About 20 citizens from different walks of life gathered in the Aravalli forest near Suncity in Gurugram on July 24, 2022 morning to pay homage to the slain DSP Surender Singh Bishnoi. The late police officer was killed a few days ago while investigating illegal mining activity in the Nuh region of Haryana.
Anuradha Prasad Dhawan, a member of the Aravalli Bachao Citizens Movement shares that The group sang hymns, chanted mantras and meditated in the forest to pray for the departed soul and honour the brave heart who sacrificed his life while on the call of duty. A few people recited poetry to express their love for the Aravallis.
The group also took a pledge at the end of the prayer service amidst the insects and the birds to not let DSP Bishnoi’s death go in vain.
“Today all of us pledge as citizens to discharge our duty of reminding the government of their duty to protect our forests. As Aravalli Bachao Citizens Movement, we pledge to continue putting pressure on the government to stop all illegal mining activities and all other illegal activities in the forest that continues to lead to the loss of many lives all across the Aravallis.” read the pledge.
As per members of the Aravalli Bachao movement, The Aravallis have been under constant threat from the land mafia, illegal miners, and encroachers, despite the decade-old ban imposed by the Supreme Court prohibiting any illegal activity in the Aravalli hills.
Aravalli Bachao Citizens Movement has been raising the issue of protecting this critical ecosystem with the government authorities. The Aravalli area is a core water recharge zone for India’s National Capital Region and a barrier between the Thar desert and the Indo-Gangetic plain. It also acts as a temperature regulator and carbon sink, helping increase the resilience of the NCR region against the impending impacts of climate change.
Jyoti Raghavan, a member of the Aravalli Bachao Citizens Movement says, “We filed a case in May this year in the National Green Tribunal for illegal stone and sand mining in 16 locations across the Aravallis in Nuh, Gurugram and Faridabad. A government panel has been constituted to investigate illegal mining in these 3 districts where mining is banned according to the Supreme Court 2009 order. We urge the Haryana government to redouble their efforts to stop illegal mining in the fragile NCR Aravallis so no other police or forest officers have to lose their lives again."
Col Sarvadaman Oberoi, an Aravalli lover and legal activist who attended the prayer ceremony says, “It is also very important for the government to put scientific systems in place like the Advanced Drone Technology to control illegal mining and other such activities in the Aravallis."