Dr. Lotika Varadarajan spoke on ‘Mizoram – Towards a Reconfiguration of Identity'
Oral Traditions: Continuity and Transformations, Northeast India and Southeast Asia, Shillong (1st-4th February, 2016);Conference
Description
Dr. Lotika Varadarajan (Left) spoke on ‘Mizoram – Towards a Reconfiguration of Identity’. She said that the intermingling of several diasporic movements has played a major role in the peopling of the northeast. Material life of the hunter-gatherer was shaped by the rich topographical and ecological diversity of the region. In common with other tribal groups, there has been a transition from a head-hunting community, to the one shaped by Christianity. She shared photographs of dwellings, implements, fishing snares and storage containers, to describe the exploitation of bamboo and cane by Mizo society. Jhum cultivation, pig rearing and utilization of the bitter gourd have shaped day to day life of a Mizo. This way of life has been seriously jolted by the spell of military confrontations, which prevailed from 1961-1986. Though the threads have been picked up again, but the thresholds of disjunction need reconciliation. In the present federal context, these tasks devolve on the people themselves. Discussing these aspects, the presentation talked about Zo culture, which cuts across international frontiers, and in a way, stresses on the need to understand the connections between China, Southeast Asia and the NE. Talking about the material culture of the region and its linkages across southeast Asian borders, she concluded with a message that development programs should refrain from introducing innovations which do not fit into the local culture.
Project Title
Oral Traditions: Continuity and Transformations, Northeast India and Southeast Asia, Shillong
DOCUMENT TYPE
image
Identifier:
SC_36
Related Term
Oral Traditions
Related place
Shillong
USE RESTRICTIONS
In Copyright
RIGHTS HOLDER
INTACH
