Allison Burbach (11/27): The Chipko Movement

For my research paper, I chose to write about the Chipko movement, which was centered around rural Himalayan women who hugged trees to prevent logging and environmental destruction. Their message surrounded the idea that trees are not commodities but living beings like humans that provide essential services to the local people. The most fascinating part of my reading was the Chipko connection to numerous Indian religious texts. Little did I know, The Vedas, the Upanishads, the Mahabharata, Ramayana, and the Purana express great admiration, respect, and recognition of the value of trees. Specifically, in the Bhagwat Katha, Lord Krishna remarks that trees “bear the scorching sun, torrential rains and the biting frost” that protect humans. In the Mahabharata, Bhishma related trees to humans as he observes “Trees feel hunger and thirst, heat and cold. They have eyes to see and nose to smell. They drink water and feel it.” This religious connection spurred the local villagers to act and helped the Chipko impart the importance of their movement.

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