What is an
Environmental Movement?
An
environmental movement can be defined as a social or political movement, for
the conservation of environment or for the improvement of the state of the
environment. The terms ‘green movement’ or ‘conservation movement’ are
alternatively used to denoted the same. The environmental movements favour the
sustainable management of natural resources. The movements often stress the
protection of the environment via changes in public policy. Many movements are cantered
on ecology, health and human rights Environmental movements range from the
highly organized and formally institutionalized ones to the radically informal activities.
The spatial scope of various environmental movements ranges from being local to
the almost global. Major Environmental Movements in India
Some of the
major environmental movements in India during the period 1700 to 2000 are the
following.
1.
Bishnoi
Movement
Year: 1700sPlace: Khejarli, Marwari region,
Rajasthan state.
Leaders: Amrita Devi along with Bishnoi
villagers in Khejarli and surrounding villages.
Aim: Save sacred trees from being cut down
by the king’s soldiers for a new palace.
What was it
all about: Amrita Devi, a female
villager could not bear to witness the destruction of both her faith and the
village’s sacred trees. She hugged the trees and encouraged others to do the
same. 363 Bishnoi villagers were killed in this movement. The Bishnoi tree martyrs
were influenced by the teachings of Guru Maharaja Jambaji, who founded the
Bishnoi faith in 1485 and set forth principles forbidding harm to trees and
animals. The king who came to know about these events rushed to the village and
apologized, ordering the soldiers to cease logging operations. Soon afterward,
the maharajah designated the Bishnoi state as a protected area, forbidding harm
to trees and animals. This legislation still exists today in the region.
2.
Chipko
Movement
Year: 1973Place: In Chamoli district and
later at Tehri-Garhwal district of Uttarakhand.
Leaders: Sundarlal Bahuguna, Gaura Devi,
Sudesha Devi, Bachni Devi, Chandi Prasad Bhatt, Govind Singh Rawat, Dhoom Singh
Negi, Shamsher Singh Bisht and Ghanasyam Raturi.
Aim: The main objective was to protect
the trees on the Himalayan slopes from the axes of contractors of the forest.
What was it
all about: Mr. Bahuguna
enlightened the villagers by conveying the importance of trees in the
environment which checks the erosion of soil, cause rains and provides pure air?
The women of Advani village of Tehri-Garhwal tied the sacred thread around
trunks of trees and they hugged the trees, hence it was called ‘Chipko
Movement’ or ‘hug the tree movement’. The main demand of the people in these
protests was that the benefits of the forests (especially the right to fodder)
should go to local people. The Chipko movement gathered momentum in 1978 when
the women faced police firings and other tortures. The then state Chief
Minister, Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna set up a committee to look into the matter,
which eventually ruled in favour of the villagers. This became a turning point
in the history of eco-development struggles in the region and around the world.
3.
Save
Silent Valley Movement
Year: 1978Place: Silent Valley, an
evergreen tropical forest in the Palakkad district of Kerala, India.
Leaders: The Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad
(KSSP) an NGO, and the poet activist Sughathakumari played an important role in
the Silent Valley protests.
Aim: In order to protect the Silent
Valley, the moist evergreen forest from being destroyed by a hydroelectric
project.
What was it
all about: The Kerala State
Electricity Board (KSEB) proposed a hydroelectric dam across the Kunthipuzha
River that runs through Silent Valley? In February 1973, the Planning
Commission approved the project at a cost of about Rs 25 crores. Many feared
that the project would submerge 8.3 sq. km of untouched moist evergreen forest.
Several NGOs strongly opposed the project and urged the government to abandon
it. In January 1981, bowing to unrelenting public pressure, Indira Gandhi
declared that Silent Valley will be protected. In June 1983 the Centre
re-examined the issue through a commission chaired by Prof. M.G.K. Menon. In
November 1983 the Silent Valley Hydroelectric Project was called off. In 1985,
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi formally inaugurated the Silent Valley National
Park.
4.
Jungle
Bachao Andholan
Year: 1982Place: Singhbhum district of Bihar
Leaders: The tribals of Singhbhum.
Aim: Against government’s decision to
replace the natural sal forest with Teak
What was it
all about: The tribals of
Singhbhum district of Bihar started the protest when the government decided to
replace the natural sal forests with the highly-priced teak. This move was
called by many as “Greed Game Political Populism”. Later this movement spread
to Jharkhand and Orissa.
5.
Appiko
Movement
Year: 1983Place: Uttara Kannada and Shimoga
districts of Karnataka State.
Leaders: Appiko’s greatest strengths lie in it
being neither driven by a personality nor having been formally
institutionalised. However, it does have a facilitator in Pandurang Hegde. He
helped launch the movement in 1983.
Aim: Against the felling and
commercialization of natural forest and the ruin of ancient livelihood.
What was it
all about: It can be said that
Appiko movement is the southern version of the Chipko movement. The Appiko
Movement was locally known as “Appiko Chaluvali”. The locals embraced the trees
which were to be felled by contractors of the forest department. The Appiko
movement used various techniques to raise awareness such as foot marches in the
interior forest, slide shows, folk dances, street plays etc. The second area of
the movement’s work was to promote afforestation on denuded lands. The movement
later focused on the rational use of ecosphere through introducing alternative
energy resources to reduce pressure on the forest. The movement became a
success. The current status of the project is – stopped.
6.
Narmada
Bachao Andholan (NBA)
Year: 1985Place: Narmada River, which flows
through the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Leaders: Medha Patker, Baba Amte, adivasis,
farmers, environmentalists and human rights activists.
Aim: A social movement against a number of
large dams being built across the Narmada River.
What was it
all about: The movement first
started as a protest for not providing proper rehabilitation and resettlement
for the people who have been displaced by the construction of Sardar Sarovar
Dam. Later on, the movement turned its focus on the preservation of the
environment and the eco-systems of the valley. Activists also demanded the
height of the dam to be reduced to 88 m from the proposed height of 130m. World
Bank withdrew from the project.
The
environmental issue was taken into court. In October 2000, the Supreme Court
gave a judgment approving the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam with a
condition that height of the dam could be raised to 90 m. This height is much
higher than the 88 m which anti-dam activists demanded, but it is definitely
lower than the proposed height of 130 m. The project is now largely financed by
the state governments and market borrowings. The project is expected to be
fully completed by 2025.
Although
not successful, as the dam could not be prevented, the NBA has created an
anti-big dam opinion in India and outside. It questioned the paradigm of
development. As a democratic movement, it followed the Gandhian way 100 per
cent.
7.
Tehri
Dam Conflict
Year: 1990’sPlace: Bhagirathi River near
Tehri in Uttarakhand.
Leaders: Sundarlal Bahuguna
Aim: The protest was against the
displacement of town inhabitants and environmental consequence of the weak
ecosystem.
What was it
all about: Tehri dam
attracted national attention in the 1980s and the 1990s. The major objections
include, seismic sensitivity of the region, submergence of forest areas along
with Tehri town etc. Despite the support from other prominent leaders like
Sunderlal Bahuguna, the movement has failed to gather enough popular support at
national as well as international levels.
