ECOLOGICAL AND REGIONAL PROTESTS IN UTTARAKHAND, NORTHERN INDIA

This article examines the continuities and discontinuities between the Chipko ecological movement and the recent regional movement for a sep arate State of Uttarakhand in the Indian Himalayas. The movement for a separate Uttarakhand State within the Indian Federation is shown to b e multi dimensional, reflecting a potentially creative mode of regiona l politics. However, the movement has become stereotyped as an elitist anti-reservation (positive discrimination) movement by politicians ke en to reinforce social polarisation along caste lines. Despite repress ive measures taken by the Uttar Pradesh State Government the regional movement has recently renewed its struggle around gender issues.