Nahan, April 2 -- Taking a leaf from the Chipko movement of the 1970s, rural folk including women in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh on Thursday hugged trees to prevent their felling along the Nariwala-Jambu Khala stretch, forcing authorities to retreat amid mounting public resistance.
The protest marked the culmination of a nearly 15-day-long "Save Water, Forest and Land" campaign, which concluded peacefully despite tense exchanges between demonstrators and officials. Protesters, however, asserted that their agitation would continue until the proposed tree felling is permanently halted.
Leading the movement, social activist Nathuram Chauhan levelled serious allegations against the government and certain local leaders, claiming the p...