The GuardianThe Guardian

Mobilising Assam’s ‘hargila army’: How 10,000 women saved India’s rarest stork

By Anne Pinto-Rodrigues

09 Feb 2023 · 6 min read

Here's your daily dose of good news ☀️ Greater adjutant storks were seen as bad omens in India, until conservationist, Purnima Devi Barman, inspired thousands of women to come together and save it.

Curated by informed

On a cool December afternoon a group of women dressed in brightly coloured mekhela chadors (Assam’s traditional handwoven clothing) sit in a circle on the grass at the Bhokha Beel wetlands, singing and clapping.

Some of the women are wearing papier-mache headdresses shaped like long-necked birds. As they sing, one of them gets to her feet and starts dancing.

The news, curated.

Subscribe in our mobile app to continue reading this The Guardian article

Already subscribed? Sign in

Get world-class journalism from premium publishers, curated by editors and experts. All in one app.

Subscribe now and get 14 days free.