Call For Papers

National Seminar on Children Growing Up in Conflict Zones and Peace Efforts: Focus on North-East India

by with No Comment Uncategorized

September 19-20, 2025

Organised by North Eastern Social Research Centre (NESRC), Guwahati

Venue: Seminar Hall, Jagriti 3rd Floor, Christian Basti, GMCH Road, Guwahati 781005

Concept Note

Children in conflict zones are a critical subject of study and policy. Childhood as a concept is rooted in multidisciplinary and intersectional contexts. Childhood shapes children’s growth as future adults. The conceptualisation of childhood in conflict zones is much needed to formulate the meaning of child rights from a local, state, or regional perspective as it is required in peace efforts. As children become the subject, object, and instrument of violence (D’Costa, 2016, 2) in an increasingly challenging political world, the need arises to think about the impact of conflicts on children and the constraints they face growing up in a state of conflict. As we watch and read about wars and ethnic conflicts, children are being killed, orphaned, displaced, and forced to participate in conflicts and wars all over the world. It is becoming increasingly pertinent to discuss conflict and peace while recognising the all-round development of children growing up in conflict zones. This seminar aims to identify who these children who are growing up in conflict zones, especially focusing on Northeast India. It also seeks to understand how conflict affects children and the role of gender. Can children be political agents in conflict and peace efforts? If so, how do we seek to find a lasting solution? The seminar will explore different methods of peacebuilding practised and the type of care required to reintegrate children in distress due to conflict.

Children: The Context of North East India

Conflicts and peace efforts in North-East India (NEI) have a long, complex history, marked by an interplay between colonial legacy and post-independence dynamics. For instance, the colonial identification of the Northeast as a ‘buffer zone’ or ‘frontier’ led to tensions and skirmishes with the local people, and subsequently, India’s quest for national integration often clashed with the region’s aspirations for autonomy and an identity of its own. That resulted in decades of conflicts. Ethnicity is an important factor influencing the complex social and political relations in NEI (Barbora, 2002, 1285). The militarisation resulting from these dynamics and the identity-based politics that follow from it, have produced a cycle of violence, displacement, and instability, and have severely impacted the region’s developmental trajectory. Among the groups most affected by it, are children, who grow up amidst armed conflicts, forced migration, and trauma resulting from it. Their consequences are long-term and multifaceted, since they affect their education, mental health, physical well-being, and overall development. In this continuum from colonial neglect to post-independence securitisation, children remain one of the most vulnerable groups, bearing the brunt of a history marked by exclusion, violence, and systemic instability.

Children have also been drawn into the resistance movements throughout the history of NEI. In most cases they participate in them, in both passive and active statuses, for example as an extended part of their parents’, family and community with the larger idea of identity and belonging to their respective location. In NEI children have been part of the Assam Movement, the demand for Nagalim, the 1980s conflict in Tripura, (McDuie-Ra, 2016, 46), conflicts in Manipur, and other ongoing conflicts. Because they are drawn into the conflict not always with their consent, they may be reduced to agency-less beings or used as weapons in violence, keeping in mind how sincere their voices are in conflict situations (McDuie-Ra, 2016, 55). Scholars and activists, therefore, question their role as political agents in non-children’s issues like territorial autonomy, but they play a part in such movements. Does such participation become an instrument in violent conflicts, or do children become more serious in their quest to be political agents or change-makers? 

Civil society groups have promoted child rights within the development discourse, and have contributed to knowledge and guidelines for children’s well-being. Working in the interface of children and social welfare, child rights advocates have located child labour, marriage, sexual abuse, juvenile justice, etc, for mass mobilisation of these voices. Children have participated in these movements as well, for example Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood Movement). But in NEI, such mobilisation against children in the conflict areas or the exploitation of their human rights has not attracted the kind of attention it should have received. Thus, to question whether dominant voices, if they have not been successful in advocating for children in conflict zones, have caused a lag at a national level, brings us to the point on the role of local bodies in the region in mobilising and advocating for their children in need of care and rehabilitation. Can we use some cases in the local scenario where small local bodies or organisations have stepped up in providing care and rehabilitation to children to organise and advocate for child rights in conflict situations? What kind of aspirations can be acquired from such local groups? And, in what ways can children’s voices be included in these peace processes for dialogue?

