Book examining migration of indigenous people released

Dimapur, Dec. 17 (EMN): A book describing the conflicts and rewards in “indigenous migration” authored by an anthropologist from the University of Melbourne, Dolly Kikon, and Bengt G Karlsson, titled ‘Leaving the Land-Indigenous Migration and Affective Labour in India,’ was released on December 16 at the Made in Nagaland Centre in Kohima.

The government publicity agency the department of Information and Public Relations (IPR) gave updates on Tuesday informing about the programme.

Kikon is an anthropologist who teaches at the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne. Her research focuses on the political economy of extractive resources, development initiatives, gender relations, customary law, and human rights in Northeast India.

Dolly Kikon gave perspectives about the collusion of state, industry and “indignity,” tracing how indigenous migrants are trained to serve in the hospitality industry and follow their experiences. She said they examine how indigenous migrants are on a path of ‘way finding,’ a manner of moving about in the world without having a definite destination.

Kikon pointed out that this kind of mobility is shaped by the militarization of their homelands and the increasing loss of land and practices of subsistence cultivation, the IPR reported. 

Kikon illustrated the lives of indigenous youths and indigenous migrants from Northeast India, the gruelling work hours in the cities and the disruptive life pattern in villages, which have set them on a path to seek opportunities and see the world. Many of them yearn to come back and own a piece of land although they are unsure about returning to their villages, she said.

Further, Kikon highlighted ‘how the ongoing political processes deeply impact the lives of young indigenous migrants, their zest for work for dignity, respect and notion of hope. She spoke how they are exploited, the hardship they face in work places and explained about the health hazards they faced over the years, and how under challenging circumstances, they are determined to forge new possibilities’

The advisor for Information Technology, Science & Technology, New & Renewable Energy, Mmhonlumo Kikon also spoke during the occasion. He hoped that the newly released book would make an impression on readers and enable policy makers, scholars, and researchers to get ideas and knowledge from the book. He added that the book will be close to the hearts of the government to bring solutions to the issues that are mentioned in the books about migrant workers from Northeast India.

A panel discussion was also held with panellists that included the director  of IPR Limawati Ao who has written short stories and several articles for different magazines, one which is included in the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education text book for the Ao Naga; assistant director of Employment, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Zubemo Lotha Tsanglao who is trained at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade at New Delhi, capacity building programs and the National Institute of Career Services; Nagaland state coordinator of the North East Initiative Development Agency Sentimongla Kechu, who has about 15 years work experience in the development sector especially in the areas of rural development and natural resource management; and Ben Imchen, proprietor of Elysium Enterprise, a Nagaland based IT business entity involved in providing customised software solutions for government entities in Nagaland.