HT Correspondent
DIBRUGARH, March 8: Dibrugarh University, in collaboration with the department of cultural affairs organised a two-day International Conference on Exploring Indigeneity in the 21st Century: Culture, Identity, Sustainability on March 6–7.
The conference brought together scholars, researchers, and academicians from across the world to deliberate on issues concerning indigenous cultures, traditions, and their relevance in contemporary society.
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The event was inaugurated by the vice-chancellor of Dibrugarh University, Prof. Jiten Hazarika, who underscored the importance of studying and preserving indigenous cultures, traditions, and practices in the face of rapid modernisation.
The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Himadri Lahiri from the Department of English, Netaji Subhas Open University, Kolkata. In his address, Prof. Lahiri provided a critical perspective on indigeneity, interpreting it through the lens of belatedness.
He highlighted the role of articulation, translation, and performance in providing indigenous communities with a platform to voice their histories, struggles, and aspirations.
The plenary sessions featured distinguished speakers from various international and national institutions. Notable among them were Professor Gabriela Vargas-Cetina from Mexico, Professor Sharif Atiquzzaman from Bangladesh, Tim Dalton from France, Professor Ashes Gupta from Tripura University, Professor Shruti Das from Berhampur University, Odisha, Professor Tikaram Poudel and Dr. Bipin Cherchen from Kathmandu University, Nepal, Professor Miazi Hazam from Rajiv Gandhi University, Itanagar, and Dr. Arzuman Ara from the English and Foreign Languages University, Shillong.
These scholars explored diverse aspects of indigeneity, with a particular focus on the intersection of culture, identity, and sustainability. One of the key themes of the conference was the role of ethnomusical traditions in indigenous communities.
Speakers highlighted how indigenous musical practices serve as repositories of cultural memory and ecological wisdom.
However, they also noted that these traditions face existential threats due to the growing influence of modernity, which increasingly dictates global standards of taste and cultural consumption.
The conference featured 16 technical sessions that examined indigeneity from a multidisciplinary perspective, incorporating insights from literature, anthropology, sociology, history, law and environmental studies.
Scholars and researchers presented papers on a wide range of topics, including indigenous knowledge systems, linguistic preservation, folklore, oral traditions, and the impact of globalization on indigenous identities. Prof. Mridul Bordoloi from the Department of English, who was also the joint convenor of the conference, delivered the welcome address, while Prof. Jayanta Kumar Bora, Head of the Department of Assamese and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Law, outlined the objectives of the conference in his concept note.
The event saw enthusiastic participation from faculty members, research scholars, and students, who actively engaged in discussions and debates throughout the sessions. The two-day conference successfully fostered meaningful conversations on the preservation and promotion of indigenous cultures, reinforcing the urgency of sustaining indigenous traditions in the contemporary world
