Career
She is reported to have been active during the relief operations in the wake of the earthquake in North Lakhimpur of Assam state in 1950 and in the development activities after the Sino-Indian War of 1962. Hema Bharali was born on 19 February 1919 in the Northeast Indian state of Assam and is known to have taken to social work from an early age. She became active in the Indian freedom struggle and When the earthquake caused devastation in North Lakhimpur area in 1950, she took part in the relief operations.
A year later, she joined the Bhoodan movement launched by Vinoba Bhave in 1951 and became one of its leaders.
She was a part of the team, led by Vinoba Bhave, who were involved in the service of the victims of the war-torn area of Tezpur and stayed at Maitreyi Ashram of Bhave during the operations. In 2006, she was awarded the National Communal Harmony Award by the National Foundation for Communal Harmony of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Bharali, a spinster by choice, endured financial and health challenges in her 90s and received financial assistance from the State Government. She lives in Guwahati, in Assam.