National Forest Martyrs Day
- The day as the name suggests is observed to pay tributes to those who laid down their lives in order to protect the jungles, forests, and wildlife across India.
- The day officially came into existence in 2013 after the Ministry of Environment and Forest made the declaration.
- The date of September 11 was chosen as on this date in 1730, the infamous Khejarli massacre took place.
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'Khejarli' is the name of the trees that are grown in a Rajasthani village of the same name. The Bishnoi community in the state considers this tree to be holy.
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In 1730, Maharaja Abhay Singh ordered to cut these trees. On hearing this, everybody stood against this. It is believed that a woman named Amrita Devi resisted this move. She offered her head instead of the tree. The king's soldiers beheaded her, along with her daughters who stood with her. Along with them, over 300 people were also killed as they joined Amrita Devi in this resistance.
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When the king heard about what took place, he took back his order right away. He apologized to the Bishnoi community and also honored the sacrifice made by the people.
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Later, he passed a decree that was engraved on a copper plate that prohibited the felling of the Khejarli trees as well as animal hunting in the area. "