JODHPUR: Imprisoned gangster Lawrence Bishnoi is emerging as a mascot for the Bishnoi community in its fight for environmental issues.
His growing stature among youth of the community has made him a popular icon at demonstrations and sit-in protests by Bishnois against felling of Khejri trees to clear land for solar power projects.
The community called a one-day bandh in Jodhpur Sunday to demand strict punishment for felling of Khejri trees. What drew more attention to this event were the slogans shouted in favour of Lawrence and his posters held aloft.
This was not the first time such posters and slogans were part of a Bishnoi community protest. During a previous day-long ‘bandh’ called by Akhil Bharatiya Bishnoi Mahasabha in Bikaner to protect Khejri trees, slogans of “Lawrence Bishnoi Zindabad” were heard.
The organiser of that programme, former councillor Manoj Bishnoi, claimed that those who raised the slogans had no connection with the Bishnois’ movement to protect Khejri trees.
The Bishnoi mahasabha has been up in arms against felling of trees for establishment of solar power plants in Bikaner, Jodhpur and Phalodi districts. President of the mahasabha, Devendra Budia, said there was rampant tree felling and Bishnois would not tolerate this harm to the environment.
“The govt should stop the felling of trees. It should punish those responsible and amend the Forest Act to give it more teeth,” he said.
