To honour the memory of foresters who had laid down their lives to protect forests and wildlife, National Forest Martyrs Day was observed on Monday at the Forester Memorial, Brandis Road inside Forest Research Institute here.
The director general of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) SC Gairola, Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA) director Sashi Kumar, FRI director Savita, the regional office principal chief conservator of forests Ajay Kumar and other officials of ICFRE and FRI paid floral tributes at the foresters memorial in the institute to honour and remember all the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for forests and wildlife.
Gairola recalled that on this day in 1730, over 360 people of the Bishnoi community were killed in Khejarli, now in Rajasthan, when they had objected to the felling of Khejri trees by the king of Jodhpur.
He also pointed out that about 1,400 foresters have so far attained martyrdom while safeguarding the country’s forest wealth and wildlife in India, which is quite high as compared to the Asian and other countries of the world.
National Foresters Martyrs Day was attended by a large number of people including employees from ICFRE, FRI, CASFoS and IGNFA including IFS probationers, officers and employees of regional office and students of FRI Deemed University. A two-minute silence was also observed in memory of the martyrs.