Major Environmental Movements

Humans have significantly impacted the environment throughout our evolution, from primitive times to the modern phase where we manipulate it for our own benefit. The consequences of our actions, such as global warming, climate change, loss of biodiversity, and mass extinctions, are becoming increasingly prevalent. Environmental movements in India are social or political initiatives aimed at conserving or improving the environment. These movements, often referred to as the 'green movement' or 'conservation movement', are supported by individuals or groups with a common ideology and motivation to protect the environment. They aim to bring sustainable and productive environmental policy changes and protect natural resources from exploitation. Major environmental movements in India include the Bishnoi movement, Chipko movement, Save Silent Valley movement, and Jungle Bachao movement. These movements have a wide range of spatial spans, ranging from local efforts to those with global implications. They focus on aspects of ecology, health, and human rights. The history of environmental movements in India is quite old, with movements like Chipko Andolan and Narmada Bachao Andola playing an important role since independence.

Environmental protection in India has a long history, dating back to primitive societies and non-violent traditions of Buddhism and Jainism. The British colonial period saw the commercialization of forests, leading to the genesis of environmental protection in the early twentieth century. However, it wasn't until the 1970s that a coherent awareness of the ecological impact of state development began to develop. The Indian environmental movement emerged from the critique of nationalized economic development, following Jayaprakash Narayan's 'total revolution' movement. Despite India's independence from British colonial rule, the exploitation of forests and environmental destruction continued, causing disruptions in relationships between local societies and their natural resources. Environmental movements involve local people and organizations for conservation and improvement of state policies, with movements like Chipko Andolan and Narmada Bachao Andola playing a significant role since independence.

A social or political endeavor to improve or preserve the environment is called an environmental movement; it's also known as the "green movement" or the "conservation movement." With an emphasis on ecology, health, and human rights, these movements promote the sustainable management of natural resources. They may be formal or informal, and their effects may be felt locally as well as globally.

• Mass Movement: Promotes environmental conservation by bringing together individuals of different age groups, genders, castes, and political ideas.
• Women as Leaders: These movements are led by women, especially those from marginalized groups.
• Gandhian Influence: Nonviolence and Satyagraha, two Gandhian ideas, are frequently included into movements.
• NGOs' Involvement: As seen by the Chipko movement, NGOs are heavily involved in these movements.
• Beyond Environmental Concerns: Movements tackle both modern socioeconomic and environmental concerns.

Several significant factors have contributed to the rise of environmental movements in India, including:

• Control over natural resources.
• government initiatives that are ineffective for growth.
• economic and social factors:
  • Income disparities: These disparities can affect access to resources for environmental advocacy as well as the degree to which different people are exposed to different environmental threats.
  • Education Levels: A higher level of education is frequently linked to a greater understanding of environmental issues and a greater propensity for environmental activism.
  • Employment Patterns: While communities with varied economies may be more supportive of environmental restrictions, those dependent on environmentally destructive businesses may be reluctant to do so out of fear of losing their jobs.
  • customer Behavior: The demand for environmentally friendly goods and services is influenced by customer decisions, which are influenced by socioeconomic position.
  • Political Influence: A person's socioeconomic standing can affect their access to political power and decision-making processes, which can affect how important environmental issues are given priority when formulating legislation.
• Degradation or devastation of the environment.
• dissemination of media and environmental awareness.

Chipko Movement in 1973

• The Chipko Movement, led by Sunder Lai Bahuguna, Gaura Devi, Bachni Devi, Chandi Prasad Bhatt, Shamsher Singh Bisht, and Ghanasyam Raturi, was a movement in 1973 in the Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, India, aimed to protect Himalayan slopes from commercial logging by forest contractors.
• The movement was sparked by the government's decision to allot ash trees to a private company for commercial logging, which had previously been refused by villagers.
• The movement was sparked by the Dasholi Gram Swarajya Sangh (DGSS), a local cooperative organization, which opposed the government's actions.
• Chandi Prasad Bhatt, one of the leaders, suggested embracing trees to prevent their cutting.
• The Chipko movement had six demands: banning commercial cutting of trees, reorganizing traditional rights, making arid forests green, forming village committees for forest management, developing forest-related home-based industries, and prioritizing local varieties in afforestation.
• The government eventually banned tree felling in the Himalayan regions for fifteen years.
• The movement drew thousands of women and became a symbol of popular demands in different parts of the country during the 1970s and later.

