The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, bestowed the prestigious Padma Shri award upon Parbati Barua from Assam in recognition of her exceptional work in the field of Social Work, particularly her pioneering efforts in elephant conservation and wildlife management.
Parbati Barua, hailing from the royal family of Gauripur, Assam, emerged as India’s first female elephant mahout and a staunch advocate for animal welfare. Born on March 14, 1953, she exhibited an early passion for elephants and the wilderness, defying societal expectations by venturing into what was traditionally a male-dominated domain.
Her journey began at the age of 14 when she successfully domesticated her first elephant in the forests of Kochugaon, Assam. Over the years, Barua has tamed over five hundred elephants, employing unique traditional techniques like Mela Shikar to capture wild elephants without the use of tranquilizer guns.
Beyond her remarkable achievements in elephant taming, Smt. Barua has been instrumental in mitigating human-elephant conflicts across Assam, Kerala, West Bengal, Uttaranchal, and Uttar Pradesh. She has collaborated closely with forest officers to provide herbal treatments and training to mahouts and field staff, significantly contributing to the resolution of wildlife challenges.
Parbati Barua’s impact extends globally, with her participation in international workshops and seminars focused on elephant conservation. Notably, she represented India at the International Workshop on the Domesticated Asian Elephant in Bangkok, Thailand, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2001.
Her dedication has earned her numerous accolades, including the Asom Gaurav Award (2023) and the United Nations Environment Program’s “Global 500 – Roll of Honour” (1989). The Government of Assam honored her as the “Honorary Chief Elephant Warden of Asom” in 2003, recognizing her lifelong commitment to elephant welfare.
In addition to her substantive contributions, Barua has been recognized for her documentary “Aparajita 2023,” receiving the “Nature’s Warrior” Jury Award at the Kolkata International Wildlife & Environment Film Festival.
Parbati Barua’s unwavering dedication and pioneering spirit in the realm of wildlife conservation make her a deserving recipient of the Padma Shri award, celebrating her as an inspiration and role model for future generations committed to the preservation of India’s rich biodiversity.