Gandhian Environmental Movement in India

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Gandhian Environmental Movement in India

• Shinya Ishizaka
• (Ryukoku University)

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1. Gandhians as Worldly Individuals

• Louis Dumonts Homo Hierarchicus (1979)
• Caste Society vs Renouncer?
• No Worldly Individual in India?
• Gandhians as Worldly Renouncers
• Individuals who bring about Social Change by
  Self-renouncing practices of Foot-marches and
  Fasts

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Gandhians as Worldly Individuals

• Disciples of M. K. Gandhi (1869-1948)
• Vinoba Bhave (1895-1982) Bhoodan Movement
• J. P. Narayan (1902-79) Total Revolution
• Gandhians in Various Social Movements
• Rural Reconstruction Movements
• Anti-Untouchability Movements
• Movements for Communal Harmony
• Anti-Liquor Movements
• Womens Movements

• Environmental Movements

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2. Environmental Activities by Gandhians

• Narayan Desai (1924-)

At Gujarat, in western India (Jan 2004)
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Envtl Activities by Gandhians in India Today

• Baba Amte (1914-)

At Maharashtra, in central India (Feb 2003)
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Envtl Activities by Gandhians in India Today

• S. Jagannathan (1914-)
• Krishnamal Jagannathan (1926-)

At Tamil Nadu, in southern India (Aug 2006)
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Envtl Activities by Gandhians in India Today
Sunderlal Bahuguna Vimla Bahuguna
Baba Amte
Narayan Desai
S. Jagannathan Krishnamal Jagannathan
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3. Bahuguna and Environmental Movements in the
Himalayas

• Sunderlal Bahuguna (1927-)
• 1940s Indian Freedom Movement
• 1950s Anti Untouchability Movement
• 1960s Anti Liquor Movement

Bahuguna and students (Feb 2003)
Bahuguna in his prayer (Dec 2004)
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Bahuguna and Env Movements

• Vimla Bahuguna (1932-)
• 1950s Bhoodan Movement
• 1956 Marriage, Establishment of Ashram

Near Silyara Ashram (Aug 2006)
At Tehri (Mar 2003)
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Bahuguna and Env Movements

• Chipko Movement (1973-1981)

Sketches by Arvind Mohan Negi (from Bharat
Dogras books)
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Bahuguna and Env Movements

• Slogans of Chipko Movement
• Before 1978
• What do the forests bear?
• Resin, timber and business.
• After 1978
• What do the forests bear?
• Soil, water and pure air.

Foot March and Meeting Photos by Dhoom Singh
Negi
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Bahuguna and Env Movements

• Anti Tehri Dam Movement (1978-)
• S. Bahuguna became the leader after 1989
• Demonstration Meetings, Sit-ins, Petitioning
• Legal Battles, Foot Marches, Fasts
• S. Bahugunas Fasts and Movement
• 45 days in 1992
• 49 days in 1995
• 74 days in 1996

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Tehri (Aug 2003)
Tehri (Nov 2004)
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Tehri (Aug 2004)
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Tehri dam (Aug 2006)
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Near Gangotri (Aug 2005)

• Save Himalaya Movement (1992-)
• not only for the protest
• against the dam construction
• but for protecting the environment of
• the Himalayan region