Wildlife biologist and conservationist Purnima Devi Barman said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public recognition of her work is an acknowledgment of community-led environmental action and grassroots participation in wildlife protection.
The recognition, she said, celebrates a long-running effort to save the Greater Adjutant Stork — locally known as the Hargila — driven through close collaboration with local communities and women’s groups under the banner of the “Hargila Army,” which she says now includes more than 20,000 women who have pledged to protect the species.
Barman described the initiative as rooted in neighbourhood outreach and collective stewardship, with women at the forefront of awareness campaigns, nest protection and community monitoring. She said the movement deliberately targets social stigma and neglect that historically left the bird vulnerable, turning local knowledge and care into practical conservation action.
Expressing gratitude for the Prime Minister’s mention, Barman framed the recognition not as a personal award but as validation of the collective work of communities that have conserved biodiversity through awareness, education and active participation. She said the acknowledgment reinforces the idea that effective conservation often begins at the grassroots level.
Barman added that the spotlight on the Hargila highlights the need to replace misconceptions with scientific understanding and compassion-based conservation. The movement, she explained, aims both to protect the species and to shift public attitudes so that the stork is no longer seen through fear or superstition but as an important part of local ecosystems.
The Greater Adjutant Stork, often misunderstood because of its scavenging behaviour and once regarded by some as a bad omen, has become the centre of a broader effort to promote coexistence and ecological responsibility. Barman appealed to people to adopt a responsible approach toward all species and stressed the urgency of protecting wildlife biodiversity, especially those species that are frequently overlooked or misunderstood.
She said the Hargila conservation initiative stands as a notable example of how community participation and social engagement can produce measurable gains for wildlife protection, and called for continued public support to sustain and expand these grassroots conservation efforts.