Silent Valley Project

• In 1978, the Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) and poet activist Sughathakumari led a campaign to protect the Silent Valley, an evergreen tropical forest in the Palakkad district of Kerala.
• The Silent Valley was a rich biological treasure trove, spanning 89 square kilometers, and was threatened by a 200 MW hydroelectric dam under the Kudremukh project.
• The campaign aimed to protect the rainforests and maintain ecological balance.
• In 1979, the then Prime Minister of India, Morarji Desai, directed the state government to expedite the project.
• Environmentalists, including Salim Ali, voiced their objections, and the International Union of Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) also registered its disapproval.
• A public interest litigation case was filed, but was dismissed. In December 1980, the Kerala government announced the project's scrapping and declared the Silent Valley a National Park.
• The Silent Valley movement contributed to the growth of environmental consciousness in Kerala and shifted the balance of the environmental debate.

Jungle Bachao Andolan

• In 1982, the Jungle Bachao Andolan movement was launched in Singhbhum district of Bihar to protect the sal forest from commercial teak plantations.
• The movement spread to nearby states, highlighting the gap between the forest department's aims and the people's wishes.

Narmada Bachao Andolan

• Narmada Bachao Andolan was a social movement against large dams across the Narmada River that began in 1985 in regions of Gujarat, M.P. and Maharashtra.
• The Sardar Sarovar Project, a multipurpose dam, was one of the two biggest projects planned in the area. The dam submerged around 245 villages and required the relocation of around 2.5 lakh people.
• The movement focused on the preservation of the environment and the ecosystems of the Narmada valley, demanding the dam's height be reduced to 88m from the proposed 130m.
• The World Bank withdrew from the project due to increasing protests.
• The movement used various protest tools, such as Satyagraha, Jal Samarpan, Rasta Roko, Gaon Bandh, demonstrations, rallies, hunger strikes, and blockades of projects.
• The government responded by granting the final clearance in June 2014, and the dam was inaugurated on 17th September, 2017.
• The movement brought larger issues such as the efficacy of the development model and public interests on public forums, compelled the government to relook and revamp its rehabilitation policy.
• The movement remains the longest-continuing environmental movement in India's history, illustrating a gradual process of disjunction between political parties and social movements.

Appiko Movement

• In 1983, the Appiko movement was launched in Uttar Kannada and Shimoga districts of Karnataka state, against the felling and commercialization of natural forests and the ruin of ancient livelihoods.
• The forest district in Uttar Kannada, part of the Western Ghats, has rich forest wealth and a microclimate suitable for cash crops like black pepper and cardamom.
• During colonial rule, the forest department exploited the area's resources, such as felling teak trees for shipbuilding and sending timber and fuel woods to Mumbai.
• The Appiko movement sought to preserve the current forest cover, restore land that had been cleared of trees, and responsibly use the resources of the forest for conservation.
• The movement created awareness among villagers about the ecological danger posed by commercial and industrial interests to their forest, leading to changes in forest policy.
• The movement spread to eight areas covering the entire Sirsi forest division in Uttara Kannada and Shimoga districts.

Tehri Dam Conflict

• It was led by Sundarlal Bahuguna to protest a dam on the Bhagirathi river in Tehri, Uttrakhand, which would uproot the local and disturb the delicate ecosystem.
• In the 1980s and 1990s, the Tehri Dam attracted widespread interest. The main concerns were the submergence of Tehri town and the region's susceptibility to earthquakes.
• Even with the backing of well-known figures like Sunderlal Bahuguna, the movement failed to secure enough public support on a national and worldwide scale.

Studies show that women play a significant role in natural resource management and environmental rehabilitation. They are particularly close to their local environment, in rural or mountain areas, and have a close relationship with nature. This close connection makes them perfect managers of ecosystems. Indian women have been pioneers in preventing pollution, protecting, preserving, conserving, and enhancing the environment. Their strong desire, devotion, and dedication to a better environment have made them crusaders against environmental pollution. Women in our country have brought a different perspective to the environment debate due to their different experiences.In reality, they have taken the lead in a number of the nation's most significant environmental movements, including:

• In 1730, Amrita Devi, together with her daughters Ashu, Ratni, and Bhagu, sacrificed their lives in the village of Khejarli in Marwar, Rajasthan, to rescue green trees that were being cut by the then-Maharaja of Jodhpur. The Bishnoi Movement is the historical account of the more than 363 Bishnois, or members of the Bishnoi sect, who also devoted their lives to save Khejarli trees.
• As we've already seen, a significant number of women participated in the Chipko movement. Village women fought back, embracing trees to stop them from being cut down and protect their livelihoods, which depended on the forests.
• Medha Patekar headed the Narmada Bachao Andolan, a movement that aimed to protect the environment and the ecosystems of the Narmada valley. A significant number of women participated in the organization's many protests.
• Remembering Indian women who have battled for environmental protection in court, such as Mrs. Sarla Tripathi of Indore, Kinkari Devi of Sirmour district, Krishna Devi of Rajasthan, and others, is crucial.
• In 2007, a padayatra to the source of Kosi in Uttarakhand was undertaken by campaigners Radha Behen and other locals. They realized the extent of the threat to the rivers of Uttarakhand while on their tour. The Uttarakhand Nadi Bachao Andolan has been fighting the government tooth and nail ever since.