While growing children run several risks to their healthy development, the risk of violent conflict, which affects children differently, ranges from the risk of physical and emotional to moral, and spiritual abuse (Anandaraj, 2007, 1-2). Children are often caught between the politics of inclusion and exclusion, with little or no say in the matter. They view conflict in a particular manner, usually from a position of extreme vulnerability (Pereira et al., 2016, 5). Further, their right to live with dignity, to access education, and to move freely is hampered intensely. As conflicts are patriarchal in nature, gendered vulnerabilities increase. In all these aspects, girls and boys experience violent conflicts in different intensities, in ways that cannot be used interrelatedly. It is, therefore, important to look at the role of children in conflict from a gender perspective too.

When discussing reintegrating care and rehabilitation in post-conflict settings, it is important to recognise that children need sustained care, both generally and especially in the aftermath of a conflict. Families and homes are typically the first sources of emotional and physical support to children, with schools playing a vital secondary role. However, when homes and schools are destroyed, abandoned, or displaced due to conflict, the question arises: who then provides such essential care? This includes emotional support, protection, education, and basic needs. The situation becomes even more urgent for children who are orphaned, criminalised during a conflict, or forced into child labour to support their families. How are these children reintegrated into society? What legal and institutional provisions are in place to protect their rights, ensure their rehabilitation, and support their long-term development?

The role of and impact on children in conflicts and peace-making is not limited to the Northeast. With proper modifications, what is said above about children in Northeast India is also true for the rest of India, and in a different manner for the rest of South Asia too. So, during this national seminar, one may also reflect on a few cases from the rest of India, especially around conversation for research on issues affecting children in Peninsular as well as Northeast India.

Conclusion

The seminar on the impact of conflicts on children in the country as a whole and NEI in particular seeks to bring together scholars, activists, mental health professionals, community leaders, and policy makers to explore these multidisciplinary and intersectional dynamics. Children in the North-East is a topic which is gaining importance with time, and has a long journey to make in producing work on the reintegration and rehabilitation of children surviving conflicts. For it to happen, the experiences of children in conflict and peacebuilding need to be delved into deeply. It is a critical moment in the history of collective peace-building studies, so scholars and peace activists need to pay attention to these situations of conflict, and produce research around children growing up in conflict zones around the world, in Peninsular India, and in Northeast India.

References

Anandaraj, Hannnah. Children At Risk. Hyderabad, Neelkamal Publications PVT. LTD., 2007.

Barbora, Sanjay. “Ethnic Politics and Land Use: Genesis of Conflicts in India’s North-East.” Economic & Political Weekly, vol. Vol. 37, No. 13, no. Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, 2002, 2002, pp. 1285-1292 (8 pages), https://www.jstor.org/stable/i399779.

D’Costa, B. (2016). ‘Turtles Can Fly’ : Various Terror and the Child in South Asia. In Children and Violence: Politics of Conflict in South Asia (pp. 1-43). Cambridge University Press.

McDuie-Ra, D. (2016). Children and Civil Society in South Asia: Subjects, Participants, and Political Agents. In Children and Violence: Politics of Conflict in South Asia (pp. 46-61). Cambridge University Press.

Pereira, M., Rodrigues, S., & Gupta, A. (2016). Growing Up In Conflict Zone: Children Surviving Conflict In Tripura (Vol. NESRC Peace Series – 7). North Eastern Social Research Centre.

Technical Sessions of the National Seminar on: Children Growing Up in Conflict Zones and Peace Efforts: Focus on North-East India

Technical Session I: Children in Conflict Areas: Theories and Narratives

To explain theory and practice as the starting point of the seminar, this section sets the context for understanding the meaning of children, ethnic conflicts, political violence, social exclusion and inclusion, exploitation, marginalisation, and vulnerabilities in the study of children in conflict. This section can include embodied experiences of children, which can be written as stories and narratives from memories, archives, and documentation of conflict struggles that an individual or group, or community has lived through, and is continuing to bargain with its impact.

Technical Session II:  Role of Gender and Social Location in Conflicts

This section can be used to take a look at the patriarchal nature of conflicts, and to address intersectionality and gender-based violence as part of these conflicts. For example, girls are more often victims of gender-based violence in conflict, while boys suffer the consequences of what is perceived in a masculine manner, such as direct participation in armed conflicts. In what ways can gendered vulnerabilities be identified in children belonging to double marginality, one as children from a gender, caste, race, and ethnic identity, and the second as children affected by conflict?

