Environmental Movements in India - A Historical Perspective

Abstract

This research paper explores the beginnings, significant turning points, and effects on policy and public awareness of the historical development of environmental movements in India. In India, environmental movements have arisen in reaction to several issues such as land degradation, climate change, industrial pollution, deforestation, and water scarcity. With protests against exploitative forestry practices and dam construction projects during the colonial era, modern environmental activism emerged. Its roots are in India’s rich cultural past, where reverence for nature has been engrained for millennia. Following independence, attention turned to projects fuelled by development, which created tensions between industry and conservation. Notable campaigns against environmental degradation and displacement include the Chipko Movement in the 1970s, in which peasants embraced trees to stop deforestation, and the Narmada Bachao Andolan in the 1980s, which protested against massive dam projects. To fully appreciate the intricacies, motivations, and consequences of environmental movements in India, it is imperative that we first grasp their historical trajectory. This will help us to better shape sustainable development paths for the twenty-first century.