As Hum Saath Saath Hain Clocks 20 Years, Let＊s Have Two-Minute Silence For Blackbucks Who Lost Their Lives
On a weekend afternoon, when you＊ve decided to stay indoors, you switch on the TV and if there＊s Hum Saath Saath Hain playing, would you change the channel?
Most probably not! Sooraj Barjatya films take us back in time to make us realise how we led simpler lives back then and how family love mattered the most. Just watching his films, our hearts are at peace 每 for some time at least 每 right?
But when the cast of the film 每 a star-studded cast that people hadn＊t seen together in a movie before 每 was giving us lessons on family values and trying to bring us closer to our families, a frightening story was unfolding off-screen, in real life.
In reel life, Hum Saath Saath Hain cast was trying to prove to us that blood is thicker than water and that Sanskaars matter the most in life. And in real life, the same cast was on a criminal mission 每 hunting for blackbucks.
※Jisse hum jhagadte hai ... pyar bhi toh sabse zyada ussi ko karte hai§
On Oct 1, it is said, that the star-studded cast of the movie Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam were maybe getting bored after the shoot when they decided to take a short break from their schedules and go hunting. That one decision changed their lives forever 每 at least for about two decades henceforth as they experienced jails, court hearings and what not!
Two blackbucks and chinkaras were found dead during their expedition. The hunting of blackbuck, which has significance in Hinduism, is prohibited under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
For the unversed, the blackbuck draws the chariot of Lord Krishna. It is considered the vehicle of Vayu (the wind god), Soma (the divine drink) and Chandra (the moon god). And in Rajasthan, where the blackbuck was killed, the goddess Karni Mata is believed to protect the blackbuck.
It all came to limelight after Bishnoi community, which considers blackbucks and chinkaras to be sacred and hence protect them from poachers, lodged a complaint against Salman Khan and others.
Following this, Forest officer Lalit Bora arrested Salman Khan after having received the complaint. He was released on bail after five days. But Salman Khan said that he was innocent and falsely implicated.
Salman Khan was accused in four cases:
﹞?????????Killing of Chinkaras in Rajasthan＊s Bhawad area
﹞?????????Killing of Chinkaras in Rajasthan＊s Ghoda farms
﹞?????????Killing of two blackbucks in Kankani village
﹞?????????Arms Act
Saif, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali were accused of only killing the blackbucks and not the chinkaras.
After years of procession, it was only last year that Salman Khan was convicted under Section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act and was awarded a five-year prison term along with a fine of Rs 10,000, but he has since been out on bail. Meanwhile, other actors Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam Kothari and Tabu were acquitted in the poaching case.
So just imagine, Hum Saath Saath Hain, a film which is in our fond memories for so many things like 每 teaching us the alphabet song that＊s still the anthem for kids in school and for adults during vacations and gave us innumerable lessons on Sanskars 每 will keep giving nightmares to the cast of the movie.
As the movie has completed twenty years, we think instead of remembering the heavy doses of Sanskars, let＊s pay a tribute and have two minutes of silence for the blackbucks and chinkaras who died.?
Do you think they got justice though?