Technical Session: III: Psycho-Social and Socio-Spatial Needs of Children in Conflict

Children have their own complexities of growing up and being part of a wider social phenomenon of conflict. This section is divided into two sets of concepts that are to be used to detect distress in children growing up in conflict situations. One way is to address the psycho-social needs, such as providing mental and physical health services to children affected by violent conflict, for example, children physically hurt or disabled during conflicts, and are emotionally scarred due to distressful memories of violent conflicts. Second, socio-spatial requirements such as playgrounds, neighbourhoods, environment, etc., where children interact with their peers and nature, are constrained through conflicting situations. After their homes, schools, and localities are tragically burned down, occupied, or made to be relief camps, their sense of belonging is hampered equally. This section can use a detailed analysis of distress in childhood using these two lenses. 

Technical Session IV:  Educational Concerns During Conflicts

Schools and playgrounds play a crucial role in children’s growth, yet in prolonged conflict areas, access to education becomes a major challenge. This leads to concerns about the quality of education, disrupted schooling, and increased dropout rates. During conflicts, schools often face the risk of closure, and in many instances, are burned down, destroyed, or rendered permanently non-functional with damage to infrastructure and resources. Children suffer psychologically, emotionally, and economically. It makes going back to school a stressful act in the aftermath of a conflict. This challenges the constitutional provision on the right to education for all, and results in an imbalance of children’s access to education. Further, economic scarcity makes children drop out of school to meet the needs of sustaining themselves in such a situation. In what ways are children in the region forced to bargain to access education post-conflict? Is the psychological, emotional and economic impact of conflict undermined when they begin to study again?

Technical Session V: Children in Resistance Movements and Media Coverage of Children in Conflict Zones

This section can include the history of resistance movements where children participated for the collective good of their society. These political struggles should be written from a point of reference, keeping in mind how these resistance movements were shaped by their participation, what challenges these children had to face, and how sincere these involvements were. This section can also include the role of civil society bodies, local groups, and militant organisations in mobilising children to participate in non-children’s issues, for example: children recruited as child soldiers, children’s involvement in territorial issues, etc. The media has played a monumental role in shaping or making situations worse for many. Today, we are no longer dependent on print media; there are a multitude of options available for people to grab information from. The second part can be elaborated on the role of media coverage and representation of children and youth in these conflict zones. Are these reports biased based on gender, race, ethnicity, and other prejudices dividing the children from the Northeast to Peninsular India?

Technical Session VI: Rehabilitation and Reintegration, Peace Efforts, and Peace Education Policies

This session focuses on the urgent need for reintegration and rehabilitative frameworks within peace processes, particularly in the context of children affected by conflicts. In many conflict-affected areas, especially in the North-East, a growing number of children face displacement, orphanhood, and are forced into child labour to support themselves and their families. These post-conflict realities raise critical questions about the role of state institutions, legal frameworks, and civil society in ensuring the rehabilitation and reintegration of such children. How can legal and institutional mechanisms support the restoration of children into society? In what ways does child labour, both during and after conflict, represent a severe violation of children’s rights, and how can it be addressed within peacebuilding frameworks? What preventive and care-oriented measures are currently being implemented, and how effective are they? This session also explores the integration of peace education into care and school curricula, including the potential of peace clubs and other pedagogical tools to foster resilience, conflict resolution skills, and community healing among children. Further, it will examine the contributions of civil society and local community groups in peace efforts, with a particular focus on successful initiatives and models emerging from the North-East region

Instructions for abstract submission:  
●          Word limit: 300-400  
●          Deadline for submission: June 29, 2025  
●          By July 4th, the submitted abstracts will be reviewed, and those accepted for the seminar will be invited to write a paper for presentation at the seminar.

Deadline for final submission: Those invited are expected to send their 3,000- 4,000-word paper before August 31, 2025.  

Submit your abstract at:  seminar.nesrc@gmail.com  

For any queries, write to: Tejaswinee Hazarika (tehazaika@gmail.com)
Note:
●          The participants will be given 15 minutes for their presentation at the seminar.
●          The participants are expected to send their PowerPoint presentations not later than 17 September 2025.
●          The organisers will take care of the travel expenses and shared accommodation for those coming from outside Guwahati.
●          The selected candidates are requested to kindly follow various deadlines before and after the seminar to ensure the production of a good-quality paper for publication.
Tribal Land-Poster

National Seminar on Tribal Land Alienation and Changing Land Relations in India: Focus on the Northeast

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REGISTRATION LINK

National Seminar

Tribal Land Alienation and Changing Land Relations in India: Focus on the Northeast

