NO LONGER CARE ABOUT THE FORESTS'

Ukha Devi

ON MARCH 26, 1974, when the contractor's men moved towards the forests of Reni, the women from the village, under the leadership of Gaura Devi, ran some 5 km and formed human-shields around the trees to protect them. I was one of them. People of my generation are either too old to visit the forest or have died, while the young generation prefers city life.

Earlier, women from the village would go to the forest in the morning, roam around through the day, playing or gathering vegetables and herbs, before returning. We continued visiting the forest till our health allowed us. Men from the village would also go to the forest, especially to collect keedajadi (a fungus used in traditional medicine) or vegetables.

Due to a disaster two years ago, the road to the forest was damaged, which has further hindered access. The number of youth in the village is very less, with most young women having gone with their husbands to nearby towns or plains. So, who will go to the forest now?