Forty-five years ago when industrialization was spreading its pangs in India reaching the isolated and serene mountainous valleys, a group of village men risked there lives to save trees and disturbed the slumber of urban armchair naturalists. Led by Chandni Prasad Bhatt and Sunderlal Bahuguna, it was a people’s revolt against mindless deforestation that the campaign did not need media promotions, a huge team, or other modern resistive mechanisms. The flung their arms around the trees when the woodsmen came to axe them and they did it linking their hands together around it, to physically prevent trees being chopped down.

Chipko Movement has  been the inspiration of many political or environmental movements in India. It created a precedent for starting of non violent protest in India and its success meant that the world immediately took notice of this non violent movement, which was to inspire in time many such eco-groups by helping to slow down the rapid Deforestation, expose vested interests, increase ecological awareness, and demonstrate the viability of people power

The Silent Valley Project, 1978

The Silent Valley hydroelectric project was to dam the Kunthipuzha River, submerging the entire biosphere reserve and destroying its four-million-year-old rainforests.With 40 per cent of its so-called surplus power being supplied to other parts and many villages of Kerala waiting to be electrified, this grassroots movement became the bedrock of Indian environmental activism

Jungle Bachao Andolan, 1980s

The tribals of Singhbhum district of Bihar united to protest when the government decided to replace the natural sal forests with highly-priced teak.

Narmada Bachao Andolan, 1985

Narmada Bachao Andolan announced the arrival of the India Greens, protesting against destructive development. At that time, numerous protest groups, student factions, NGOs, and transnational networks were already leading the three dam-affected states of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.

Appiko Movement, 1983

Started in Shimoga district of Karnataka, this movement is the successor of Chipko movement in true terms. The locals embraced the trees which were to be cut by contractors of the forest department. Appiko’s greatest strengths lie in it being neither driven by a personality nor having been formally institutionalized.

Tehri Dam Conflict, 1990

Uttarakhand has been the site for germination of many environmental protests. Tehri Dam Conflict was against the displacement of town inhabitants and environmental consequence of the weak ecosystem. Despite the support from other prominent leaders like Sunderlal Bahuguna, the movement has failed to gather enough popular support at national as well as international levels.
 
Some of these movements tasted success some failed to gain momentum after a while, Nevertheless, each of these protests stirred up the existing civil society in India, which began to address the issues of tribal and marginalized people resulting in the consensus pf various tribal friendly acts like PESA Act, 1996