New Delhi, June 28 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded Assam’s women-led ‘Hargila Army’ for transforming age-old superstition into a successful conservation movement, saying the initiative demonstrated how scientific awareness and community participation can change deeply entrenched social beliefs.

Addressing the nation in his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’, the Prime Minister said superstition has existed in human society for thousands of years and often breeds fear, preventing people from recognising the truth.

“Superstition is not merely a misconception; it creates fear. When fear dominates the mind, people stop seeing the truth and begin making decisions without logic or knowledge of facts,” PM Modi said.

He said, however, that many individuals challenge such beliefs through science, experience and reason, adding that the journey from superstition to awareness is difficult but achievable.

Citing the example of Assam’s endangered greater adjutant stork, locally known as the ‘Hargila’, PM Modi said the bird plays a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance by cleaning the environment.

The Prime Minister noted that despite its ecological importance, the bird had long been regarded as inauspicious in some parts of Assam, with people often cutting down trees that housed its nests.

“A bird that helps keep the environment clean became a victim of fear and superstition,” he said.

PM Modi praised noted conservation biologist Purnima Devi Barman for leading efforts to change public perception about the species.

He said Barman reached out to local women, explained the scientific importance of the bird and gradually built a community movement around its conservation.

The Prime Minister said the campaign eventually led to a remarkable transformation, with the bird once viewed as a bad omen becoming a symbol of pride for villages across Assam. Today, thousands of rural women are associated with the conservation initiative, popularly known as the ‘Hargila Army’, he said.

The Prime Minister said the women overcame social resistance and worked tirelessly to spread awareness, proving that even long-standing superstitions can be replaced with scientific understanding and compassion when the right information reaches society.

–IANS

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