India Observed National Forest Martyrs Day on September 11 to Honour Forest Protectors.

On September 11, 2025, India observed National Forest Martyrs Day, commemorating the sacrifices of people who gave their lives protecting forests, trees, and wildlife, with nationwide events led by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

      - On 11 September 1730, over 363 Bishnoi villagers led by Amrita Devi Bishnoi and her daughters sacrificed their lives in Khejarli, Rajasthan, to protect sacred Khejri trees from being cut under the orders of Maharaja Abhay Singh’s official.

      - The Khejarli Massacre is recognized as one of the earliest acts of eco-feminism and environmental protest in India, where women took leadership in defending biodiversity and forest rights.

      - The Khejri tree (Prosopis cineraria), declared the state tree of Rajasthan in 1982-83, is known as the “Kalpavriksha of the Thar Desert” for its vital ecological role, covering two-thirds of Rajasthan and aiding socio-economic life in arid zones.

Main Point :-   (i) The MoEFCC declared September 11 as National Forest Martyrs Day in 2013. The main observance is held annually at the National Forest Martyrs Memorial in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

      (ii) In 1988, the Department of Posts issued a commemorative stamp of the Khejri tree, highlighting its cultural and ecological value. The Khejarli Massacre later inspired the Chipko Movement (1973) in Chamoli, Uttarakhand, led by Chandi Prasad Bhatt, which resulted in a 15-year ban on green felling in UP Himalayan forests in 1980.

(iii) According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR 2023), India’s forest cover is 21.76% of its geographical area, while total forest and tree cover combined stands at 25.17%, highlighting their critical role as the “lungs of the Earth” in oxygen production, carbon storage, and rainfall regulation.