Last Pristine Forest of Biswanath

Assam, one of the most beautiful state not only in Northeast but in whole India, that is known for its rich flora and fauna and for its numerous National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries and Reserved Forests, is now losing its natural beauty day by day due to various reasons, which could be Deforestation, Illegal encroachment in forest area and also because of the mismanagement from the government end's. 

                    Image by- Kankan Boruah

In one hand, Assam has 7 and the second highest numbers of National Parks in the whole country after Madhya Pradesh while in another hand Behali Reserve Forest that is situated in Biswanath District of Assam is at danger.

                         Image by- Kankan Boruah

Behali Forest was declared as the reseved forest in 1917 and it is one of the few forests left in Biswanath District. As it is lying on the border of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, it is unlikely the part of a disputed territory and has noticed huge increasion in the encroachment over the years. Its initial area was of 140 sq km(in 1917) but now it has shrunk to only 60 sq km(in 2021) due to illegal encroachment and deforestation.

Image by-Dipankar Borah

The reserve forest is bordered by the Buroi River in the east, Borgang river in the west, Papum Reserve Forest of Arunachal Pradesh in the north and several human settlements and tea plantations in the south.

According to a survey conducted by Bhattacharya and Bhagabati in 2009, the soil is composed of new and old alluvium, unconsolidated and loose in structure.

Forests are the home of various creatures and we (humans) are just not only destroying the forest but also a shelter of many living beings. According to an article published by The Sentinel Assam, some nature lover and researchers of Assam observed that there are around 308 plant species, 49 mammals, 282+ birds, 23 snakes, 12 turtles species, 11 lizards, 12 amphibians and 275+ species of butterflies are found inhabiting in this reserve.

Nearly 30 per cent of the reserve forest is lost within the two decades(between 1990 to 2021), and it might lose more of its area in the future.

              Image by- Kankan Boruah

There has been constant demand to declare the Behali Reserve Forest into a Wildlife Sanctuary, but the government of Assam is showing negligence towards the issue.

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Research by- Rahul Sarmah & Jogesh Upadhyaya

Written by- Jogesh Upadhyaya

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Sources

1) The Sentinel Assam

2) Pratidin Time

3) Mongabay 

4) Ethnobotany of Northeast India

Ethnobotany of Northeast India

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A Jelly-Fish

A Jelly-Fish

 Visible, invisible,

A fluctuating charm,

An amber-colored amethyst

Inhabits it; your arm

Approaches, and

It opens and

It closes;

You have meant

To catch it,

And it shrivels;

You abandon

Your intent—

It opens, and it

Closes and you

Reach for it—

The blue

Surrounding it

Grows cloudy, and

It floats away

From you.

---Marianne Moore

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

 

Whose woods these are I think I know.   

His house is in the village though;   

He will not see me stopping here   

To watch his woods fill up with snow.   

My little horse must think it queer   

To stop without a farmhouse near   

Between the woods and frozen lake   

The darkest evening of the year.   

He gives his harness bells a shake   

To ask if there is some mistake.   

The only other sound’s the sweep   

Of easy wind and downy flake.   

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   

But I have promises to keep,   

And miles to go before I sleep,   

And miles to go before I sleep.

 ----ROBERT FROST 

Baby's Way

 

Baby's Way

If baby only wanted to, he could fly up to heaven this moment.

It is not for nothing that he does not leave us.

He loves to rest his head on mother's bosom, and cannot ever

bear to lose sight of her.

Baby know all manner of wise words, though few on earth can

understand their meaning.

It is not for nothing that he never wants to speak.

The one thing he wants is to learn mother's words from

mother's lips. That is why he looks so innocent.

Baby had a heap of gold and pearls, yet he came like a beggar

on to this earth.

It is not for nothing he came in such a disguise.

This dear little naked mendicant pretends to be utterly

helpless, so that he may beg for mother's wealth of love.

Baby was so free from every tie in the land of the tiny

crescent moon.

It was not for nothing he gave up his freedom.

He knows that there is room for endless joy in mother's little

corner of a heart, and it is sweeter far than liberty to be caught

and pressed in her dear arms.

Baby never knew how to cry. He dwelt in the land of perfect

bliss.

It is not for nothing he has chosen to shed tears.

Though with the smile of his dear face he draws mother's

yearning heart to him, yet his little cries over tiny troubles

weave the double bond of pity and love.

---- Rabindranath Tagore

Authorship

 You say that father write a lot of books, but what he writes I don't

understand.

He was reading to you all evening, but could you really

make out what he meant?

What nice stores, mother, you can tell us! Why can't father

write like that, I wonder?

