Direct answer to the fill-in. Under this question, the expected answer is that the Chipko Movement was associated mainly with Sunderlal Bahuguna and was centred in the hill region of present-day Uttarakhand (at that time part of the state of Uttar Pradesh).
Introduction: What was the Chipko Movement?
The Chipko Movement was a famous people’s movement for the protection of forests. It began in the early 1970s in the Himalayan villages of northern India. The word “Chipko” literally means “to hug” or “to cling”. Villagers, especially women, embraced trees and formed human chains around them to prevent contractors from cutting them. The movement is considered a landmark in the history of environmentalism and forest conservation in India.
The person: Sunderlal Bahuguna
The person most closely identified with the Chipko Movement is Sunderlal Bahuguna, a noted Gandhian environmentalist and social worker. He:
- Travelled extensively from village to village, educating people about the ecological value of forests.
- Used non-violent methods, fasts and padyatras (foot marches) to mobilise public opinion.
- Emphasised that forests are not merely a source of timber, but a “life-support system” for hill communities—protecting soil, water and climate.
- Became the moral and intellectual leader of the movement, giving it national and international visibility.
Along with Sunderlal Bahuguna, leaders such as Chandi Prasad Bhatt and many local women activists (like Gaura Devi) played a crucial role. However, in examination answers when one name is asked, the focal person mentioned is usually Sunderlal Bahuguna.
The State: Uttarakhand (then part of Uttar Pradesh)
The Chipko Movement started in the Garhwal region of the Himalayas, in villages of what is now the state of Uttarakhand. At that time, this region formed part of the larger state of Uttar Pradesh, but in Environmental Studies books and present usage, it is commonly referred to as Uttarakhand (Himalayan hill state).
Important centres of the movement included places like Chamoli district and nearby hill villages, where local communities depended heavily on forests for fuelwood, fodder, water and protection from soil erosion and landslides.
Significance of identifying person and state
Naming the person and state linked with the Chipko Movement is not just a memory exercise; it highlights some broader points important for Environmental Studies:
- The movement shows how local communities, especially villagers and women, can successfully resist environmentally destructive policies.
- It emphasises that Himalayan forests are vital for soil conservation, water regulation and prevention of disasters in states like Uttarakhand.
- It connects environmental protection with Gandhian methods of non-violence, satyagraha and moral persuasion, as used by Sunderlal Bahuguna.
Exam-oriented recap
- The question asks specifically for the person and the Indian state associated with the Chipko Movement.
- The key person: Sunderlal Bahuguna (Gandhian environmentalist and leading figure of Chipko).
- The state: Uttarakhand (then hill region of Uttar Pradesh) in the Himalayan belt.
- Optional mention (if space allows): The movement began in Garhwal region; villagers hugged trees to stop commercial felling of forests.
Conclusion: Thus, the Chipko Movement is mainly associated with Sunderlal Bahuguna and the Himalayan hill state of Uttarakhand (earlier a part of Uttar Pradesh). Together, they became a powerful symbol of people’s participation in forest conservation and of the close relationship between hill communities and their surrounding natural environment.