Pulak Jyoti Das

A Dalit Queer person and first-generation learner from Assam, Pulak believes climate change disproportionately affects marginalised communities and is committed to building inclusive, community-led climate solutions through youth leadership, advocacy, and collective action. As former Gandhi Fellow, he has spent over five years working with grassroots communities on climate justice, public health, education, and social inclusion. He founded the Muktagar Community Library, which provides free access to books and creates spaces for learning and community discussions on education, climate justice, gender, caste, queer rights, and social justice. He is also a core member of Xomonnoy, advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights in Northeast India.

With his NYCC Project, Living at the Margins: LGBTQIA+ Experiences During Climate Disasters, Pulak will address how climate change has multi-layered and unequal impacts on marginalized groups in agricultural societies in rural Assam. He plans to use community libraries to collect lived experiences and turn them into climate knowledge, connecting system-level engagement and community action. His hope is to make climate action more inclusive by amplifying the voices of marginalised communities, especially Dalit and LGBTQIA+ people.