Appiko Movement.

 

Question: Appiko Movement.

The Appiko Movement, a significant environmental campaign in India's Western Ghats, emerged in the 1980s as a southern counterpart to the northern Chipko Movement, focusing on protecting tropical forests from commercial logging and promoting sustainable resource use. Initiated in Karnataka's Uttara Kannada district, it drew inspiration from local traditions and Gandhian non-violence, led by Pandurang Hegde and involving community participation to challenge state forest policies. This movement, starting in 1983, highlighted the ecological importance of rainforests for water security and biodiversity, influencing policy changes and inspiring similar actions across South India. In conclusion, Appiko not only conserved vital ecosystems but also empowered rural communities, demonstrating the efficacy of grassroots activism in achieving environmental justice and sustainable development.

Historical Context and Precursors

The Appiko Movement arose amid escalating deforestation in Karnataka during the 1970s, driven by post-independence industrialization under plans like the Second Five-Year Plan of 1956, which prioritized paper mills and plywood industries. The Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot recognized later by UNESCO in 2012 but exploited since colonial times with the 1865 Forest Act under Dietrich Brandis, saw rapid tree felling for revenue. In Uttara Kannada, home to evergreen forests supporting species like the king cobra and hornbill, logging intensified after the 1960s with contractors supplying industries in Hubli-Dharwad. Local communities, including the Kunbi and Gauda tribes with traditions of sacred groves dating to the Vijayanagara Empire in the 14th century, faced livelihood threats as fuelwood and fodder scarcities emerged. Precursors included the 1970s protests against the Bedthi hydroelectric project, halted in 1980 due to campaigns by the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha founded in 1974 by M.D. Nanjundaswamy, highlighting dam impacts on forests.

Emergence and Key Events in 1983                          www.osmanian.com

The movement ignited on September 8, 1983, in Salkani village when over 160 men, women, and children, led by Pandurang Hegde, a local activist influenced by Sunderlal Bahuguna's 1981 Himalayan march, hugged sirsi trees to prevent felling by contractors. "Appiko," meaning "embrace" in Kannada, was adopted to symbolize protection, mirroring Chipko's tactics since 1973. This action followed months of awareness campaigns by Hegde through the Parisar Samrakshan Kendra, established in 1982, educating villagers on forest-water links amid 1982 droughts. The protest halted logging for 38 days, drawing media attention and support from scientists like Madhav Gadgil, who in 1983 reported on Ghats' ecology. Subsequent embraces occurred in Husri in October 1983 and Balguli in November, involving women like Girija Devi who chained themselves to trees.

Ideological Foundations

Appiko's ideology blended Gandhian sarvodaya with eco-development, advocating the "five Fs"—food, fodder, fuel, fertilizer, and fiber—from forests sustainably. Hegde, inspired by Fritz Schumacher's 1973 "Small is Beautiful," promoted decentralized economies against monoculture plantations like eucalyptus introduced in 1960s by the forest department, which depleted groundwater. The movement emphasized gender roles, with women central due to their dependence on forests for daily needs, echoing Vandana Shiva's 1988 eco-feminism linking women to nature.

Strategies and Expansion Strategies included non-violent direct action, padayatras (foot marches), and workshops; Hegde's 1984 march covered 1,400 kilometers, mobilizing 10,000 people. Legal petitions challenged the 1927 Indian Forest Act's commercial bias, leading to 1988 policy shifts. Expansion reached Kerala by 1985 with similar hugs against Silent Valley logging, and Tamil Nadu's Palni Hills in 1986. Alliances with NGOs like the Centre for Science and Environment, founded by Anil Agarwal in 1980, amplified advocacy through reports.

Impacts on Policy and Ecology

The movement influenced the 1988 National Forest Policy under Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, shifting from revenue to conservation, banning clear-felling in Ghats. Locally, Karnataka halted auctions in 1987, promoting joint forest management from 1993. Ecologically, it preserved 5 million hectares, maintaining biodiversity like the Myristica swamps unique since the Cretaceous period 66 million years ago.

Challenges and Criticisms

State repression included 1983 arrests of 150 activists, and internal divisions over tactics emerged by 1987. Critics like Ramachandra Guha in 1990 noted romanticization of traditions, overlooking class conflicts.

Legacy and Contemporary Relevance                          www.osmanian.com

Appiko inspired the 1990s Save Western Ghats March, covering 14,000 kilometers, and global movements like Brazil's 1980s rubber tappers under Chico Mendes. Hegde received the 1986 Global 500 Award from UNEP. Today, amid 2020s climate changes with Ghats floods in 2018 killing 483, Appiko's model informs community-led initiatives like the 2015 Arvari River Parliament in Rajasthan.