Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today approved the concept plan of the upcoming nature park-cum-monument to be developed near Abohar in Fazilka district over an area of five acres in the fond memory of legendary nature lover Amrita Devi Bishnoi and 363 other residents from Bishnoi community.Presiding over a high powered delegation of Bishnoi community led by its President of All India Wildlife Protection Bishnoi Society, Mr. Sahab Ram Bishnoi, the Chief Minister gave a nod to the layout plan prepared by State Architecture Department, which would include 363 inches (30 feet-3 inches) high flame in the shape of trunk of a tree to symbolize the passion of Bishnoi’s community for the trees besides, a water body and statue of legendary tree lover Amrita Devi, who laid down her life along with her three daughters way back in 1730 to save green tress being felled by the Maharaja of Jodhpur at a place known as Khejarli in Marwar, Rajasthan, where all the 363 persons were martyred for the sake of protecting trees from having been axed.
Explaining the concept design, Chief Architect Ms. Sapna apprised the Chief Minister that one inch represented each martyr thus the total height 363 inches of flame depicted the sacrifice of 363 martyrs who were brutally killed by the then emperor for their protest against the felling of trees. She also told the Chief Minister that the brief history of this entire episode along with the details of the martyrs would be written on the walls of main entrance leading to the nature park-cum-monument.
The Chief Minister desired that this prestigious project must be completed within six months.Earlier, the Bishnoi delegation honoured the Chief Minister with a title of ‘friend of trees (Varaksh Mittar) with siropas, a memento and a painting of Amrita Devi for taking keen and personal interest for the construction of this nature park-cum-monument to eulogize the supreme sacrifice of the Bishnoi community as a protector of trees and wildlife.Expressing deep reverence and gratitude to Mr. Badal, the Bishnoi community highly lauded the Chief Minister’s endeavour to inculcate a spirit to keep our environment clean, green and pollution free. The delegation said that their entire community would be ever indebted to Mr. Badal for this benevolent gesture for making concerted efforts to transform their long cherished dream into a reality. Responding to their another demand, the Chief Minister asked the Financial Commissioner Forests & Wildlife to include requisite representatives from the Bishnoi community on the State Board for Wildlife as non-official members.
It may be recalled that the Chief Minister has already directed the Forests Department to plant 363 Jand saplings with their names on the plates in the cherished memory of their supreme sacrifice. Prominent amongst others who attended the meeting included Financial Commissioner Forests Mr. Viswajeet Khanna, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Mr. Kuldeep Kumar, Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. Gaggandip Singh Brar and Chief Architect Ms. Sapna.The other members of the Bishnoi community; General Secretary Mr. Mangi Lal Bhodia, Vice President Mr. Sukha Ram Bishnoi, Spokesperson Mr. Shri Ram Bishnoi, Mr. Ramesh Bishnoi, Mr. Shiv Raj and Punjab President Mr. RD Bishnoi also participated in the meeting.