A Culture of Resistance: The Chipko Movement

caller as a collective entity could considerably influenced an individual only when in the alike manner the society could as well be shaped by nation. This is exemplified through the musical theme of cultutral opposite which is a policy-making legal action that en able-bodieds individual to create or potpourri political discourse and stock-stilltually political workouts (Duncombe, 2002). The Chipko transaction of India is a good representative to better understand this.The Chipko Andolan in addition cognise as hugged the points movement is an environmental activistic that started in the grassroots level. Its origins could be traced keyst unrivaled in March 1973 at Gopeshwar in the Chamoli district, in Uttar Pradesh, India.A group of citizens hold each(prenominal) new(prenominal) make pass in hand to create a human twine and hugged the trees to prevent a sport confederacy from cutting it down. The same incident took tooshie in the village of Reni in the Himal ayas during the class 1974.Women coming from this village also saved the trees by hugging them despite the permission given by the Government incision of timbers that enables the contractors to cut them. Ever since the Chipko bowel movement attracted fear coming from other people in India (Dwivedi, 1996).The Chipko Movement addresses the riddle of inequality that is run a risking in the dispersal of natural resources. The purpose of commodities like trees creates a conflict in the country of India be realize of the varying demands for it. The marginalized minority utilizes this resource as a means that would support their livelihood. On the other hand, trees argon needed in order to address the demands of commerce and labor (Shiva & Bandyopadhyay, 1986).The inequlity in this situation is non just now in terms of the unequal distribution of natural resources but also in terms of the antecedent and influence that enlarged corporations score as compargond to the margi nalized citizens of India. It is something that usual political practices could not acquit and sometimes even tolerate as in the field of study of the 1974 incident in the Reni Village, which is why the Chipko Movement decided on a crude order of addressing the trouble.In order to fully collar this movement as well as the tactics that it utilized there should beginning be an under stand up of Mahatma Gandhis ideology when it comes to conflcit as well as the diverse religious flavour of India. Gandhi is famous for leading non-violent fritter ins of struggle that overthrew the compound rule of the British in India.He was able to combine the idea of ahimsa meaning no harm or wanton killing with kind struggle. This non-violent activists deems that the integrity will ultimately emerged as long as one party is committed in standing for it (Kamieniecki, 1993).Gandhis Satyagrahaor the search for truth was sufficient by the Chipko movement through the afforest Satyagraha whic h means the continuous search for truth in terms of the rights of trees. This movement personify the idea of non-violence in rubbish for their courting that goes as far as including non-human forms (Dwivedi, 1996).Forest Satyagraha does not only answer economic and environemtal paradoxs because it also has its religious aspect. The major religions in India promotes tenderness for all sprightliness regardless of its portion to human beings (Kamieniecki, 1993). Its religious basis also comes from the fact that this movement is participated and led by women. Women play a in truth vital role in the family particularly in the Himalayan argona.They are more in touch with the natural environment because they call for the task of gathering woods and other agricultural products for their family while their spouses leave them poop to work in urban areas.Himalayan women are also more religious than their antheral counterparts which is why they believe that green trees are the dwellin g place of Hari or the Almigthy Father. e real(prenominal) tree has their own Vriksadevata or tree god and that the goddess of the forests, Van Devi will narrate the safety of their family (Dwivedi, 1996).Mahatma Gandhi strongly believes in the enormousness of Indias various values and glosss. He deems that the problems they are facing could find its solutions in the very ideals that they fall in. His concept of Satyagraha which was later on use by the Chipko movement as Forest Satyagraha is a clear example of how non-violent form of resistance could work against unequal and unrelenting foes like large corporations.This method that they have utilized is rooted in the very culture of India which is their strong religious belief that gives enormousness in valuing all forms of life (Dwivedi, 1996).The tactics that was used by the Chipko Movement tends to reform the issue of inequality in the local and structural level. It is well-known that Hindus practice the caste system wher ein its citizens are dual-lane according to particular groups (Perez, 2004).This kind of structural system already paved the vogue for inequality to propagate. There are people who enjoy the privileged and powerful bewilder and those who are marginalized. Being the case, inequality in the distribution of natural resources is bound to happen with such kind of system.The Chipko Movement strives to trade this very inequality that is embedded at heart Indias structure and it became evident in a more localized level in the issue of logging. This movement started tackling inequality in the issue of the utilization of trees in the grassrootsbut this problem is just an effect of what is really misadventure in the structural level.Their actions started in adult immediate response in what is misfortune in the local level but the attention it acquired enabled it to highlight the root cause of the problem in the upper level. It does not only stop within the state institutions of the Indi an government but it also reach the international level.Many states are development the ideals of the Chipko movement as an example on how the pressing problems in ecology and environmental sustainability could be deal with. (Agarwal, _).Using a non-violent method to addressed the causes that the Chipko Movement is advocating for reflects that they decided to take a different approach in solving problems. It is an approach that embodies their very culture and ideals.Their understanding of the problem is dependent upon the mentation that its solution would come from these factors that they uphold. This is supported by Gandhis same belief in the power of Indias rich cultural heritage and its mental ability to solve the dilemma that their country has (Dwivedi, 1996).This social movement greatly believes in non-violence and the rescue of all forms of life. These beliefs influence their understanding of the problem and the path that they chose to addressed it.They saw the importance of trees in their livelihood that is why they protected it through the embraced tree tactic. This non-violent form of resistance symbolizes their understanding that to be able to solve this dilemma compassionate means should be practiced.If they decided to find solution to the problem by using adversarial tendencies then they contradict the very ideal that they are fighting for. It is the Gandhian principles of ahimsa and satyagraha that they based their movement on. They have to uphold these principles in the decisions that they make and in the actions that they take.