Youths Take Charge in Assam with 'Hargila Desk'

Youths Take Charge in Assam with ‘Hargila Desk‘

What began as a simple newsletter soon evolved into a larger platform, as young contributors from across India began sharing thoughts, articles, and research, eager to engage in meaningful dialogue on conservation.The magazine aims to encourage youth participation, learning, and collaborative action for a sustainable future. Conceived as a magazine on wildlife and community-based conservation.

The magazine was introduced and led by the Chief Editor Sanskriti Barman at the recent 13th Eastern Himalayan Naturenomics forum organised by Balipara foundation at Royal Global University. Sanskriti, a student of Bioengineering and Technology, GUIST, Gauhati University, shared the vision behind the magazine.

“We were inspired by Assam’s community-led conservation movement, especially the Hargila Army and other community-based initiatives in Northeast India. We realised that many impactful stories from grassroots conservation were not being documented. So, with a small group of youth, we started a newsletter to ensure that young people could learn from community-centred conservation and nature-based solutions,” she explained.

Her sister Sampriti, a student of History Honours at Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, is deeply optimistic about bringing more young people into the journey of behavioural change and sustainability education through Hargila Desk.

“The platform aims to provide a common space for youth voices, where learning goes beyond theory and encourages responsible attitudes towards nature, community-based conservation, community ethics, and traditional values. Through storytelling, dialogue, and grassroots engagement, Hargila Desk seeks to inspire youth to reconnect with nature and take ownership of conservation efforts within their own communities,” she said, in a message from Delhi.

The Hargila Desk aims to build a generation of youth who are informed, engaged, and inspired to take action for nature, creating a national and international network of young conservation storytellers. The magazine has become a space for students to start dialogue, conservation action action, research, experience, and youth-led initiatives shape the future of conservation.

Author, adventurer, TEDx speaker and internationally renowned climate activist Rituraj Phukan, was effusive in his praise for the pioneering youth-led initiative. Rituraj, who recently published a book called “Climate Justice 101: Empowering Community Leadership” said that this was one of the most promising initiatives he had come across in the past decade, globally.

“I am at a loss of words to describe how I feel. This is a magazine by the youth, conceived and designedfor the youth. It is about a collective vision for the future and for me, the initiative restores my hope in humanity. The quality and diversity of the topics covered in the magazine are of international standards. I can imagine the hard work put in by the young team based out of Assam and other parts of India. This is extraordinary leadership to take ownership of climate and conservation action, and it will resonate with the youth of the world”- Rituraj said.

Sampriti was clear about how the sisters want the ‘Hargila Desk’ to evolve. “Our vision is to nurture conscious, compassionate, and responsible youth leaders who understand that conservation begins with everyday behaviour and collective action. We hope that Hargila Desk will reach young people across campuses, creating a growing network of youth committed to sustainability and harmony between people and nature.One day, we believe this movement will touch every campus and every young heart,” she wrote.

“Today, our core team includes 30 youth members from various universities and colleges, and we are connected with nearly 2,000 young people from across India, along with several international contributors who submit articles and creative pieces. We invite more youths to join us, share their stories, and become part of the Hargila Desk community,” Sanskriti added.

The ‘Hargila Desk’ adds another chapter to the pioneering youth-led environmental episodes of the world. More significantly, the initiative reinforces the unique standing of Assam as a fertile ground for producing globally celebrated environmental stewards. The young founders would admit to having found the inspiration for this initiative both within, and around their close social circles.

Mahabahu.com is an Online Magazine with collection of premium Assamese and English articles and posts with cultural base and modern thinking. You can send your articles to editor@mahabahu.com / editor@mahabahoo.com (For Assamese article, Unicode font is necessary) Images from different sources.