Chipko movement Villagers surrounding a tree to stop it from being felled The Chipko movement or Chipko Andolan is a movement that practiced the Gandhian methods of satyagraha and non-violent resistance, through the act of hugging t protect them from being felled. This was first initiated by Amrita Devi while pr against a Kings men to cut the tree. The modern !hip"o movement started in the #$%&s in the Garhwal 'imalayas of (ttara"hand, then in (ttar )radesh with gro awareness of rapid deforestation. The landmar" event in this struggle too" pla *arch + , #$% , when a group of peasant women in eni village, 'emwalghati, in !hamoli district, (ttara"hand, /ndia, acted to prevent the cutting of trees an their traditional forest rights, which were threatened by the contractors assign state 0orest Department. Their actions inspired hundreds of such actions at the level throughout the region. 1y the #$2&s the movement had spread throughout /nd led to the formulation of people-sensitive forest policies, which put a stop t felling of trees in regions as far as the Vindhyas and the 3estern Ghats. 4#5 Today, it is seen as an inspiration and a precursor for !hip"o movement of Garhwal. 4+5465 /ts leader was 7underlal 1ahuguna.