The Bishnoi community in the Kankani village of Rajasthan’s Jodhpur district is reportedly going to construct a grand memorial to honour the blackbuck killed by Salman Khan. The people of this village consider deer sacred. At least 200 youths belonging to the Bishnoi community are involved in the initiative. In 1998, Salman Khan had hunted a blackbuck near the shooting location of his film Hum Saath Saath Hain. He was sentenced to five years in jail after a court delivered the verdict in a case filed by the Bishnoi community.
Memorial for the black buck killed by Salman Khan
The Bishnoi community of Rajasthan considers deer as sacred and that Salman Khan had killed a blackbuck while he was in Jodhpur for the shooting a film had enraged the community and hurt their sentiments. Now, a grand monument and an animal rescue centre are being built at the same place where the deer was found dead. A huge statue of Panch Dhatu of black deer will be erected at the site, and a rescue centre will also be built for the treatment of animals and birds.
What does the community say?
A member of the Bishnoi community said, “After the construction of this monument, we will pass our learning Guru, Jambhoji Maharaj, to the next generation. Jambhoji Maharaj said that ‘sar kate rukh bache to bhi sasta jaan’, which means that even if the head is cut off, the youth of the Bishnoi community should be ready to save the environment, trees and animals at any cost.” He further added that about two hundred youths from the Bishnoi community have taken this initiative to build a memorial on seven bighas of land and for this, the work of levelling has started with two dozen JCBs.
Why deer is sacred for Bishnois?
The Bishnois are known for their love for nature worship and wildlife conservation. It was this community that pursued this matter with a conviction for the killings which is deemed to be a crime, not only towards the animal but also to their faith. The Bishnois of Jodhpur consider the blackbuck to be the reincarnation of their religious Guru Bhagwan Jambeshwar also known as Jambaji. A Bishnoi, therefore, would never tolerate the killing of wild animals or the cutting down of a tree. The origins of the Bishnois community date back as far past as the late 15th Century.
A preacher called Guru Jambeshwar established the sect. While some believe the term ‘Bishnoi’ is a derivative of Vishnu, the principal deity of the Bishnois, others believe it means twenty (Bish) nine (noi) in a local Rajasthani dialect. This alludes to a list of 29 commandments laid down by Jambeshwar, which all Bishnois are required to follow. They have been known to make many sacrifices for the protection of animals, especially the endangered blackbuck. They can even sacrifice their lives to save this creature.
The legal provisions and contribution of Bishnois
Blackbucks and chinkaras are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act. The Bishnois consider the former as sacred. They follow what is perhaps the world’s only environment-friendly religion and recognize the rights of birds, animals and trees to live in peace and harmony with humans. Reports show that in 2016, over 1,700 people who were involved in wildlife crimes in Rajasthan were arrested due to the efforts of this community.
One of the commandments of Bishnois says that they should not cut trees and save the environment. Another commandment talks about how protecting animals is a major cause of them. “Provide shelters for abandoned animals to avoid them from being slaughtered in abattoirs,” it reads, making clear the Bishnoi’s reverence of all life on the planet. This can be deemed as one of the biggest reasons the Bishnois wished to see any poacher convicted – even if it were a film star.
Out of their 29 commandments, many talks about preservation of nature and animals. Their 23rd commandment says that they can not sterilize bulls, another one asks them to not eat meat, always remain pure vegetarian. It was the commitment to their principles that they fearlessly lodged complaint against Salman Khan.
Black Buck Killing Case
23 years ago, in 1998 when Salman Khan and few of his other co-actors were in Jodhpur for the shooting of a film scheduled at the location, they went on a safari. At that time Salman Khan had shot a black buck. On April 5, 2018, the Rajasthan Sessions Court convicted the star and sentenced him to five-year imprisonment. Salman’s lawyers appealed against the sentence, and the matter is still pending in the Rajasthan High Court. His co-actors Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam Kothari were acquitted.
