Guwahati, Nov 21: A unique book titled “The Biological Apocalypse” — an invaluable compilation of write-ups contributed by a group of select and acclaimed biodiversity conservation champions, researchers and nature enthusiasts – was released by Dr Ranoj Pegu, Education Minister of Assam, in presence of Forest Man of India Jadav Payeng and an august gathering in Guwahati Gymkhana Club on Monday afternoon.
Edited and compiled by Dr Pronami Bhattacharyya, a committed new generation litterateur, an ardent researchers and a nature enthusiast, the book tries to highlight how species has been created with a purpose to serve in the bio-network of the planet. The book brings a serious deliberation on species extinction that might lead to the Sixth Mass Extinction.
The book is a collection of 17 chapters, each highlighting one select species either extinct or on the verge of extinction listed in the IUCN Red List. This is prefaced by a detailed introduction covering the myriad aspects of evolution, extinction, the roadmap ahead and a conclusion.
The unique point in the book is the alarm that each chapter aims to create in the readers while motivating them into taking immediate action. In our everyday busy life, we do not think about, nor are we sufficiently educated in ecology, or the invisible chain woven by nature. This book aims at precipitating urgency in the reader’s minds—it’s now or never.
The author Dr Pronami Bhattacharyya is an Assistant Professor in English, Royal Global University, Assam. She is a committed litterateur and an ardent researcher. She completed her PhD in the English Literature from Tezpur Central University in 2017. Her areas of specializations are African American literature, Travel Writing, Postcolonial Literature, English Literary Theory, Ecofeminism, Indian English Writing and Theatre Studies. When not into English Literary studies, she indulges in reading extensively about time travel, quantum physics wormhole theory, history, and writing Haiku poems.
She has published two books, one is a translation and another on literary theory, and several papers in national and international journals of repute. Apart from being an academician, she is a passionate birder and nature enthusiast and has covered more than 500 rare species of birds all over the Northeast, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, West-Bengal, and Nilgiris till date, some of which are on the verge of extinction.
Currently she is translating a book from the Mizo language into English, and preparing a proposal for a book on Ecofeministic consciousness in folktales. She is the member-coordinator of the editorial board of TUI: A JOURNAL OF TRIBAL LIFE & CULTURE (ISSN-2319 7382), a peer reviewed journal of the Tribal Research & Cultural Institute, Govt. of Tripura (India).
The group of high-profile contributors of articles of the book include Carol Inskipp, a renowned birder from England ; Prerna Singh Bindra, a wildlife conservationist, writer, communications and policy strategist, with a primary focus on conservation of wildlife habitats ; Dr. Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, an internationally acclaimed conservation biologidst and an expert in rhino conservation ; Inov Sectionov who has been working in rhino conservation in Indonesia for over 20 years ; Dr. T. Ganesh, a Senior Fellow at the Suri Sehgal Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation, ATREE ; Prashanth.M.B., (Co-author of T. Ganesh) whose works primarily involve the study of birds as focal taxa ; Dr. Anwaruddin Choudhury, an eminent Indian naturalist, noted for his expertise on the fauna of North-East India ; Dr. Sunita Pradhan, a conservation biologist working in the Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya landscape for more than 20 years now ; Dr Sarala Khaling, Director, Regional Office Eastern Himalaya, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Gangtok (Sikkim) ; Ulhas Gondhali is currently working as a Lecturer at Jindal Institute of Behavioral Sciences, O.P Jindal Global University ; Dr Shailendra Singh, Programme Director at Turtle Survival Alliance and Associate Director for Wildlife Conservation Society, India ; Ms Rishika Dubla, an acclaimed biologist with an avid interest in reptiles ; Dr. Yogendra Singh Rathore who has been working on various aspects of Forest and Wildlife Conservation in Rajasthan Forest Department ; Mr. Rituraj Pukhan, an environmental writer, adventurer and climate change mentor based out of Assam ; Mr Akashdeep Baruah, IFS is the APCCF (Wildlife), Tamil Nadu Forest Department ; Mr. Dipanjol Deka Secretary, Tea association of India (TAI), Dipanjol Deka is a passionate nature enthusiast. He is a hardcore birder having photographed over 700 species all over the northeast, northern and southern part of the country ; Dr. Monsoon Jyoti Gogoi who is working in butterflies of NE India for more than 16 years.