Dimapur, Dec. 2 (EMN): A two-day national seminar on state, governance and development in Northeast India was conducted by Sazolie College, on November 28-29 in the college premise in Kohima. Organisers issued a press release on Sunday giving details about the event. During the programme various aspects of the north-eastern Indian states’ cultural and developmental perspectives were discussed.
Professor Gautum Kumar Bera, Tagore National Fellow at the ministry of Culture, gave the keynote address. He said the Northeast region is marked by various degrees of cultural and religious practices.
However, he said, “The government of India brought new challenges in the arena of tribal world with the intention of bringing them to the main stream of society. There were legitimate fears of loss of identity, and the demands of various ethnic groups for increasingly more autonomy needs to be addressed at the pan India level in a pragmatic way. The changing contour of the state in the context of nation-state boundary was challenged with the abrogation of Article 370.”
According to the press release, Bera said that the concept of development ‘like standard notions of roads in modernisation,’ has its historical and intellectual roots in the period of major social changes.’ This can be put under the umbrella term ‘great transformation that is being synonymous to social progress,’ the gathering was told.
He was stated to have opined that Christianity and education are paramount factors of changes in the region. “No other endeavour could integrate the tribal world with importance to their customs and practices except the influence of Christianity. The process of proselytization created the landmark in the ethnic mosaic of the ancient, the first major state towards the development of indigenous community.”
Christianity, the updates stated, brought tremendous changes in all the spheres of life including the new social, cultural, political and economic life of the people and succeeded in changing the convictions of the people and their belief system to a great extent.
“Religion acted as a canopy for the people for social protection and enabled the region to share links with other neighbouring countries and parts of India.”
Bera was of the view that “education is another agent of change in helping the people to preserve the traditions and the values, and rebuild the society by inculcating values in the minds of the people.”
According to him, “Despite all such processes of social change, the communities in NE India retained the unique cultural way of life adhering to any religion of their choice.”
It was never a religion that brought divisions among the communities rather religion and culture form a cohesive bond and identify themselves as part and parcel of NE India, Bera said.
“NE India builds a legacy of the past, a legacy that encapsulated the region through traditional authority structure and governance both collectively and individually over a long period of historical time”.
Entire Northeast India still stands as a unique example of unity amidst adversity where the rhythm of unity echoes with the tunes of flute reverberate with the melodies of nature, the update quoted him as having commented.
Among other topics, the seminar had discussions about environment, urbanisation and development concerns, calling urbanisation a global process that stimulates economic development and growth, the updates stated.
