- Novanita Sharma
Towards an environment-savvy electorate in Assam……
While India awaits to see the fate of assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, Kerela, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry in 2026, the state bound electoral mega show has infused an unusual festive mood in Assam for the past couple of days, where the single-phase legislative assembly election is scheduled to be held on 9th April 2026. The high voltage election campaigning and the deluge of media coverage regarding the same has pinned everyone’s attention on the upcoming assembly polls, the contestants, the political parties, and most importantly on the election manifestos of the contesting parties which are taking part in this democratic process.
In a state like Assam, the gateway to India’s green capital, the political parties and the assertions of the contesting people’s representatives fall short to meet the electorate expectations when their political agendas and manifestos don’t mention about future action plan, and goals to meet the critical requirements of ecological safety, forest protection, and biodiversity conservation in the region. Assam is part of the global network of biodiversity hotspots, apart from being an indispensable part of India’s rich repository of flora, fauna, and natural ecosystems which continue to face serious threats of destruction due to anthropogenic pressures, and other ecological factors. The Political leaders in Assam are expected to hon the shoes of environment leaders who will pave the path of sustainable growth and development of the state, with their commitment to protect the biodiversity through preservation of the natural forests, wetlands, and conservation of flora, fauna, and wildlife. The natural resources of our state like our existing natural forests, wetlands, wildlife, and the biodiversity constitute the most valuable assets for Assam, which needs protection under able political leadership to carve the road for true progress of Assam in future.
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s poll manifesto for Assam elections 2026 titled ‘Sankalpa Patra’, released today in Guwahati connects the people with an inclusive electorate commitment on a wide range of social, economic, and cultural boiling points relevant to the region, but most significantly, this poll manifesto put forth an evolved electorate commitment related to forest preservation and biodiversity conservation. It makes special mention of four points regarding environment and biodiversity conservation where the party assures the enforcement of ‘Axom Bon Niti 2.0’ for effective conservation of forest lands, reforestation, and biodiversity conservation in Assam. It also affirms restoration of fragmented wildlife habitats and pragmatic mitigation of man-Elephant conflicts in Assam. While, the BJP Lok Sabha Election manifesto for 2024 had surprised the people of the country with discrete three pages dedicated to environment and climate issues under the section “Modi Ki Guarantee for Sustainable Bharat”, the Assam Poll Manifesto in 2026 connects the people with the palpable socio-political impact of the four decades long biodiversity conservation movement of Assam, which has been driven by the civil society of Assam under the dedicated leadership of environment activists groups like Nature’s Beckon. In Assam, biodiversity conservation is a people’s movement, and hence the people’s representatives and the political parties who commits to protect the natural forests, and biodiversity of Assam are the deserving future leaders and policy makers of the state.
The people of Assam who fought for years to protect the rainforests of Assam, who worked painstakingly hard with the authority to cut down rhino poaching in the state, whose community movements led to the protection of the entire Golden Langur habitats in western Assam must look meticulously at the poll manifestos of all contesting parties, and comprehend the contribution of the contestants towards biodiversity conservation to choose the befitting people’s representatives for Assam.
Let’s vote as an environment savvy, and empowered electorate, to elect future leaders committed to save the forests and biodiversity of Assam.