The Forest Queen of Majuli
The New Indian Express
|August 17, 2025
Οn a misty morning in Majuli, Assam's ever-eroding river island, a barefoot woman hoists a sack of saplings over her shoulder and steps into a waiting boat.
The river is high, the current restless, but she's done this hundreds of times. As she balances against the rocking vessel, a villager on the bank calls out, "Forest Queen!" Munmuni Payeng smiles, nods, and keeps moving. There are trees to plant.
Daughter of Padma Shri awardee Jadav Payeng, the "Forest Man of India," who famously turned barren land into the lush Molai forest, Munmuni's own journey began in 2022, when she assembled a grassroots team of around 60 people. Their mission: reforest the flood-ravaged zones across Majuli using only native species. "There were no trees when we started. Now, slowly, the land is changing," smiles the 25-year-old.
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