Bishnoi community builds memorial for poached blackbucks

JAIPUR: The Bishnoi community in Jodhpur has started making a memorial for the blackbucks poached by Bollywood actor Salman Khan 24 years ago in Kankani village, about 20km from Jodhpur town in western Rajasthan, said one of the persons working on the memorial.

Khan was acquitted in three cases related to the poaching and convicted in one. His acquittal was challenged by the state in the Supreme Court and Khan has challenged his conviction in the Jodhpur sessions court. In 1998, Khan poached two blackbucks in the Bishnoi-dominated Kankani village. The community is known for protecting flora and fauna.

Now, young people from the community have decided to make a memorial for blackbucks. They plan to plant hundreds of trees and set up a blackbuck rescue centre as part of the memorial.

Prem Saran, one of the young men behind the plan, said, “We want send a message to people to protect flora and fauna like our community does so that a repeat of the 1998 incident does not happen. The site where the memorial is being made is the same as where the blackbucks were buried. These animals are like our family and we can sacrifice our lives to protect them.”

According to him work on the memorial, across 8-10 bighas of land around the memorial has started. “Now, 800-1000 plants will be planted, followed by installing the statue of a blackbuck to send a message to save animals,” Saran added. The funds are being raised by the young people and they have so far managed to collect ₹1.5 lakh, he said.

Khan, along with other actors was booked in four cases after his involvement in poaching blackbucks during a film shoot near Kankani village.

Khan’s advocate, Hastimal Saraswat, said that of the four cases against him, he has been acquitted in two related to poaching ( the state has challenged these before the Supreme Court). Khan has been acquitted in the third case booked under the arms act, which the state has appealed in the district sessions court. In the fourth case related to poaching, he was convicted for five years in 2018, which he has challenged in the district sessions court.

Wildlife expert Sharad Purohit said it’s a good initiative and will send a good message among the people. “The memorial will send a message to present and coming generation to protect flora and fauna,” he said.