Former Chambal dacoits to take up green cause

JAIPUR: Once they ruled the ravines of Chambal, now they are planning to launch a battle with an entirely different purpose. The dacoits – self confessed ‘baghis’ – who have laid down their arms years back, will give a lesson on saving environment and the forests, that served as their hideout years ago.

Seema Parihar, Gabbar Singh, Mohar Singh, Saru Singh, Malkhan Singh, Renu Yadav and Sarla Yadav, who once made headlines for their gunshots will gather in Jaipur in mid-July to take part in a ‘mahakumbh’ of former dacoits and their families. The ‘mahakumbh’ will be named ‘Pehle basaya bihad – Ab bachayainge bihad’ (Once we lived in forests – Now we will save forests).These dacoits, who had given a slip to the police many times in the 1970s and 1980s in the border areas of MP, Rajasthan and UP, now lead a normal life.

These former dacoits will be seen appealing to the people and the government to take concrete steps to save environment and forests. “I went to Muraina, Bhind, Jhansi, Auraiya and other places in MP, UP and some places in Rajasthan to find these dacoits who once ruled the ravines of Chambal,” Vishnu Lamba, an environment activist, said. “I met at least 22 dacoits till date and seven of them have already given their consent to take part in the programme. They include Seema Parihar, Malkhan Singh and Mohar Singh,” Lamba of Shree Kalpatru Sansthan said.

He said that the dacoits who will take part in the ‘mahakumbh’ are those who took up arms for a ’cause’ and not for their own benefits. The programme is being organized with an aim to spread environmental awareness. Many of these dacoits have become social workers after they surrendered to the police. Some of them have also joined politics.

The dacoits will also narrate their own stories along with spreading the message of environment conservation.