The unusually heavy monsoon of 1970 precipitated the most devastating flood in living memory. In the Alaknanda valley, water inundated 100 square kilometers of land, washed away 6 metal bridges and 10 kilometers of motor roads, 24 buses and several other vehicals; 366 houses collapsed and 500 acres of standing paddy crops were destroyed. The loss of human and bovine life was considerable.

...The 1970 floods mark a turning-point in the ecological history of the region. Villagers, who bore the brunt of the damage, were beginning to perceive the hitherto tenuous links between deforestation, landslides and floods. It was observed that some of the villages most affected by landslides lay directly below forests where forests felling operations had taken place....... .... The villagers' cause was taken up by the Dashauli Gram Swaraja Sangh (DGSS), a cooperative organisation based in Chamoli district.

.... Despite these early protests, the government went ahead with the yearly auction of forests in November. One of the plots scheduled to be assigned was the Reni forest....

.... The contractors' men who were travelling to Reni from Johimath stopped the bus shortly before Reni. Skirting the village, they made for the forest. A small girl who spied the workers with their implements rushed to Gaura Devi, the head of the village Mahila Mandal (Women's Club). Gaura Devi quickly mobilised the other housewives and went to the forest. Pleading with the labourers not to start felling operations, the women initially met with abuse and threats.

When the women refused to budge, the men were eventually forced to retire.

"The Chipko Movement was about fighting social inequality and powerlessness". Identify the main actors of this struggle?

Local people vs government

The answer is Option 2: Local people vs government.

The Chipko Movement was a nonviolent social and ecological movement that arose in the Himalayan region of India in the 1970s. The movement was sparked by the government's decision to auction off logging rights to a commercial timber company. The villagers who lived in the forests were concerned about the impact that logging would have on their livelihoods and the environment.

The Chipko activists, who were mostly women, responded by hugging the trees that were slated for felling. This tactic was inspired by the belief that trees are living beings that deserve to be protected. The activists also argued that the forests were a valuable source of non-timber resources, such as food, medicine, and water. The Chipko Movement was ultimately successful in preventing the government from auctioning off the logging rights. The movement also raised awareness of the importance of environmental protection and inspired similar movements around the world.

The Chipko Movement did involve some conflict between local people and private contractors. However, the main conflict was with the government.