The Fourth Plate

By Arti Sah, Bani Sharma, and Firdoushi Sayeed and Dr. Gautam Kumar Saikia

What have Hoolock gibbons, homestead tea gardens and the modern tourism concept of homestays have in common?

For one, they converge in a compelling story of environmental conservation. Two, all three have a defining story to tell from the village of Barekuri, some 16 kilometres away from Tinsukia in Assam, India. 

Here is how the three come together to serve as an unlikely model for how traditional plantation/agrarian activities, wildlife conservation, and sustainable tourism can successfully coexist.

At the heart of this story are the Hoolock gibbons, endangered primates whose DNA is 96% similar to humans. These remarkable creatures, which begin life with white fur that gradually darkens to black (with females later turning brown), have found an sanctuary in Barekuri’s patchwork of tea gardens and forest fragments.

“The relationship between our community and the gibbons goes back centuries,” explains Diplob Chutia, president of the Barekuri Eco Development Committee (BEDC). Local families have named individual gibbons – Kalia and Bogi, a mated pair. The proud parents and their offspring Twik are local celebrities. When a gibbon is born, the village celebrates; when one dies, they perform funeral rites. This deep cultural connection is crucial for conservation. Because ecological conservation is not just methodical. It is an emotional bonding with nature.

Despite the region’s rapid development – including oil exploration and rural electrification that once threatened the gibbon population – the community’s dedication has helped maintain a stable population of 20 gibbons across seven villages. These gibbons, living as monogamous pairs with their offspring, have made their homes across different parts of Barekuri. 

In Dighalhaku village, visitors can spot a family unit of three – parents and their child. Na-Motapung village hosts a family of four, while Borgaon village presents a unique family structure with two males, a female, and a child. The largest family resides in Torajan village, with parents caring for three children, including a juvenile. Puroni Motapung has a touching scene of a single father raising his child, while solitary adult males can be found in Komolapur and Hatibag.

The villagers’ commitment to these primates is perhaps best witnessed during the annual World Gibbon Day celebrations on October 24th. The entire region transforms into a festival ground, with colorful pandals (temporary structures) erected across villages. Local communities stage theatrical performances highlighting conservation themes, and elaborate displays showcase the year’s international conservation message. This celebration has earned recognition from both the Tinsukia District Administration and the Forest Department.

Barekuri itself is a testament to Assam’s rich agricultural heritage. Located in one of Assam’s prime tea-producing belts, the region benefits from fertile soil, abundant rainfall, and ideal agro-climatic conditions.

The success of this conservation effort has caught national attention. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently highlighted Barekuri’s achievement in his “Mann Ki Baat” radio address, and the BEDC received the prestigious ‘Axom Gaurav’ civilian award from the state government.

As The Hindu reported recently, “A leading Assam-based primatologist has sought a dedicated gibbon conservation action plan modelled on Project Tiger or Project Elephant to ensure the long-term survival of the western hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock), India’s only ape species. Addressing the 30th Congress of the International Primatological Society (IPS) at Antananarivo in Madagascar from July 20-25, India representative Dilip Chetry underscored the urgency of a national-level Project Gibbon given the grave threats the ape faces from habitat loss.”

From conservation to empowerment 

But Barekuri’s story is not only about conservation. It also presents an attempt to balance environmental protection with economic development through two key initiatives: rural tourism and small-scale tea cultivation alias homestead tea gardens.

The Assam government has backed a homestay program that allows visitors to experience both the unique wildlife and the region’s famous tea culture. International tourists, drawn by the gibbons, are increasingly common visitors to this once-remote area.

Meanwhile, the agricultural landscape is being transformed by small-holder tea growers. These family-run operations, typically farming plots between 0.5 to 2 hectares, represent a shift from traditional large estates to a more distributed model of tea production. Farmers sell their unprocessed leaves to bought leaf factories, creating a new economic ecosystem that supports both conservation and community development.

Today, the region is seeing how conservation, tourism, and agriculture can reinforce each other. The gibbons require tall trees, which provide shade for tea plants. The tourism brings additional income, which helps make small-scale farming more viable. It’s a virtuous cycle.

Looking ahead, there are plans to establish a green corridor connecting Barekuri to the Bherjan Wildlife Sanctuary, with support from the district administration. This initiative could provide a model for other communities struggling to balance development with conservation.

As dawn breaks over Barekuri, the distinctive calls of Hoolock gibbons echo across the landscape. In the tea gardens below, farmers go about plucking the ‘two leaves and a bud’. And in village homestays, tourists wake to experience this unique confluence of conservation and commerce. 

It’s a rare symphony of activities that suggests a possible future where economic development and environmental protection are mutually reinforcing.

For more information about homestead tea, homestay and Hollock Gibbon viewing, contact: Dr. Gautam Kumar Saikia, Phone + 91-9435248639,
+91-7002683992; Email: gautam.saikia@aau.ac.in or gksaikia68@yahoo.com

Watch the story here