Ahum Basudham Krite Mangaljanak: A new awakening in Assam

Novanita Sharma

(novanita_21@yahoo.co.in)

India’s north-eastern states, with large tracts of intact natural forests, mountains, rivers, and wildernesses, constitute the heart of India’s green heritage. Along with this rich biodiversity, this region has harboured one of India’s most vibrant biodiversity conservation movements for the protection of native forests and wildlife to date. This green people’s movement has been led by extraordinary determination and vision shown by exemplary individuals who fought for years to uphold the cause of wildlife conservation and forest protection against burgeoning anthropogenic demands. These people, known to us as collective names and platforms, set a rare example of environmental leadership in India. A name that unfailingly occurs to everyone’s mind is that of Soumyadeep Datta, one of India’s finest environment activists and the founder and director of Nature’s Beckon, an environment activists’ group in Northeast India. Nature’s Beckon has successfully led one of the most vibrant nature conservation movements in India since the 1980s. The journey of Nature’s Beckon since its inception in the late 1970s takes one through an eventful 40 years of steadfast service in the field of biodiversity conservation. This journey conjures the diverse adversities, steep antagonism, and continuous challenges faced by the organisation in its zealous effort to protect the native forests of Assam through effective advocacy, awareness, and people’s participation. It is marked by significant conservation milestones in India’s wildlife conservation history. This includes the creation of Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary in 1994, one of India’s first successful community conservation models for forest conservation, under the leadership of Nature’s Beckon. This widely documented community conservation model involved more than a decade of people’s movements involving villagers, forest dwellers, and youth of the area under the leadership of Nature’s Beckon for the permanent protection of this tract of pristine hill forests in western Assam as a wildlife sanctuary. The grassroots movement to create the Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary after the discovery of golden langurs in this hill forest set a new precedent for non-human primate conservation in India. Nature’s Beckon played a crucial role in giving a holistic turn to the environment movement in India with its dynamic conservation initiatives directed at the protection of biodiversity-rich areas and natural forests in NE India through multi-level activism, awareness, advocacy, and grassroots participation. The journey of Nature’s Beckon represents the gradual rise of green conscience amongst Indians and the evolution of social responsibility among different groups of society, viz., intellectuals, academicians, legislators, villagers, youth, forest fringe communities, and so on, towards the cause of biodiversity conservation. This is especially relevant for the environmental movement in Assam.

This fire of forest protection swept across Assam; Nature’s Beckon connected the people of Assam with the rarely known aspect of biodiversity conservation during a time when such thoughts and ideologies were considered elite by the rest of the country. The forests in Assam would have vanished into oblivion without our knowledge if the activism and advocacy of organisations like Nature’s Beckon had not taken place for their protection during the volatile mid-20th century in Assam. Nature’s blessings have empowered the Assamese society with awareness about the importance of biodiversity conservation and forest protection during the most tumultuous and violent period in Assam. Changemakers like Soumyadeep Datta will be forever remembered for their courage and vision. Nature’s Beckon’s drive to create a network of protected areas in Assam through people’s participation led to the permanent protection of major forest areas all over Assam. This vision led to the Rainforest Conservation Movement of Assam by Nature’s Beckon, which began in 1994 and resulted in the creation of the Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary in 2004 and the subsequent expansion and upgradation of this rainforest patch to Dehing Patkai National Park in 2021. The fight to provide permanent protection to the native forests of Assam continues to this day. Nature’s Beckon has appealed to the government of Assam to protect two important natural forests of Goalpara district, viz., Ajagarh forest and Pancharatna forest, in the form of wildlife sanctuaries in 2022. These two forests represent the past forest heritage of western Assam, and most importantly, they constitute the last remaining primitive natural habitats for a large population of Asian elephants in this region. Nature’s Beckon has reiterated its appeal to the state government of Assam to provide permanent protection to these two forest areas of Goalpara district under the Wildlife Protection Act of India at the earliest. This continuous effort by Nature’s Beckon to protect the native forests of Assam is significant from both scientific and humanitarian perspectives. This sets a unique precedent of social responsibility rarely reflected in modern education, and it echoes the spiritual richness of Indian civilization widely seen amongst the ethno-cultural diversity of our country.

