Nearly a year after the statue of Mata Amrita Devi was installed at Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology (GJUST) in Hisar, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini is set to unveil it on Sunday. The statue, located at the university's main roundabout, honours the 18th-century environmental martyr who gave her life to protect Khejri trees.
Elaborate preparations for unveiling ceremony
The GJUST and district administrations have made extensive arrangements for the event. The Chief Minister had been invited on two previous occasions but could not attend, according to sources. He will now formally dedicate the statue, which has remained covered since its installation nearly a year ago.
During his visit, Saini will also inaugurate the Nursing Block and a Girls' Hostel building at the university. A stage play titled Khejri Ki Beti will be performed in the university auditorium to commemorate Mata Amrita Devi's legacy and the Khejarli sacrifice.
Historical significance of Mata Amrita Devi
Mata Amrita Devi Bishnoi made the supreme sacrifice in 1730 to protect Khejri trees in a village in Jodhpur district, Rajasthan. Historical accounts state that during the reign of Maharaja Abhay Singh, royal personnel were ordered to fell Khejri trees for timber. Amrita Devi refused to allow the cutting and laid down her life defending the trees. The king's men allegedly killed 363 people who opposed them, an event now known as the Khejarli Sacrifice, a landmark in India's environmental history.
Demands from student wing INSO
The student wing INSO has demanded that family members of Mata Amrita Devi or representatives of the Bishnoi community be included in the unveiling ceremony. In February, INSO activists urged authorities to have the statue unveiled by a prominent Bishnoi figure, noting the memorial had remained covered despite the roundabout being completed nearly a year ago.
Dignitaries and security measures
University spokespersons said former Hisar MP Kuldeep Bishnoi will be the chief speaker at the function. Public Works and Public Health Engineering Minister Ranbir Singh Gangwa will attend as guest of honour. MLAs Savitri Jindal and Randhir Singh Panihar, along with Bishnoi community leader Dr Sachidanand Acharya, are also expected.
Ahead of the Chief Minister's visit, Hisar Deputy Commissioner Mahender Pal declared the programme venue a Red Zone under the Drone Rules, 2025. Exercising powers under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, the administration imposed restrictions to maintain law and order during the event.
