Desert Shinto

What makes the Salman Khan trial different from the Jessica Lall murder case? The tenacity and commitment of an animal-loving community called the Bishnois. Unlike in the Jessica case, where witnesses turned hostile, the Bishnois went all out to support the police and the forest officials in bringing the actor to book. Reportedly, it was their testimonies that clinched the case for the prosecution. "They are not buyable. Their tradition is very strong," says Vivek Menon, executive director of the Wildlife Trust of India. Bishnoi lawyer Mahipal Bishnoi also assisted the prosecutor in the trial.

Salman got into trouble with the community the minute he fired his first shot. The Bishnois gave him chase, but the actor managed to get away. Later they filed a complaint with the forest department. "This is a sensitive issue for the Bishnois. They have been pursuing the case right from the word go," says P.K. Sen, director, Species Programme, World Wildlife Fund, India.

So, who are these Bishnois? They are followers of the 15th-century saint, Jambeshwar, and are committed to his 29 principles ('bish nois' translates as '29ers') on environmental conservation. The community worships nature, believes all life is sacred and thinks that killing an animal or felling a tree is the most heinous of crimes. They total six million—spread over Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, UP and MP.

The Bishnois were hugging trees way before the Chipko Movement in present-day Uttaranchal. In 1730, when the king of Jodhpur ordered felling of trees to build his palace, the Bishnois, led by a young woman called Amrita Devi, clung to them, daring soldiers to cut them down first. The king's men showed no mercy and mowed down 363 villagers. Later, the penitent king himself became a hardcore environmentalist.