The Chipko Andolan began in the early 1970s in the Garwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand, as a novel way of protesting against the felling of trees. What is unique about Chipko Andolan is not only its mode of resistance, but also that it was born primarily out of protest by those who lived off the forest, for whom the falling of trees meant the loss of livelihoods. From here it has gone on to become a rallying point for environmentalists and eco-socialists the world over. When it started, organised movements in remote and cut-off areas such as these, were few and far between; primarily however, the Chipko Andolan is recognizably as a movement where women have played a key role and is a movement that has gone on to address a range of issues from deforestation to alcoholism