New Delhi: National Forest Martyr's Day is observed on September 11 to pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives to protect forests and wildlife. The day is celebrated to commemorate the anniversary of the Khejarli Massacre in 1730. Owing to the importance of forests for earning a livelihood, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change declared in 2013 that a day should be set aside to honour forests and people who struggle to maintain them.
National Forest Martyr's Day: History
The ministry selected 11 September to be the date because, on this day in 1730, the Khejarli massacre took place in the country.
The soldiers began cutting trees on the orders of the then-king, Maharaja Abhai Singh of Rajasthan, to provide timber for a new palace. At the time, a woman known as Amrita Devi offered her head in place of the sacred Khejarli tree. People in that village were outraged by the deed and rose in protest, offering their lives in place of trees.
Following her beheading, the army is believed to have slaughtered around 350 individuals, including Amrita's children. When the monarch learned of the atrocity, he immediately ordered his soldiers to stop killing the people and apologised to the Bishnoi community.
Along with his apologies, King Maharaja Abhai Singh issued a proclamation stating that no trees would be cut down or animals would be slaughtered in the areas surrounding the Bishnoi villages.
National Forest Martyr's Day: Significance
This incident is remembered as a key event, and it has inspired many activists and campaigns, like the Chipko movement, in which peasants hugged trees to save them from felling.
National Forest Martyrs Day commemorates the importance of trees. To live healthy lives, we must conserve the forests and protect the trees. In the current climate, one of the most serious issues confronting the globe is the loss of green cover.