Salman Khan deer hunting case, Bishnoi community protects forests, wildlife

Latest News :- Bishnoi are a unique community that worship trees and wildlife as their moral duty. These communities, 'not just human lives. People who have an important principle of 'love wild animals and plants too'. It was the society that had filed a case under the Wildlife Protection Act against Bollywood actor Salman Khan, who was caught hunting the Singara deer. About 540 years ago, Bishnoi society emerged in Rajasthan with a total of 29 qualities like cleanliness, love, non-violence, affection for animals, affection for trees. 'Pish' means twenty and 'noi' means nine. Hence the name of this community was Bishnoi which represents 29 qualities.

Just as the number 786 is considered sacred by Muslims, Bishnois hold 29 in high esteem. Guru Jambeshwar Bishnoi, who founded this community in 1485, is considered the deity of this community. Even today Bishnoi community is in majority in Rajasthan. Jodhpur, a district of Rajasthan near the border with Pakistan, has a large Bishnoi population. About 30 km from Jodhpur is the Kangni forest of Singara deer where Salman Khan is said to have hunted. Here there are mostly potal forests and at only a few places you can see fields.

It has many species of deer, peacock and singara among other species. In these you can see the galloping Singara deer grazing without any worry. Singara deer roam around the houses and streets like the pets of the Bishnoi community. There is a miraculous practice among these women who have a child. They can usually be seen feeding the Singara deer fawns along with their children. Since the beginning of the Bishnoi community, there has been a tradition of the women of the Acha community feeding their milk to the baby deer.

Image: Ashwin Vyas

Females feeding deer: When a mother deer dies due to various reasons, other deer do not come forward to feed her milk. Whereas, a fawn that has lost its mother does not drink the milk of another deer. In this unique environment, Bishnoi women care for the motherless deer cubs as if they were their own children.

Bishnoi who runs the sanctuary: The Singara deer learns to eat grass after about three months of feeding on mother's milk. After this, the Singhara deer babies are released at the Guru Jambeshwar temple, which is considered sacred by the Bishnoi community, in the middle of the Gangani forest. There is also an animal sanctuary under the management of the temple for this purpose. After growing slowly from here, they go to live in the forest.

Area for Singara: Like domestic animals, Singara deer is easily identified by the Bishnoi community. If any outsider comes to hunt them during the day, it is customary for them to run and stand near the Bishnois working in the fields. The Bishnoi people here keep some part of their fields uncut for the Singara deer.

Image: Ashwin Vyas

Singara hunting complaint against Salman: Whoever comes here to hunt animals, it is difficult for him to escape from the eyes of Bishnois. In such a situation, during the Hindi shooting of Kangni forests in October 1998, a complaint was filed against Salman Khan and other actors and actresses for hunting Singara deer. More than twenty Bishnoi communities have lost their lives so far to stop poaching.

Raja's decision to cut down the Vanni tree: Similarly, it is nothing new for Bishnois to risk their lives to protect animals and trees. His sacrifice for this has been recorded as an important part of Indian history. In 1731, King Abhay Singh of Marwar decided to cut down Vanni trees in the nearby village of Kechadli for the construction of Jodhpur Fort.

Amrita Devi Bishnoi: For this the king ordered his commander Giridari Das Hakim. Commander Hakim, who had gone with his soldiers to cut trees, was shocked. Under the leadership of a woman named Amarudadevi Bishnoi, hundreds of Bishnoi women from neighboring villages gathered with their sons and daughters and vehemently protested against the felling of trees.

Image: Ashwin Vyas

363 killed: Trees were tied down and not allowed to be cut. But the General cut down the trees and left behind 363 people who were standing around the Vanni trees. History tells that King Abhay Singh realized his mistake and apologized to the Bishnoi community for it. Sacrifice of life for trees: Along with this, he has also ordered to protect the forests and animals in the area. To such an extent that the Bishnoi community has even sacrificed their lives for the trees. Every year lakhs of women from around Jodhpur gather to celebrate this event.