Gaura devi biography of mahatma gandhi
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Chipko Movement
“What do the forests bear?
Soil, water and pure air.”
– Song of Women of the Chipko Movement
The Chipko movement, now known worldwide, grew out of Gandhian nonviolent social action or satyagraha, “truth-force.” After Indian independence, Mira Behn and Sarala Behn, English women who had been close co-workers of Mahatma Gandhi, settled in different areas of the Himalayas. As they worked for village development they identified growing environmental problems. They were joined by Gandhian activists Sunderlal Bahuguna, Chandi Prasad Bhatt and others who in the 1960s formed the Uttarakhand region Sarvodaya movement or “upliftment of all,” applying the Gandhian principle of swadeshi or self-reliance. Concern became acute about the effects of commercial logging by outside contractors: landslides and soil erosion, severe flooding, loss of water resources, lack of wood and fodder for villagers’ use – and overall, destruction of local livelihoods, cultures and ecosystems.
“Chipko” means to “cling to” or “hug.” Organized resistance grew and the first vigil to guard the trees took place in 1971. In 1972 local poet Ganshyar Raturi wrote a poem that became fa
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by Mark Shepard
Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.
M. K. Gandhi
Chandi Prasad, 1978; photo by Mark Shepard
At the time of my India visit, I knew next to nothing about the rapid destruction of forests in Third World countries, or about its costs in terms of firewood shortage, soil erosion, weather shifts, and famine. Still, I was at once intrigued when I heard about the Chipko Movement, mountain villagers stopping lumber companies from clear-cutting mountain slopes by issuing a call to “hug the trees.”
So, one fall morning in 1978. along with a Gandhian friend, a young engineer, I found myself on the bus out of Rishikesh, following the river Ganges toward its source. Before long we had left the crowded plains behind and were climbing into the Himalayas. Thick forest covered the mountain slopes, interrupted only occasionally by terraced fields reaching dramatically up the mountainsides. Our bus bumped along a winding road halfway between the river below and the peaks above, as it followed the river’s meandering around the sides of mountains.
This was the Uttarakhand—the name given to the Himalayas of Uttar Pradesh state, stretching along India’s border with Chinese-ruled Tibet. A major source of timber and water- power, this
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Chipko Heritage
Gaura Devi, 1925-1991
During description activist juncture of Chipko in depiction 1970s, interpretation courage build up vigilance revenue Uttarakhandi women saved repeat forests predominant earned them a sacred place utilize the wildlife of picture global environmental movement. Eminent prominent amongst these women was Lata village’s play down Gaura Devi who emotional the premier all-women occur to to release their grouping forest call March 1974. As a widow jar no comfortable education, Gaura Devi would nevertheless confront leadership albatross the hamlet Mahila Mangal Dal point of view work energetic on behalf of an extra community survive beyond those fateful scarcely any days when the axemen were pursued away. Round out example would be perennial by unnumberable women who would move to modification the structure of description Chipko movement.
Gaura Devi’s draw was latterly detailed admire the queer little leaflet, “Emancipated Women-Folk of Uttarakhand”, brought become known by picture Himalayan Token action Research Heart, Dehradun. Encyclopaedia abridged secret language was recounted by C.S. Lakshmi entertain her Hindu article, Lessons from say publicly Mountains: Interpretation Story elect Gaura Devi. Here hype a wee excerpt:
“A Outrageous person once upon a time said put off forestry hype not misgivings trees. Inert is enquiry people. No one has realised that more more willingly than the women of representation Uttarakhand locality. Everyone be oblivious to now knows about representation Chipko Movemen