Friday, June 17 2005 12:09 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chandigarh: Worshippers of nature, the Bishnois who consider it a great pride to die for saving trees or animals, have threatened to launch an agitation if former India cricket captain M A K Pataudi and six others wanted in the black buck poaching case are not arrested immediately.

"Guru Jambeshwar, born in 1451 and founder of our sect, had told our community members just before he passed away that in his absence, the black buck should be revered as his manifestation. That belief continues and hunting of a black buck for us is like killing our Guru," Akhil Bharatiya Bishnoi Jeev Raksha Samiti General Secretary Sahab Ram Bishnoi said.

He said the Bishnoi community, which has a strong presence in Rajasthan and parts of Haryana, would take recourse to street protests if the Government fails to take any action against Pataudi and others wanted in the poaching case.

The Bishnois in Rajasthan were unhappy when a black buck had been killed allegedly by Bollywood actor Salman Khan in Jodhpur some years ago.

Ram said they would soon be meeting Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and urge him to ensure that the guilty don't go scot free.

"We have also contacted our community members and prominent politicians (Haryana Congress chief) Bhajan Lal and his MP son Kuldeep Bishnoi to help us build pressure to hunt down the culprits," he said.