Guwahati: It's good news for Assam again. After securing a spot in the list of 52 'Places To Visit In 2025', Assam has featured in the Time Magazine. The state's wildlife activist Purnima Devi Barman has been named among the 'Women of the Year'.
The Time Magazine's 'Meet the 2025 Women of the Year' column has featured Purnima, popularly known as Hargila Baideu (Stork Sister), who had not only protected the Greater Adjutant Storks (Known as Hargila in Assamese) but worked at its conservation, changing the common perception of the species being associated with bad omen.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) 'Red List' status of the Greater Adjutant Storks (Leptoptilos dubius) is "near threatened".
The February 20, 2025 issue of the Time Magazine has profiled Purnima, a native of Assam, and her works that revolve around protection of the Storks or Hargila and spreading awareness about its importance in the ecosystem.
It may be mentioned here that the Greater Adjutant Stork acts as a crucial scavenger, helping to control the population of large carrion and contributing to sanitation and disease control in environment, making it a vital part of the ecosystem.
Over the years, Purnima has engaged close to 20000 women known as "Hargila Army" who go from place to place to create awareness about the Storks among the people and helping to protect the species, which has been declining due to loss of habitat.
"Purnima Barman could not have done this without her “Hargila Army”, who protect the birds’ nests and educate others about the beauty of these imposing, nearly five-foot-tall scavengers. The network is ever-expanding, not just in Assam but also throughout India and now Cambodia. Schools as far away as France teach students about her work," the magazine writes.
The "Women of the Year" list includes personalities like Nicole Kidman, Laufey Lin Bing Jonsdottir, Olivia Munn, Amanda Zurawski, an activist fighting for women's Reproductive Rights, Fatou Baldeh, who is fighting against female genital mutilation and others.
"I am extremely happy to have figured in the 2025 'Women of the Year' list. I was informed a few days back that my name is selected among others. I received an email from the editor of the Time Magazine and was unable to believe it to be true. They wanted an interview with me and I just replied to their mail reluctantly, not believing that it is really the Time Magazine. But it came true. I am so happy," Purnima told ETV Bharat on Friday.
She received the formal letter from the Time Magazine only two days back and is heading for Los Angeles tomorrow to take part in the grand felicitation programme on February 25, Purnima said.
Purnima has been working for wildlife conservation since her childhood but chose to work for the Greater Adjutant Storks since 2007. Her work basically involves making people aware about the conservation and protection of the species, which is very important for our ecology.
"This is good news for Assam and India as a whole. The recognition from the Time Magazine will boost the conservation and protection of the species in India, Cambodia and France,' Purnima said adding that they have also started working in Cambodia to preserve and conserve the species.
She said that the population of Greater Adjutant Storks is about 3000 and a campaign, 'Dream Hargila', has been launched to take it to 5000 by the end of this year and 10000 by 2035. 'Dream Hargila' aims at helping to increase the population of this bird species.
