The Intellectual Forum of North East organized a two-day national symposium called “Gyan Sangam” titled “Arunachal Pradesh: Known to Unknown” at Art of Living, Jollang.
The symposium aimed to understand Arunachal Pradesh from an indigenous perspective and develop intellectual knowledge to create indigenous narratives in various disciplines.
The symposium was inaugurated by Shri Chowna Mein, the Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, who emphasized the importance of indigenous cultural ethos. The keynote speech was delivered by Shri J Nanadakumar, National Convener of Pragya Pravah.
The first plenary session, chaired by Prof. Tomo Riba, Registrar of Rajiv Gandhi University, focused on the “Cultural Ethos of Arunachal Pradesh.” Padmashri Mamang Dai spoke about the festivals of Arunachal Pradesh, while Shri Mohonto Panaging discussed the cultural ethos.
The symposium also featured parallel technical sessions. The first technical session, chaired by Prof. P K Panigrahi, focused on “Social System, Ethics, Science, and Technology in Arunachal Pradesh.” Speakers included Shri Vijay Swami, who explored community linkages and indigenous knowledge systems, Prof. Jumyir Basar, who presented on social institutions and decision-making bodies, and Prof. K N Dewangan, who highlighted the scientific heritage of Arunachal Pradesh.
The second technical session, chaired by Prof. H S Yadav, centered on “Language, Literature, History, and Story of Struggles in Arunachal Pradesh.” Prof. Harish Sharma discussed language preservation and common script issues, Dr. Tania Kipa highlighted important oral traditions and documentation approaches, Dr. P K Nayak focused on scripting environmental history, and Shri Nepha Wangsa shared the tale of the struggle of the Wanchos against British subjugation. The second day began with the second plenary session on “Historically Important Figures of Arunachal Pradesh,” chaired by Shri Jishnu Dev Varma, Deputy Chief Minister of Tripura. Prof. Tana Showren spoke about the oral construction of the state’s history, and Shri Kameng Ringu discussed pre-colonial and post-colonial historical figures.
Before the valedictory session, there was a panel discussion on challenges and solutions in the context of Arunachal. The symposium concluded on November 25th, 2018, with the valedictory program, where His Excellency Tathagata Roy, the Governor of Meghalaya, was the chief guest. Shri Kiren Rijiju, Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, delivered a keynote speech on the inclusive cultural ethos of Arunachal Pradesh, emphasizing the importance of cultural heritage preservation.
Around 250 delegates, including academicians, professors, research scholars, and postgraduate students, participated in the symposium from various institutions in Arunachal Pradesh, including Rajiv Gandhi University, North East Regional Institute of Science and Technology, and National Institute of Technology, among others.
