THE KHEJRALI MASSACRE

The news spread like wildfire. The Bishnois of Khejrali gathered and sent summons to their counterparts in eighty-three Bishnoi villages in the vicinity to come and decide on the next course of action. Since the supreme sacrifice by Amrita Devi and her daughters had not satisfied the royal party, and the felling of green trees was continued, it was decided that for every green tree to be cut One Bishnoi, volunteer would sacrifice his/ her life. In the beginning, old people voluntarily started holding the trees to be cut in an embrace as in the 20th Century Chipko Movement.



Despite many valiant old persons, giving away their lives, the Hakim (the royal party's leader) , Girdhar Das Bhandari, taunted the Bishnois that they were offering unwanted old persons. Soon, young men, women (including recently married ones) and children were sacrificing themselves in a similar manner. There was intense pandemonium. The tree-felling party was badly shakhen. They left for Jodhpur with their mission unfulfilled and told the Maharaja about what had happened. Soon as he learnt about it, he ordered the felling of trees to be stopped.



By that time, three hundred and sixty three (363) Bishnois, young and old, men and women, married and unmarried, rich and poor, had already become martyrs.