Concept note

Land is an important component to understand the complexities of ethnicity in India in general and in the Northeast in particular as it plays a pivotal role in almost every aspect – social, political, economic and cultural. Indigenous communities, particularly the Scheduled Tribes, have historically faced displacement, marginalisation, and exploitation due to land alienation, acquisition for development projects, and other causes, much of it caused by conflicting laws and defective implementation and today because of liberalisation and also commercialisation by the tribes themselves. The Indian constitution recognises tribal rights; however the implementation gap persists. At the same time, the increasing commodification of land threatens the identity, culture, and livelihoods, particularly of indigenous and marginalised communities. It sparks conflicts and human rights concerns. Besides, the process of constant ethnic transformation where different ethnic groups contest and negotiate the everydayness of lived experiences and histories tied to land, produces multiple and complexities. One of its by-products is the contested and shifting alliances of various ethnic groups. The recognition of these contested and shifting alliances is central to the understanding of identity politics, particularly tribal in the Northeast.

An important framework to understand the land issue in the tribal areas of India in general and of the Northeast in particular, lies within two contradictory impulses: land as identity and land as commodity. For the former, control over land is considered critical to tribal identity. Hence, losing land is equated to losing identity and a threat to their culture. The nature of control over land – collective ownership or common property – instantiates forms of relationship among the members of a tribe. It is also predicated on an alternative relationship with land which is different from that of other societies in India. All these are in tension with land as commodity,that is, land as identity has forms which are stumbling blocks to capital. On the other hand, the State, companies, real estate dealers, and individuals need land to be privately or individually owned so as to put it into circulation for capital formation. In this case, the colonial law grants to the State eminent domain, that is, right to acquire land for development projects. This framework of two contradictory impulses is based on three aspects: the colonial era politics of exclusion, the constitutional provisions, and land acts and regulations enacted by each state.

A body of scholars argue that the top-down or state-centric approach to development in the Northeast has often exacerbated existing tensions and fuelled grievances among the local communities (Roy, Miri&Goswami, 2007). On the other side, scholars like Partha Chatterjee(2004) argue that state making is not simply a top-down process of the government exercising its policy on the targeted populations. It hinges on a crucial variable of people’s attitudes and actions towards administrative expansion and development activities. Hence, it is crucial to focus on the existing traditional institutions and local bodies which play a significant role in the processes of development, thereby producing complex realities. Equally important is the focus on the gendered customs and traditions, which in most indigenous communities deny land inheritance to women, with some exceptions like the Southern Angami in Nagaland or the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo of Meghalaya. In this context it is crucial to understand how power relations are played out within the existing social structures and the manner in which representatives of the local bodies mediate, negotiate or appropriate various issues and concerns with regard to land.

This raises important questions: how do historical contexts such as the colonial era politics of exclusion or the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act 1971 influence contemporary land relations? In what ways do the existing constitutional provisions impact land rights and commodification among Indigenous communities? Can constitutional provisions prevent land alienation or ensure equitable land distribution and social justice? Can constitutional recognition of tribal rights protect cultural landscapes? In what ways do representatives of the traditional institutions and bodies mediate, negotiate, or appropriate issues and concerns tied to land? To what extent do market forces influence land use and ownership patterns among the Indigenous groups in the Northeast and in the rest of tribal India? How do commodification processes erase or reinforce cultural identities tied to land? What are the emerging challenges in the face of new developments such as the changing political economy and new citizenship laws?

In the light of the above questions, NESRC intends to bring together a body of researchers, scholars, policy makers, experts and social activists working with the tribal communities from the Northeast and the rest of India, to analyse the multifaceted changes in land relations and consider their social, political, economic, and cultural implications. An in-depth examination of shifting land relations can help us better understand the intricate intersections between socio-economic factors, political policies, and cultural identities. Those in turn shape contemporary relations within the tribe, between them and with the non-tribal societies. Such a discussion is important to understand the complexities of land related issues, and find out measures that advocate the protection and welfare of communities. It is also crucial to assess significant threats to and tensions around land on account of various policies such as the Citizens’ Amendment Act or the rapid spread of globalisation or unfettered modernisation.

Within the above context, the participants of the seminar will look at constitutional and legal provisions like the 5th and 6th Schedules, Articles 371, prevention of tribal land alienation acts and others. Have they successfully prevented tribal land alienation? If not, is it because of defective legislation, poor implementation or other causes? How have they affected tribal land relations? What suggestions can be made for their improvement? This will be discussed at the seminar under the following sub-themes that will also function as Technical Sessions.

Inaugural Session: Keynote Address by Prof. Virginius Xaxa.

