Who Burnt the Forest Built by Jadav Payeng in Majuli?

Just 2 days before the year was about to end, a piece of heartbreaking news came out of Assam's Majuli. A part of the forest in the Molai Forest Reserve created by Jadav Payeng, the man the world knows as India’s “Forest Man”, was burnt in a devastating fire, leaving many shocked, angry and deeply saddened.

For years, Jadav Payeng has been quietly turning empty sand into living forest. He had turned this once barren land to forest full of trees, birds, animals and life. People from across the world have looked at this forest as proof that nature can be healed if someone truly cares.

For the past few years, Jadav Payeng and his daughter Munmun had quietly begun growing another forest on a stretch of land across a small stream, not far from the original Molai Forest. Since 2021, they had been planting saplings there every day. A small nursery supported the effort, and nearly 70 people helped tend to the young plants.

The trees they chose were local varieties, the kind that birds nest in and animals depend on for food. Each sapling was planted gently, with patience. Slowly, the loose sand began to change colour. Green life returned, and the land slowly came alive.

On December 28, 2025, at around 11:25 am, smoke was seen rising from the area. Soon after, the family got the news that a fire had broken out. Munmun Payeng rushed to the site with a few others, only to witness trees engulfed in flames, bird nests burning, eggs destroyed, and small animals trapped in the fire.

With no outside help, they fought the fire using whatever they had. After hours of effort, the flames were finally brought under control by around 2:30 pm. However, by then, the damage had already been done.

In just a few hours, land that had taken years to grow turned black and silent.

While neither Jadav Payeng nor his family has directly named any individual or group, many people believe this was not an accident and suspect it to be a case of arson. For a long time, there have been complaints about illegal sand mining near the Brahmaputra river belt, from the No. 2 embankment at Kokilamukh to the No. 8 embankment.

People familiar with the situation say the sand mining is being run by a local operator who is believed to have the support of an outsider once linked to similar activities. Although the official permission in that person’s name was cancelled earlier, the work is said to be going on quietly through other means. Locals also claim that dozens of dumpers, owned by a businessman living in Kuwait, move the sand every day, starting as early as 3 am.

Jadav Payeng had earlier raised concerns about the damage this was causing and had appealed to the authorities to intervene. Those appeals, however, went unanswered.

Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary reportedly took note of the incident only after the fire had occurred. Later that evening, around 7:30 pm, he called the Payeng family and assured them that steps would be taken to stop sand mining in the area and that necessary action would follow.

The fire has destroyed nearly five bighas of forest land. According to Munmun Payeng, more than 5,000 saplings were reduced to ashes. Numerous birds, nests, eggs and small animals perished in the blaze.

It is pertinent to question: how can someone who gave a forest to the nation be left unprotected? Why are those who destroy nature allowed to act freely, while those who save it suffer?

The fire in Majuli has burnt more than trees. It has burnt the painstaking effort and years of hope. And it is also a painful reminder, that saving nature is still a lonely fight.

Also Read: 'The Conclave 2023': Jadav Payeng Reiterates Importance Of Nature Conservation