JAIPUR: The Bishnoi community of Rajasthan had shot to fame when it played a critical role in nailing down Bollywood superstar Salman Khan for shooting a black back. It was their persistent legal battle which landed the actor in Jodhpur jail.
It’s not just the black bucks that the Bishnois revere. They have had a long tradition of conservation of trees and wildlife. The Khejarli village in Jodhpur district has been a holy place for the community as nearly three centuries ago, more than 350 people had sacrificed their lives here to save trees. Every year, people gather in Khejarli, 28 km away from Jodhpur, to remember this sacrifice of their ancestors.
This week, too, the Bishnoi community gathered at the village to pay homage to Amrita Devi and others who gave up their lives to protect trees during what was perhaps the country’s first ‘Chipko Movement’. Even today, when a folk singer sings praises of the martyrs, people bow their heads with respect.
The story dates back 288 years when Abhai Singh, the king of Marwar, ordered to cut Khejdi trees to build a palace. People embraced the trees to save them, but had to pay with their lives. Gopa Ram Bishnoi, former deputy zilla pramukh of Jodhpur, says: “The first one to die was Amrita Devi and then, 365 more people were killed. Amrita Devi was trying to save the tree in front of her house. The king’s men said they had orders to clean the area for his palace to be built. She asked them to chop her off before felling the trees. When the news of her death reached the king, he came to the village to apologise and promised that no trees and animals would be hurt from now on wherever Bishnois lived.”
The Bishnois say they would not hesitate to make such a sacrifice even today, if needed. Says Jeeta Ram Bishnoi, “If we have to die in order to protect our trees and animals, we will happily do so. If someone gets to know of a huntsman in the area, they sprint to stop him without worrying about his bullet. The aim is to capture the hunter and make sure he faces the law. In Khejarli, environment always comes first. That’s why we have this gathering every year. We have built a memorial to remember the people who lost their lives.”
The memorial stands tall in the desert reminding everyone about the importance of co-existence with nature. “It was built so that people from all castes and communities never forget the sacrifice. In our villages, you will see black bucks and chinkaras roaming freely,” Dinesh Bishnoi from Kankari village says.
During the fair on Wednesday, religious heads hoisted a flag and by afternoon, the area was packed with Bishnoi men wearing colourful turbans and women in colourful ghagra-cholis and gold ornaments. The air was filled with the slogans of ‘jab tak suraj chaand rahega, Amrita Devi ka naam rahega (Amrita Devi’s name will live on till eternity)’.
‘Bishnoi’ literally means those who follow 29 sutras or rules. To save the trees and animals is one of the first sutras given by Guru Jambeshwar, the deity of the community. Around 20,000 Bishnoi people prayed and make offerings to fire in the ‘prayawarn havan kund yagya’.
It was in Kankani village that Salman Khan was seen by Bishnois hunting black bucks, along with other film stars. “We won the fight with Salman after 19 years. It’s a victory for the environment lovers and all of India,” says Budhram Bishnoi of the village.
Mohan Lal, whose father testified in the court against the actor, says, “My father told the court how far from the road Salman had killed the black buck. This is a very peaceful area… everyone gets alert as soon as they hear a gunshot and run to prevent an animal being killed.”