 

 

 

 

 

Schedule 

 

Tribal Land Alienation and Changing Land Relations: Focus on the Northeast

February 28-March 1, 2025

Organised by: North Eastern Social Research Centre, Guwahati

Venue: Seminar Hall, Jagriti 3rd Floor, Christian Basti, GMCH Road, Guwahati

 

 

                                                              

DAY 1

 

9.00-9.30:      Registration

 

9.30-10.40:    Inaugural Session chaired by Prof. Y. S. R. Murthy, VC, Royal Global  University

 

9.30-9.35:      Welcome Speech by Dr Walter Fernandes, Director, NESRC

 

9.35-9.45:      Felicitation of Dignitaries

 

9.45-9.55:      Introduction to the seminar by Dr VizokholeLtu, Senior Research Associate,  NESRC

 

9.55-10.25:    Keynote Address by Prof. VirginiusXaxa, Emeritus Professor, NEHU & TISS & Visiting Professor, Institute for Human Development, New Delhi.

 

10.25-10.35: Chairperson’s Address by Prof. Y. S. R. Murthy, VC, Royal Global University, Guwahati.

 

10:35 – 11:00: Tea

 

Technical Sessions

 

11.00-12.30: Technical Session I: Legal Provisions and Tribal Land

 

Despite the provisions enshrined in the Constitution of India on the protection of tribal selfhood and land rights, the issue of land alienation persists. Demarcation of lands into tribal belts and blocks in Assam and provisions such as Article 371, 5th and 6th schedules fall short of ensuring protection of Indigenous lands because of systemic loopholes and shortcomings in the law or other causes. New amendments to existing provisions such as the 125th amendment to the 6th schedule have received varied and critical reviews from several tribal communities. This panel will interrogate such provisions, their amendments and shortcomings in the context of tribal land issues.

 

Chairperson: Dr V. Sawmveli, Asst. Professor, TISS, Guwahati.

Paper Presenters

 

Dr. Joseph Lalfakzuala, Asst. Professor, Political Science, Govt. T. Romana College, Aizawl

Rethinking Land System Under the Sixth Schedule: A Study of the Lai Autonomous

District Council in Mizoram

 

Dr.SmitanaSaikia, Asst. Professor, School of Development, Azim Premji University, Bengaluru.

Locating informal inter-community land relations in the interstices: A case of BTAD

 

Jasmine Mushahary & Theophilus Basumatary, Bongaigaon Gana Seva Society, Bongaigaon.

Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR): Land and Its People

 

12.30-13.30: Lunch

13.30-15.00: Technical Session II: Land Alienation and Tribal Identity

 

Besides sustenance, Indigenous peoples harbour intimate ties with their land and ecological resources. That link in turn guides their cultural expression, identity assertions and connection to ancestors. Several communities continue to push for strengthening their territorial identity through the protection of their land rights. One of its examples is the current movement for the 6th schedule in Ladakh. Therefore, when Indigenous communities are separated from their land, immeasurable loss and irrevocable changes follow, which are ignored by the state-industry complex. It is therefore important to look carefully at the entwinement of tribal identity with land. 

 

Chairperson: Dr.Dristirupa Patgiri. Asst. Professor, Dept. of Law, Assam University

 

Paper Presenters

Dr.Ashish Xaxa, Asst. Professor, IIT, Gandhinagar

Issues around Tribal Land and Identity

 

Anita Mondal, PhD Research Scholar, Department of History, Diamond Harbour Women’s University, West Bengal

Land, Identity, and Politics: The Chakma Issue in the Northeast and its Historical Perspectives

 

Dr.Priyamvada Asthana, Research Scholar, New Delhi

Land as Identity: Manipur’s Changing Demography

 

James Phanungkiu and Saziini Chache, Peace Channel, Nagaland

The Sumi-Zeliangrong Land Dispute and Tribal Identity

 

15.00-15.20: Tea

 

15.20-16.50:Technical Session III: Land and Development

 

Land serves as a foundation of livelihoods, cultural identity, and socio-economic development. It embodies not only the physical territory but also encompasses layers of customary practices and community relationships. However, the shift towards modernisation and state-led development has disrupted traditional land governance systems geared to the needs and aspirations of an egalitarian society. Modern development policies and legal frameworks, such as the Land Acquisition Act, for instance, often emphasise compensation over meaningful consent or long-term livelihood restoration, and sideline cultural and ecological losses. Procedural gaps, such as absence of clauses to protect land, inadequate consultation and undervaluation of land, lead to exploitation and displacement of vulnerable communities. How can these defects and shortcomings be addressed to close procedural gaps, strengthen protection for marginalised groups, and align customary practices with equitable statutory frameworks.

 

Chairperson: Dr.Aashish Xaxa, Asst. Professor, IIT, Gandhinagar.

