Video Of 'Chinkara' Being Feasted Upon Leads To Protests In Rajasthan's Jodhpur

A video of a chinkara being eaten by a group of people while it's carcass hung from a tree has sparked widespread outrage in Rajasthan's Jodhpur.

Chinkara and other such animals of the Bovidae family are considered sacred by the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan.

Source : Representative image/ PTI

A video showing a group of people cooking and eating the meat of what appeared to be a chinkara while its carcass hung from a tree sparked outrage among wildlife activists and members of the Bishnoi community in Rajasthan's Jodhpur. The Bishnoi Tiger Force, a local group, submitted a memorandum to the commissioner of police and the divisional forest officer, demanding the arrest of the individuals seen in the video, and for charges to be brought against them under the Wild Life (Protection) Act. They also called for the establishment of flying squads to patrol the region regularly, reported news agency PTI.

Ram Pal Bhawad, the chief of the Bishnoi Tiger Force, stated that he had been given assurances that swift action would be taken against the perpetrators within two days, and that a symbolic demonstration would be held at the collectorate if no action was taken. The video, which was widely circulated on Sunday, shows the chinkara's skin being peeled while its meat is being cut and cooked. It is alleged to have been recorded on a farm in Pannesingh Nagar in Luni.

According to wildlife activist Om Prakash, many poachers establish settlements on the Jodhpur-Barmer border and hunt chinkaras to sell to groups like these, as well as to hotels. Luni MLA Maahendra Bishnoi stated that he had inquired about the incident, and that forest officers had visited the location and taken blood samples. There is a possibility that the animal in the video was not a chinkara, but a goat, and the results of the blood samples are awaited, he said.

Chinkara and other such animals of the Bovidae family are considered sacred by the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan. Recently, during ABP News's Operation Durdant, jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi revealed that he want to teach superstar Salman Khan a lesson as he had "killed a black buck". He said that Khan should apologise at the community's temple or "face consequences of his actions".