Which of the following statements about the Chipko Movement is/are cor

Which of the following statements about the Chipko Movement is/are correct?

  • 1. It was opposed to the commercial felling of trees in hill areas.
  • 2. It was a non-violent movement.
  • 3. It supported construction of dams in hilly regions.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1 and 2 only
1, 2 and 3
2 and 3 only
1 only
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CBI DSP LDCE – 2023
The correct option is A) 1 and 2 only. Let’s evaluate the statements:
1. It was opposed to the commercial felling of trees in hill areas: Correct. The Chipko movement began as a protest against the practice of clear-felling forests for commercial purposes by outside contractors, which threatened the ecological balance and the livelihoods of local communities dependent on forests.
2. It was a non-violent movement: Correct. The core tactic of the movement was hugging trees (Chipko means ‘to stick’ or ‘to hug’) to prevent them from being cut, employing non-violent resistance methods championed by figures like Gaura Devi and Chandi Prasad Bhatt.
3. It supported construction of dams in hilly regions: Incorrect. The Chipko movement and subsequent environmental activism in the Himalayas generally opposed large-scale development projects like big dams and mining, recognizing their potential for environmental damage and displacement in the fragile Himalayan ecosystem.
– Chipko movement opposed commercial logging.
– It was a non-violent movement where people hugged trees.
– Environmental movements in the region often opposed large infrastructure projects like dams.
The Chipko movement gained prominence in the 1970s in the Uttarakhand region (then part of Uttar Pradesh). It is seen as a precursor to many environmental movements in India and around the world. Sunderlal Bahuguna was a prominent leader who popularized the movement’s message.