Paper Presenters

 

Dejna Daulagupu, Research Associate, NESRC, Guwahati

Mines, Dams and Falcons in Umrangso: land alienation in a Sixth-Schedule district of Assam

 

Dr.DristirupaPatgiri. Asst. Professor, Dept. of Law, Assam University

Dams, Development and Northeast India: The Role of Law

 

Manoj Singha Raja, Social Activist

From Land to Solar Farms: The Displacement of Karbi and Adivasi Farmers in Nagaon, Assam

 

DAY 2

 

9.30-11.00: Technical Session IV: Land and Customary Laws

 

Tribal customary laws, rooted in egalitarian principles, emphasise community-based, collective ownership of land and resources. However, these laws are not without shortcomings. One significant issue is the denial of women’s rights to land and resources that perpetuate gender inequality. Additionally, modernisation and individualisation have introduced a shift towards private ownership, while strengthening patriarchy and class formation. That has created social hierarchies which undermine the communal ethos of the systems in which the indigenous peoples have lived. To remain relevant and equitable, they need to adapt to the changes by incorporating protection of women’s land rights, ensuring fair access to resources for all community members, and address elite-driven inequalities. Do customary laws address the societal change wrought by modernisation, individualisation, and rising inequalities such as patriarchy and class formation? What changes are required in these laws to respond to these changes?

 

Chairperson: Dr Joseph Lalfakzuala, Asst. Professor, Govt. T. Romana College, Aizawl

Paper Presenters

 

Dr. V. Sawmveli, Asst. Professor, TISS, Guwahati

Tribal Customary Laws and Land Alienation

 

Dr.Arun Kumar Oraon, Asst. Professor, Indian Social Institute, New Delhi

Customary laws and growing land-related conflicts among Oraon tribals of Jharkhand: A study in

Lohardaga, Gumla and Latehar districts

 

Dr.Fahmida S. Bora (Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, USTM, Meghalaya) & Jyotsna Choudhury (Research Scholar, Department of Political Science, USTM, Meghalaya)

Land Alienation and the Future of Tribal Identity: A Study on Indigenous Communities in Assam

 

Anik Das & G. V. Darlong, JUST, Agartala

Land and Legal Provisions in Tripura: A study of a Land Conflict and Land Alienation in Khumulwng, West Tripura

 

11.00-11.20: Tea

 

11.20-12.50: Technical Session V: Looking beyond the Smokescreen of Conservation 

 

As intergenerational stewards of their landscape, Indigenous and tribal communities develop knowledge practices that allow symbiotic coexistence with their ecology. These practices center on mindful giving and taking between different ecological actors, resulting in nuanced relationships between humans and non-humans. The colonial idea of conservation however hinges on positioning the ‘native’ as an extractor whose separation from the ecology is absolutely important for its protection. While it is not ideal to romanticize and simplistically view eco-relations, it is important to recognise the interplay between the continuing colonial or scientific model of conservation, recurring land dispossession of tribal communities and intensifying extractivism in these landscapes. This panel will discuss such congruences in the context of current examples across the Northeast region of India. 

 

Chairperson: Prof. Chandan Kumar Sharma, Dept. of Sociology, Tezpur University

Paper Presenters

 

Noihrit Gogoi, Research Associate, NESRC, Guwahati

Eroding Belonging: Land, Conservation, and the Making of Displacement in Dibru-Saikhowa National Park

 

Saurav Patgiri, Fellow, Albert Einstein Institute, Massachusetts, United States

Whose Forest is it, and for whom?

 

Timothy Khongsai, Research Associate, NESRC, Guwahati &Dr. P. Lalpekhlui, Asst. Professor, Tetso College, Chumoukedima

Oil Palm in the Northeast: Land, Ecology and Alienation

 

12.50-13.50: Lunch

 

13.50-15.20: Special Session: The Way Forward

 

In addition to the above technical sessions, a panel of experts chosen by the organisers will discuss the way forward. To protect tribal land rights and interests, a multi-pronged approach is crucial. For instance, the constitutional provisions such as the Fifth and the Sixth Schedules must be enforced rigorously to protect tribal autonomy and land rights. Customary practices and traditions should be respected but modernised to deal with their shortcomings such as the gender gap. The commodification of tribal land and class formation must be checked through regulations and community-led decision-making processes. Additionally, efforts should focus on strengthening tribal governance institutions, promoting inclusive and participatory development, and ensuring access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. Furthermore, policies should prioritise women’s empowerment; recognise their critical role in preserving cultural heritage and managing the natural resources. Dialogue and collaboration between governments, civil society groups and tribal communities is essential for solutions that balance development aspirations with the preservation of tribal identity, culture, and territorial integrity. 

