It has been nearly 60 years since a group of women farmers in the Himalaya, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, hugged trees to protect them from the chainsaws of government-backed logging. Known as the Chipko movement, they sparked similar protests across the country, eventually leading to a ban on commercial felling. Today their legacy lives on, as seen in the recent farmers’ protests that resulted in the repeal of three controversial bills. (See Agriculture at a Crossroads, Issue 327.) Thousands of farmers marched peacefully, many on foot, ...
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