Meet Krishna Basumatary Of Majrabari, A Fringe Village Of Manas National Park

In the remote village of Majrabari, nestled on the outskirts of the Bhuyanpara Range of Manas National Park in Assam's Baksa district, a tale of rural resilience is unfolding—one jar at a time.

For Krishna Basumatary, a homemaker turned micro-entrepreneur, what started as a humble training programme in 2010 has now become a lifeline for her family and a beacon of self-reliance for women in forest-fringe villages.

"I began this work in 2010 during a training program conducted by Aaranyak," says Krishna. "Out of 76 groups, I was the first one to begin making products such as jelly, squash, and outenga (elephant apple) juice.

She started her entrepreneurial path at 'Rupahi', a women's group organized with 22 members from five villages. The group had technical assistance and training through Aaranyak, a premier environmental NGO operating in the Manas landscape to advocate sustainable livelihoods and biodiversity preservation.

But what distinguished Krishna was her persistence and creativity.

She remembers a turning point in her life—when a visit from an Aaranyak official to their Basarbari training camp gave her products a taste test. The encouraging response boosted her enthusiasm.

"From the time of that visit, I took the work more seriously and began making professionally," she says.

From humble beginnings, Krishna soon found herself showcasing her homemade items—ranging from papaya jelly to plum pickles—at exhibitions and fairs across Assam, including in Guwahati’s Khanapara and Chandmari, as well as Mushalpur and Bongaigaon.

Her work didn’t just draw crowds—it won awards. Her papaya jelly earned her first prize in 2011, followed by accolades for her plum and other fruit-based products in 2012 and 2013.

Now, though the original Rupahi group has dwindled to around 8–10 women and there is greater competition because more women have entered the market, Krishna persists with quiet perseverance.

"Sales have picked up somewhat, as many women are now doing the same kind of work. But some customers still go directly to my house to purchase," she says. "Our household depends on this, along with a bit of farming and vegetables from our garden."

Krishna's tale of resilience is more than an individual effort—it is a sign of a broader transformation under way in the far-flung villages surrounding Manas, where women who were once confined to the home are becoming catalysts for economic development and conservation. 

While human-wildlife conflict, poverty, and isolation frequently converge in this part of the country, Krishna's business is evidence that conservation and community empowerment can—and should—coexist.

What started out as an exercise module has grown into a viable livelihood. In doing so, it has turned a kitchen into a mini production facility, a homemaker into a community icon, and a village into a small but proud name on Assam's map of grassroots enterprise.

In the shadowy lanes of Majrabari, where the sounds of the jungle are never distant, Krishna Basumatary's stove still bubbles—not only with food, but with intent.

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