 

Chairperson: Prof. Virginius Xaxa, Emeritus Professor of Sociology & Visiting Prof. , IHD

Speakers:

 

Prof. Chandan Kumar Sharma, Dept. of Sociology, Tezpur University

Prof. Cecile A. Mawlong, Asst. Professor, NEHU, Shillong

Thejalhoukho Casavi, Asst. Professor, Patkai Christian College, Chumoukedima, Nagaland

Dr.Vizokhole Ltu, Senior Research Associate, North Eastern Social Research Centre

Kishore Kumar Kalita, Legal Activist, Guwahati

 

 

15.20: Tea

 

Group photo

National Seminar on The Role of History in Conflicts and and Peace: Focus on Northeast India

by Uncategorized

National Seminar

15-16 November 2024

________________________

CALL FOR PAPERS

North Eastern Social Research Centre (NESRC), Guwahati

 

Venue: Seminar Hall, Jagriti 3rd Floor, GMCH Road, Christian Basti, Guwahati

Concept note

History is written by the victor. More often than not such a history suppresses or distorts the loser’s version and the causes of the conflict. For example, very few histories of the World Wars mention that World War II in reality began on the day the Treaty of Versailles was signed. The heavy fine it imposed on Germany that it could not pay, the economic crisis it caused, and events like the invasion of Ruhr by France in 1926 to collect that fine, were attacks on the very identity of Germany and were crucial in strengthening Adolf Hitler and Nazism (Syiemlieh 2003). The same can be said about the link between the bombing of developed Iraq back to the stone-age by the US-led allies, the humiliation that its ruling class suffered and the birth of ISL. Similar links can be found between colonialism and the birth of Hindu fundamentalism in India.

To focus on Northeast India, this region has a complex history characterised by ethnic diversity and socio-political dynamics. The region is marked by both prolonged conflicts and resilient peace efforts. More often than not, focus shifts to viewing the region as only one of nationalist struggles, of secessionism, and ethnic conflicts. In reality, understanding the role of history in shaping these dynamics and how history is created to justify a conflict is crucial for policy makers, academicians, and peace builders. This seminar aims to explore how oral and written historical narratives, events, and memories are created and influence conflicts and peace processes in the region. What is said of the Northeast is equally true of the rest of India. To quote Jawaharlal Nehru, its history is the biggest obstacle to nation building in India. The golden age of one region is the dark age of the next region that it conquered and subjugated (Nehru 2004).

Historical Context and Sources of Conflict

 To come back to Northeast India, its historical context is marked by its colonial legacy, its ethnic diversity and movements for political autonomy. Most studies on the Northeast tend to focus on the conflict and ignore the history of colonial policies like the introduction of new administrative divisions, and disrupted traditional governance structures that sowed seeds of discord among various ethnic groups (Baruah, 2005). After independence, the reorganisation of states and the imposition of many central policies that ignored the regional context further exacerbated ethnic tensions and fueled demands for autonomy and independence (Misra, 2014).

Similarly, ethnic diversity in the region is a source of its cultural richness, but it has also been a source of conflicts that are exacerbated by the efforts at centralisation and imposition of a single national identity, in the process ignoring the specificity of the region. It is basic to the competition over resources, identity assertion, and historical grievances that have often led to violent clashes. For example, the Naga movement, one of the longest-running struggles in the world, is rooted in historical demands for the recognition of Naga identity (Kikon, 2019). Similarly, the Assam Movement in the 1980s was driven by historical anxieties over land and identity (Nag, 2002). The trend to ignore this context and to focus on the immediate causes can exacerbate the conflict. In the rest of India too, many movements of identity search and competition for resources are interpreted exclusively as secessionist and their causes are ignored.

Role of Historical Narratives in Conflicts

That is the starting point of the proposed seminar. Historical narratives play a pivotal role in shaping identities and justifying claims, and often become tools for mobilisation and resistance. Competing historical narratives can exacerbate conflicts by reinforcing divisions and perpetuating mistrust. For example, the narratives surrounding the origins of different ethnic communities, their claim to the indigenous status in a given area of the region and to its land and resources often cause a conflict, and lead to prolonged disputes (Baruah, 2005). As the anthropologist Stephanie Irlbacher-Fox points out, “The result is that, by conflating specific unjust events, policies, and laws with ‘history,’ what is unjust becomes temporally separate from the present, unchangeable.” It narrows down options for restitution: “we cannot change the past.”

