Book Review - Bishnois and The Blackbuck

Book Review - Bishnois and The Blackbuck

When I received this book from Anu Lall, I did not have any idea that I would be writing a review of this book. I had appreciated it on X and that’s that. But after reading it completely, and waiting to let it go, it did not leave me. It compelled me to write this review. There are two reasons – I do not believe that environmental emergency is Davos debate issue, and Climate Change is a hoax. Two, environmental preservation is part of RSS agenda of ‘Panch Parivartan’ and every attempt to strengthen this dimension must be lauded. 

Third most important reason to talk about this book ‘Bishnois and The Blackbuck – Can Dharma Save the Environment’ is very well researched and written. Tragedy is that we mostly have airy fairy jet-setter advocates of environment protection and climate change or we have scholarly papers from scientists that do not cross over from journals to common people who can actually do a lot as individuals. Afterall, unless we behave responsibly, what can governments do? Unless we reduce consumption and learn to live with nature by trying to exploit it to as less a degree as possible, how can be we blame big industry? We consume hence they produce. 

An IIT professor, Chetan Solanki, gave up on his teaching career and is on the road for last six years to tell people how we can have ‘Energy Swaraj’. He has been educating school children, youth and others who are ready to listen, that ultimately, we have one earth and the way we are consuming and throwing all caution to winds, we cannot produce enough. Mansoor Ali Khan, the famous director of ‘Joh Jita Who Sikandar’  wrote a book based on his lectures called, The Third Way, many years back where he pointed out the folly of theory of development that believes producing more is a sign of progress. He noted that even solar energy we manufacture needs cells made of raw material created over eons of exposure to Sun. The only source of every kind of energy we consume; and we need to take care of environment is our responsibility and duty. 

Who symbolizes this sense of duty, their dharma, better than the Bishnois? We only know about and look at Bishnois from Salman Khan lens. And unfortunately, now through Bishnoi gang. For us, they are some kind of exotic community. Even a photo of a Bishnoi mother breastfeeding a Blackbuck child is a weird voyeuristic sight. Publishers and artists shy away from using them as cover as Anu Lall found out. It is saddening that we know so little about a community that is protecting environment and its children, the animals and birds like Blackbuck and Great Indian Bustard in a resource starved desert of Rajasthan and Haryana. Remember are not useful like camels. Only sense of dharma makes Bishnois protect them. 

Anu Lall’s field research, her compassion for the community and its customs is transparent. There was apparently no reason to stay with the community and record their lives first hand, as much of the literature could be found, I am sure, in libraries and YouTubes. Therefore, her writing breathes of real life.

She shares the stories of the people sacrificing their lives to save rare animals in their surroundings. You wonder why they needed to do it. Like many human beings they could have simply eaten them. Afterall, they did not add any material value to their lives! In Arabian deserts, hardly any animal survived except camels, and some necessary cattle. A quick search tells us that Desert Leopard, Arabian Sand Gazelle, Arabian Oryx are extinct or almost extinct there. (https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/7cbc0ad077b2422792f22f638adc7631) Another example closer home is that of Parsis in Mumbai. They have been forced to change their traditional cremation method of disposing off of the body because vultures were squeezed out by dense human settlements in Mumbai.

While Bishnois and other tribes understand the relationship between the bare sturdy vegetation, water and living creatures, people occupying other deserts did not have this understanding of mother nature. Because others did not recognize this relationship. They were told by their scriptures that nature and its creatures have been gifted to them by their God to exploit because human beings have a right as the best creations of the Almighty.

After taking us through some beautiful customs and real life stories, Anu Lall moves on to other regions of Bharat to tell us that many tribes across Bharat save the animals/birds and their habitat as centuries old traditions, as part of their dharma – responsibility to uphold the natural balance by treating nature and us as part of same integral whole. Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma – all this truly is Brahman (Supreme Being). You understand that the Hindu or Sanatan gyan and vigyan is not communal or Hindu specific, it is for the whole world.

I consider last two chapters most important. Chapter 14 talks about religious roots of ecological crises while chapter 15 tells us, how Dharma can save the environment. She writes, “Corporate brochures are often greener than their practices. Nations take climate pledges. But beneath all this talk lies a deeper malaise, of green washing…Sustainability has become a check box, a marketing strategy, a stage for moral performance, where sincerity is the first casualty.” Why religious or dharmic underpinning is important is highlighted by her quotable quote, “Sustainability Development Goal (SDG) frameworks are immaculate in compliance, but no one lays down their life citing SDG goals. Compliance cannot motivate people to sacrifice themselves protecting animals and trees.” 

The book actually begins with the most stunning story of self-sacrifice about which most of us are not aware, I can safely bet. 363 inhabitant of Khejarli were massacred for refusal to allow cutting of Khejri trees by the forces of the king of Jodhpur. They belonged to different gotras or castes.  Maharaja of Jodhpur was shocked to hear this news when he returned home. He visited Bishnoi villages of Khejarli and apologized for the massacre. He accepted demands made by the Bishnoi panchayat. He issued a royal decree forbidding the cutting or trees in Bishnoi villages.  Another 21 martyrs are listed with their addresses. Nearly all of them were in prime of their lives. They are venerated; their memories are preserved with their busts and signboards. Annual memorial services are conducted by villagers. 

This book leaves you feeling ennobled and makes you ponder over what you can do for preserving environment. We all can make a difference if we return to our dharmic roots.

Ratan Sharda

26-02-2026

First published on News18 portal - 

https://www.news18.com/opinion/opinion-book-review-bishnois-and-the-blackbuck-ws-l-9937558.html