Dehing Patkai in Assam

A social media campaign, led by Gauhati University’s Eco Club ‘Moi Prokriti’ to save Dehing Patkai rainforest from coal mining, has gained significant visibility.

Lending support to thousands of netizens, Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda tweeted on issue. “Called Amazon of the East, Dehing Patkai sanctuary has everything from elephants, cats to bears, famous Assam macaque in which the govt has performed mining. Do we need another COVID-19 to realise how important biodiversity is,” he tweeted along with a link to a change.org campaign addressed to the chief minister of Assam, among others.

Bollywood actor Dia Mirza also took to Twitter to voice her opinion. She tweeted #SaveDehingPatkai along with a quote by Forest Man of India Padma Shri Jadav Payeng.

As the nationwide lockdown to contain COVID-19 pandemic continues, the online campaign is the only hope to raise awareness on the issue. Realizing the importance of social media, Gauhati University Eco club started the campaign to make it a national issue, which is successful to a larger extent.

Lakhyajit Das, Vice President of Gauhati University Post Graduate Student’s Union said, “As a part of the campaign, GU Eco Club took the initiative to start a Twitter storm to save Dehing Patkai, in collaboration with the students of Tezpur University, Cotton University, Dibrugarh University, Bhattadev University and other colleges of Assam and nature lovers.”

“The campaign started through social media is now covered by various national media along with the regional media. Various nature lovers and celebrities are speaking on the issue. It gives us hope and we will continue our protest. So I appeal all to tweet and retweet #SaveDehingPatkai between 7-8 pm on May 24 to make a Twitter storm to attract and involve more and more people in this campaign to save the rainforest,” he added.

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About Nilakhi Hazarika

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Nilakhi Hazarika is a student of Mass Communication and Journalism at Gauhati University in Guwahati, Assam.