Review: My Head for a Tree by Martin Goodman
This is the extraordinary story of the Bishnois, the most ecologically conscious community in the world.
Martin Goodman’s My Head for a Tree opens with the story of an 18th century massacre in which as many as 363 Bishnois were beheaded as they tried to protect trees that men who worked for the king, Abhay Singh, wanted to cut down. More Bishnois were in queue to be beheaded but the news reached the palace and the killing was stopped. Such a story has never been told, and it is unlikely to be repeated. It remains the bravest act of nature conservation ever. The martyrs of Khejarli village in western Rajasthan, all Bishnois, laid down their lives while chanting “My head for a tree”. They were led by a woman named Amrita Devi, who stood for the community’s commitment to live in harmony with nature.
Who are the Bishnois? What made them stage such a mass sacrifice? The ones who sacrificed themselves were only following their guru Jambhoji who, during the unprecedented drought of the 15th century, had called upon them to live in harmony with nature. “A tree covered in greenery is my temple and my home,” he said. The founding guru put down 21 rules which are followed till date.
In telling the extraordinary story of this desert-dwelling community, Martin Goodman, a professor of creative writing at the University of Hull, presents them as the most ecologically conscious community in the world.
The Bishnois have continued to live in harmony with nature. Theirs is perhaps the only religious practice in the world that has environmental protection at its core. Today, they have evolved into ecological warriors who ensure that the laws of the land are forcefully endorsed to protect all lives. To a Bishnoi, killing a monitor lizard is as hideous a crime as killing a tiger. Bollywood actor Salman Khan, who was charged with hunting blackbuck, a protected species, learnt this the hard way. Goodman provides details of the case, highlighting how the Bishnois patience and perseverance was tested against Khan’s popular image and power. It took 68 appearances in court over a period of 20 years for the verdict to be pronounced. In the years between the blackbuck killings and the actor’s guilty verdict, the Bishnois’ Tiger Force teamed up with law enforcers to pursue the case. The force has maintained information networks to bust illegal activities so that a repeat of the 1998 blackbuck incident does not occur.
My Head For A Tree is also the story of the incredible relentlessness of the Bishnois. Their commitment to a cause isn’t time sensitive; it becomes their life. They see the natural world as a vital entity with the rights of plants and animals being equal to those of us humans. It is, apparently, quite common for Bishnoi women to breast-feed orphaned chinkara. This is because their love for it is profound. Incidentally, 85 percent of the chinkara or gazelle’s global population is endemic to south-west Rajasthan.
This is an engaging book about a community concerned with forging non-violent action, about a people trying to save the planet. Goodman has been to Bishnoi farms, schools, temples, and animal shelters and his book focuses on their ecological commitment and empathy. The pictures by Franck Vogel add to an understanding of the subject. In relating the story of an extraordinary group of people and their practices to the looming climate crisis, this book fills a gap in the ongoing environmental debate. Within the story of a determined community lies, perhaps, the future story of human survival.
My Head for a Tree on this community of traditional eco-warriors, now numbering about a million people, is essential reading for anyone concerned about our collective future.
Sudhirendar Sharma is an independent writer, researcher and academic.