Nature’s Beckon completed 40 years of this journey in June 2022. The four-decade-long biodiversity conservation movement led by Nature’s Beckon leads India in the field of wildlife and biodiversity conservation with its successful trail across one of the richest biodiversity zones in the world. This journey of Nature’s Beckon is well documented; countless books, booklets, and other educational materials published by the organisation as well as by others provide details about this illustrious journey. The continuous efforts of this pioneering organisation have inspired an unusual social change in Assam. This is evident in contemporary literature and the intellectual and spiritual movements taking place in Assam, which echo the values of the environmental movement in different aspects. The advent of ‘Nature Writings” as a discrete genre of literature over these years affirms this growing social change in Assam. Nature’s Beckon is conducting the most exhaustive environmental awareness and education programme in Assam since its inception in the late 1970s through the 21st century. Nature’s Beckon launched a special environment programme titled “Ahum Basudhame Krite Mangaljanak” on June 4, 2022, marking the 40th year of the organisation. This programme awakens a new pledge and a new thought for school students; it involved more than 1 lakh school students across Assam, from Sadiya to Dhubri. The school students of more than 100 schools enrolled in the first phase of this programme participated in a special oath, ‘ AhumBasudhameKriteMangaljanak’ (Moi prithivirbabeiymangaljanak), which translates as ‘I am beneficial for the Earth’. The oath comprises the following five resolutions:

I pledge to remain committed throughout my life to protecting and preserving the forests, wildlife, and environment of India.

Nature is our mother; India is our ‘Janmabhumi,” and Assam is our ‘Karmabhumi’. The security, integrity, peace, and richness of our motherland are our goals. I am moving ahead towards this goal.

I pledge to forever walk on the path of my progress and development. I will remain truthful and refrain from the consumption of intoxicant substances.

I will protect the plants, trees, and wildlife living in my surroundings. I will remain mindful and never cause harm to myself or anyone else through my actions.

I will remain respectful towards my school, my teachers, my mentors, and everyone who helps me in my education and progress.

This is a historic event for the nature conservation movement in India; this is the first time that school students in such large numbers have come forward to participate in any nature conservation initiative with such enthusiasm. This programme, initiated with the oath of ‘Moi Prithivirbabeiymangaljanak’ (‘I am beneficial for the Earth’), is one of the most thought-provoking environmental programmes ever launched in Assam. This meaningful oath connects the participating students with a new journey for nature conservation through the practise of mind-training, wherein they commit to practising compassion, perseverance, and diligence to contribute effectively towards positive self-development and the protection of forests and other natural resources of the country, thus pave the way ahead for peace and progress in the country. This programme inspires the future leaders of the country to become compassionate individuals, responsible citizens, and happier communities, thus building a peaceful world. The graphic symbol of the programme is represented by a five-leaved branch of a banana tree perched in a divine earthen pitcher—the symbol of growth and fertility—held upon a blooming lotus flower. These five banana leaves signify the five golden vows from ancient India. This initiative of Nature’s Beckon to bring mind and heart training through nature conservation beautifully reconnects us with the ancient Indian traditions of ahimsa, karuna, and maiytreyee, which once swept the entire world with their truth and radiance. Nature’s Beckon is organising a series of “Ahum Basudham Krite Mangaljanak” lectures in various places in Assam. Several schools and colleges have supported this noble initiative by providing space and time to organise these lectures. The motivational lecture is delivered by Soumyadeep Datta, who is bringing a new awakening from Dhemaji to Dhubri by spreading the ideals of this programme amongst the school students of Assam. This programme will connect the students with nature-based training modules like forest visits, forest and wildlife interpretation, workshops and discussions, information through educational materials, competitions, etc. These activities for capacity building of the young minds are directed to implant a purposeful direction for young India. Nature’s Beckon envisions guiding the young minds towards empowered environmental leadership in the future through this programme. The next 10 years will involve more people, mostly Indian youth, in dynamic programmes to connect and contribute to the cause of biodiversity conservation and environment protection in Assam and Northeast India, thus propelling future generations towards a meaningful bond with nature and this planet. This purposeful 10 years is in celebration of the 50th year of the ‘Nature’s Beckon Movement, to be completed in 2032. India must wake up to this rising of mind and heart, and every Indian ought to share the responsibility of guiding young India on this path of peace and happiness. It is the collective responsibility of everyone to empower our future generations with positivity and purpose. Nature’s beckon leads Assam towards peace and progress with this new awakening. Let the nation rise to this new awakening in the East.