Martyr status sought for Khejri tree protectors
Jaipur, March 19
Nearly 300 years after 363 people sacrificed their lives while trying to save Khejri trees in Rajasthan, a young farmer from Jodhpur has requested the Prime Minister to grant them the status of martyrs and highlight the movement in school syllabus.
Long before the country woke up to the perils of environment damage, 363 members of the Bishnoi community led by Amrita Devi had sacrificed their lives in 1730 AD while protecting Khejri trees, considered sacred by the community.
Now, a resident of Ekalkhori village in Jodhpur, Vishek Vishnoi, is leaving no stone unturned to make ‘363’ a global brand in the field of environment protection. Seconding him, BJP MLA Jogaram Patel said the incident must be recognised widely.
An environment lover, Vishnoi said he has requested the Prime Minister to accord the 363 people the status of martyrs and pay homage to them in Parliament, besides getting them recognition through the UN.
He also requested the Prime Minister to mention the Khejarli incident in his radio programme Mann ki Baat. Vishnoi’s father Ranaram is known for planting thousands of trees in the arid climate of the western parts of the desert state.
Khejarli is nearly 30 km from Jodhpur city where an annual fair is held to mark the incident. The Ministry of Environment and Forest gives the Amrita Devi Bishnoi Wildlife Protection Award for significant contribution in the field of wildlife protection. — PTI
