I, Pradip Kumar Bhuyan – an octogenarian and an environmentalist, alongside my team at Hati-Bondhu, are on a mission to ensure the survival of wild elephants by addressing the depleting food security experienced by elephants in the region. To address this concern, we are planting fast-growing grasses like Napier and Broom grass in elephant habitats and are also planting favourable fruit trees like bananas, jack-fruits, elephant apples to supplement long-term habitat improvement. We also, in collaboration with rural communities, have started paddy plantations for elephants – as paddy has been the major source of conflict between locals and elephants during the harvesting period (Nov-Jan) annually. All activities undertaken by our organization are fueled by our love for elephants and support from our local partners – the community. In our folklore, elephants are called Sarabjans – meaning the wisest and cleverest, and we believe that such a title is befitting for elephants as they are highly intelligent and sophisticated social animals. Through our interactions with elephants on the field, we have learned to understand them as they have learned to understand us. Today, the relationship between elephants and humans are marked by violence, conflict, and intolerance. We have encroached upon their spaces, destroyed their habitats, and depleted their food sources. To mitigate conflict and prevent further depredation of the long-standing relationship between man and elephant – we need to change our attitudes towards elephants and nature. We must learn to empathize and sympathize with elephants and show our ability to co-exist through our actions. From my personal experiences, I confidently can say that if we can demonstrate compassion and tolerance towards our gentle giants, they will reciprocate in incredible ways. My hope for the future is that humans and elephants learn to co-exist and develop a symbiotic relationship that sustains our survival as well as theirs. I believe that ‘love is the essence of conflict resolution’ – especially between humans and elephants.

Pradip Bhuyan
(President, Hati Bondhu)

During her tenure as a Professor in the Department of History, she was also appointed as the Coordinator, Centre for Tourism Management in Dibrugarh University. She is one of Assam’s first two-time recipient ofthe prestigious Fulbright scholarship from the United States Foundation of India (USEFI), in 1989 and 1996. These awards took her to Yale University, Connecticut, USA, in 1989 as a senior post-doctoral research scholar and again in 1996 as a Visiting Lecturer where she taught Women’s History at the Divinity School, Harvard University, for a period of two years. Additionally, she attended several Conferences abroad and has delivered lectures on issues related to Women’s History in foreign Universities like Oxford University, U. K., Yale University, U.S.A, Vanderbilt University, U. S. A. and the Board of Foreign Ministries, American Baptist Archives, Valley Forge, U. S. A. A life member of the Indian History Congress and the North-East India History Association, Prof. Shiela Bora was elected as the President for the XXVI session of the North-East India History Association held at Kokrajhar in 2005. She to her credit several books on history and tourism and also numerous research articles published both in national and international journals. Post her retirement from Dibrugarh University, Prof. Bora has held several positions in Honorary or Advisory capacities. She was appointed Guest Faculty in the Departments of History and the Department of Women’s Studies in Gauhati University and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Archaeology, Cotton University, Guwahati. Currently she is an Honorary Advisor in the Department of History, The Royal Global University, Guwahati. Apart from as an academician in the service of the people of Assam, she has rendered yeomen’s service to heritage conservation in the State of Assam. Since 2016, Dr. Bora has been at the helm of path breaking heritage conservation work as the Convenor of the Assam State Chapter of Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage (INTACH). An ardent heritage conservationist, Prof. Shiela Bora’s passion for heritage conservation, honed by her knowledge of history and archaeology, has resulted in ensuring for the people of Assam the preservation of their rich legacy of Satras, various monuments as well as the widely rumoured, but little known, magic culture and civilisation of Mayong. The eldest of the five children of Late Prabhakar Barua, who had served as the Chief Conservator of Forests of undivided Assam for thirteen long years from 1963 to 1976, Dr. Bora had the opportunity to travel widely through the forests of Assam accompanying her father during his tours. Late Prabhakar Barua was a farsighted nature conservationist, who had succeeded in creating an exceptional model in conservation, both in terms of forest areas protection and protection of the numerous threatened species of animals, culminating in the formation of the Assam Valley Wild-life Society of which he was the founder Vice-President. Having initiated state-funded schemes for species conservationists and for bringing in scientists from around the world to conduct the first total count block census for rhinos in Kaziranga, his crowning glory was the declaration of Kaziranga as a National Park in 1974 during his term of office. Nurtured as it were, in the pristine forests of Assam, Dr. Shiela Bora has always been fascinated by the flora and fauna of Assam. Dr Bora has dedicated herself to charitable work in the space of wildlife conservation in her capacity as the Managing Trustee of the Prabhakar Barua Memorial Trust, set up by the children of Late Prabhakar Barua to keep the legacy of their father alive. The Trust works closely with the Forest Department and forest-based communities to reduce man-animal conflict and improve quality of human life around wildlife habitats. A few of the mentionable projects completed under Dr Bora’s leadership with the objective of providing assistance and encouragement to grassroot level forest workers and improving the lives of communities dwelling in the villages around the fringe areas of the national forests of Assam include: • Making provision of potable water for villagers in Chanaka village, Morigaon District by constructing 5 ring wells benefitting 60 families living on the fringes of Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary • Construction of barracks for elephant mahouts of Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary. Built on the model of sustainable design principles, these barracks provide accommodation for four mahouts with families and for six bachelor mahouts • Welfare measures for grassroot level forest personnel including accident insurance, providing rechargeable torches and winter jackets across Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and Kaziranga National Park. • Flood relief measures for forest personnel including health camps, ration distribution and donation of flood rescue equipment across Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and Kaziranga National Park • Compensation to forest communities and personnel for loss of life and property resulting from floods and encounters with wildlife across Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and Orang and Kaziranga National Park. • Bravery awards (including monetary compensation) for temporary forest staff for their exemplary bravery at work and in carrying out community forest conservation work across Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and Kaziranga National Park Of late, Dr Bora has volunteered as a member of Hati-Bandhu – an organisation working to reduce man-elephant conflict, with a view to assist this noble endeavour. It is the passion and dedication of the octogenarian and environmentalist, Mr. Pradip Kumar Bhuyan and his tireless commitment to ensure the survival of wild elephants by addressing the issue of depleting food security of wild elephants, that attracted Dr. Bora to join hands with the Hati-Bandhu team in support of Dr. Bhuyan’s motto - “love is the essence of conflict resolution – especially between humans and elephants”

Shiela Bora
(Member, Hati Bondhu)