• Raised public awareness of the need to balance growth and the environment.
• Coordinated community-based, non-bureaucratic model projects for the management of natural resources.
• Protect tribal rights, including the right to use forest resources.
• Preserved the means of subsistence for nearby people that depend on forest resources.
• Encouraged ecological well-being by using eco-restoration to stop cultural displacement and land deterioration.

• Weak local government: The inability of local self-governments to make decisions prevents them from supporting environmental movements.
• Lack of knowledge: The absence of adequate technical data regarding the effects of environmental stressors on environmental movements results in a lack of demand.
• Lack of coordination: Public support for environmental movements is low due to a lack of communication and collaboration between them and other pro-people initiatives.
• Weak law support: One major shortcoming of environmental law is the absence of public involvement in environmental management.

The 42nd Amendment Act added two important rules to help protect wildlife:

• Article 48(A): The state is obligated to safeguard and enhance the environment, as well as to maintain the country's wildlife and forests.
• According to Article 51A(g), it is the duty of every Indian citizen to protect and improve the environment and to show compassion for all living creatures.

• The Constitution of India guarantees fundamental rights essential for individual development.
• Articles 21, 14, and 19 of part III of the constitution of India are used for environmental protection.
• Article 21 guarantees the right to life and a healthy environment, which is inherent to human dignity.
• The right to live in a pollution-free environment was first recognized in the Dehradun Quarrying Case.
• The Supreme Court has interpreted Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution to control noise pollution.
• Article 19 (1) (g) of the Constitution grants citizens the right to practice any profession or carry on any occupation, trade, or business, subject to reasonable restrictions. The Supreme Court has emphasized the need to balance environmental protection with the right to freedom of trade and occupation.
• Public Interest Litigation under Article 32 and 226 has led to a wave of environmental litigation.
• Leading environmental cases include the closure of limestone quarries in the Dehradun region and the installation of safeguards at a chlorine plant in Delhi.
• Panchayats have been empowered to take measures such as soil conservation, water management, and forestry at the local and village level.

• In India, rural populations' protests gave rise to modern ecology, unlike in the West where experts were the ones who first introduced it.
• Over resources like fish, pasture, water, and woods, there was unequal rivalry. Local communities were reliant on these resources for their subsistence, while urban and industrial interests exploited them for their own commercial and profit-making purposes. Protesters demanded a more equitable and sustainable use of nature's gifts because state policies tended to favor the latter.

• Positive Roles of Environmental Movements
  • Created public awareness about the balance between environment and development.
  • Opposed developmental projects that infringed on social and environmental concerns.
  • Organized model projects for non-bureaucratic, community-based natural resource management systems.
  • Persistently compelled the government to change its policies and realign development strategies to a sustainable path.
  • Several community organizations emerged in the course of environmental movements, working for inclusive and sustainable development.
  • Attracted Indian women from remote areas in the socio-political sphere, leading protests on issues affecting their livelihoods.
• Negatives of Environmental Movements: Often criticized for stalling developmental projects and being anti-developmental and regressive.

The Indian constitution emphasizes the importance of protecting the environment, as it is a fundamental part of our cultural values. The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, defines the environment as water, air, land, and its interrelationships. Citizens are obligated to protect and improve the natural environment, including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife, and show compassion for living creatures. The constitution also focuses on building a welfare state, with a healthy environment being a key element. Understanding these provisions is crucial for increasing public involvement, raising environmental awareness, and promoting environmental protection.

Moreso, global and domestic efforts are being made to ensure sustainable development and growth. The G-20 launched the Resource Efficiency Circular Economy Industry Coalition (RECEIC), the High-Level Principles for a Sustainable and Resilient Blue/ Ocean-based Economy (HLPSRBE), and the Global Alliance on Land Restoration of Forest Fire and Mining Affected Areas under the Gandhinagar Implementation Roadmap and the Gandhinagar Information Platform (GIR-GIP).

On June 5, 2023, the Government of India's Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change held the World Environment Day, emphasizing the Mission LiFE. The Prime Minister presented the idea of LiFE, or Lifestyle for Environment, during the World Leaders' Summit in Glasgow during COP26. He issued a strong plea for a renewed worldwide effort to embrace environmentally responsible behaviors and lifestyles.