Did he never hear from his own mother stories of giants and

fairies and princesses?

Has he forgotten them all?

Often when he gets late for his bath you have to call him

a hundred times.

You wait and keep his dishes warm for him, but he goes on

writing and forgets.

Father always plays at making books.

If ever I go to play in father's room, you come and call me,

"What a naughty child!"

If I make the slightest noise you say, "Don't you see that

father's at his work?"

What's the fun of always writing and writing?

When I take up father's pen or pencil and write upon his book

just as he does,-a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,-why do you get cross with me

then, mother?

You never say a word when father writes.

When my father wastes such heaps of paper, mother, you don't

seem to mind at all.

But if I take only one sheet to make a boat with, you say,

"Child, how troublesome you are!"

What do you think of father's spoiling sheets and sheets of

paper with black marks all over both sides

---- Rabindranath Tagore

                All-Saints

In a church which is furnish'd with mullion and gable,

With altar and reredos, with gargoyle and groin,

The penitents' dresses are sealskin and sable,

The odour of sanctity's eau-de-Cologne.

But only could Lucifer, flying from Hades,

Gaze down on this crowd with its panniers and paints,

He would say, as he look'd at the lords and the ladies,

"Oh, where is All-Sinners', if this is All-Saints'?"

                           ---- Edmund Hodgson Yates 

                Interim

The earth is motionless

And poised in space...

A great bird resting in its flight

Between the alleys of the stars.

It is the wind's hour off....

The wind has nestled down among the corn....

The two speak privately together,

Awaiting the whirr of wings.

         ----Lola Ridge                 

Anger

Anger

 

Secretly and Suddenly,

At any time

Anger may enter in to mind, 

Then man forgets everything

losing right path and becomes blind. 

Anger snatches the memory of mind 

and makes man devil,

He then never cares anybody

And does evil.

Wise men keep anger

Under control,

They know this wicket foe, 

Who always does mischief.

An angry man spreads enmity

And becomes the 

Cause of grief; 

The envious animal Dinosaur

Could not survive,

Peace loving ants on the otherhand

Survive forever.

                

 --- Dhanada Kalita

      

The sun

THE SUN

You are the source of 

All energy, vigorous and energetic.

You are hope of                          

The universe.

Yet sometimes I feel wonder,

When clouds cover you,

And eclipse defeat you,

Obstacles arises in your way.

But you never take revenge,

Instead you show mercy to all.

Whether rich or poor,

Whether high or low,

You spread your love

Taking no difference.

You are merciful.

Human beings are merciless now,

They have lost all good qualities.

Men should learn from you

Instead of quarreling each other 

Should behave equally 

and live peacefully,

 

 ----- Dhanada Kalita

                 

Beautiful girls

Beautiful girls

Beauty lies in your eyes,

In your speech and sight,

You can attract many youth

Focusing dazzling light.

You are conscious,

 Because of danger;

You may be cause of struggle

Amongst some stranger.

 Outward beauty is

Gift of God,

But it may destruct state,

Like troy for Helen

So sad.

Controlling bad instinct

Of heart,

One can develope inner beauty,

That is real, there is no tension 

                      

 Yet beauty is beauty 

                                         

Beauty of thing is joy forever.

                                          

                          ----  Dhanada  Kalita

 

                                           

 Theme in Yellow

I spot the hills 

With yellow balls in autumn. 

I light the prairie cornfields 

Orange and tawny gold clusters 

And I am called pumpkins. 

On the last of October 

When dusk is fallen 

Children join hands 

And circle round me 

Singing ghost songs 

And love to the harvest moon; 

I am a jack-o'-lantern 

With terrible teeth 

And the children know 

I am fooling.

                       ----- Carl Sandburg

                            

To my Beloved

Though you did not say anything

 Yet I knew, 

Your heart was full of words;

Meaning of which I know

An ocean, with full of blue water.

I wanted to say something

But could not, 

Because a dangerous wind

Was blowing at that time. 

My heart was trembling.

What a terrible sight

Occured in front of me!

You had no time to bid farewell

I said goodbye forever.

                       --- Dhanada Kalita

                            

God's Request

 Hey my child, I hope you all are fine

The Earth where you live is mine

I have gifted you my piece of heart

But it seems you are destroying my earth

You gave her pain, you made her cry

Soon, she will say you good bye

You cut the trees, you blast the bomb

But don't forget, she is your second mom

If you won't stop torturing her

I will definitely take her very far

At last, I will make a small request

But promise me that you will do your best

You'll never cut the trees, nor give her pain

Always make her happy and keep her clean.

                                      ----Jogesh Upadhyaya