As the attitude of Israel towards the Palestinians and of the Americas and Australasia towards their indigenous populations shows, such a convenient framing of the issue allows political leaders and settler populations to deal with residual guilt on their own terms. It often follows the all too familiar script of “forgive and forget,” “move on from the past,” and “unify as a country,” all the while brushing aside deeper discussion on restitution or justice. This selective remembrance can entrench positions and make reconciliation more difficult. For instance, the Bodo movement for a separate state has drawn heavily on historical narratives of marginalisation and cultural distinctiveness, and has sometimes clashed with the historical claims of other communities in Assam (Barbora, 2002). Such a reading of history compels us to interrogate it not as something of the past, but as a force that continuously shapes our present and future.

 Rewriting History to Justify Conflict

Major conflicts in the Northeast as in much of India are rooted in anxieties over land and identity, which can largely be traced back to the colonial era. The economic, political, and demographic transformations imposed by British colonial rulers instigated these anxieties among the region’s communities. The effort of each community to protect its land, identity, privileges or sustenance led to tension and often to conflicts. However, during such conflicts, each community frequently rewrites and distorts ‘history’ to justify its own stand. For example, in Manipur, the British colonial land rearrangement laid the foundation of the conflict between the Kuki and the Naga. A significant event was the Anglo-Kuki War of 1917-19, after which the colonial regime dispersed the Kuki to different districts, thus posing a perceived threat to the remaining communities in those areas. The current demands for autonomy and homeland by both the Kuki and the Naga are built on their ‘historical narratives’ that exacerbate the animosity between the two. The ‘histories’ that present the Kuki either as illegal immigrants or as non-indigenous peoples who entered the region after the Yandaboo Treaty of 1826 add to the tension. That narrative is being used extensively to legitimise, among others, the present Meitei-Kuki conflict. Another source of tension in Manipur is the Hill-Valley divide. The Hill tribes feel deprived of many development opportunities while the Meitei population of the Valley complains of being deprived of land. In this context, history is re-written in an effort to protect land.

Such ‘historical narratives’ tend to nurture and maintain tension between the communities. In that situation, a trigger in the form of an unfortunate incident, can lead to the eruption of conflict. For instance, the trigger for the Kuki-Naga conflict of 1992-97 in Manipur is said to be an incident in Moreh, where armed groups from both communities sought control over the trading town between India and Myanmar. In such cases, the conflict becomes more intense when false rumours spread like wildfire. Leaders or individuals with vested interests create or fuel such rumours for personal gain, and often rewrite history to justify the conflict.

History as a Tool for Peace-building

Conversely, history and acknowledging multiple perspectives can be powerful tools for peace-building, dialogue and reconciliation. Efforts to create inclusive historical narratives that recognise the contribution of all sides are essential for healing and unity. In the Northeast, there have been notable efforts to use history for peace-building. The Naga peace process, for example, involves extensive dialogue between the Indian government and various Naga groups. It has made significant strides by addressing historical grievances and aspirations (Kikon, 2019). Initiatives like the Assam Accord of 1985 aimed to resolve historical issues related to identity, although its implementation has faced challenges (Nag, 2002). Efforts to better understand the role of every community in the Partition of India can be a step in healing the communal divide.

Local initiatives have also shown the potential for using history to foster peace. For example, Amrita Saikia (2023) shows how oral narratives of history serve as important tools that enable the Bodos in Assam to reclaim their identity, work for social justice and shape their agency. An effort to understand the causes of Hindu East Pakistani migration to Tripura, and the Bengalis recognising their settler status can be the first step towards Bengali-tribal reconciliation. It has to go hand in hand with the second step of the indigenous tribes recognising that the past cannot be undone and the Bengali settlers cannot be expelled from their land without massive bloodshed (Debbarma 2000). These initiatives highlight the importance of involving local communities in the peace-building process and recognising their historical experiences.

 

Conclusion

The seminar on the role of history in conflicts and peace in Northeast India seeks to bring together scholars, historians, community leaders, and policy makers to discuss and explore these complex dynamics. Its main aim is to contribute to a more nuanced and holistic approach to conflict resolution in the region by examining historical narratives, both oral and written, understand their impact on contemporary conflicts, how it is rewritten and distorted to justify a conflict, and explore ways to use history for peace-building.

Instructions for abstract submission:

●       Word limit: 300-400

●       Deadline for submission: September 15, 2024

●       Before September 20, the submitted abstracts will be reviewed and those accepted for the seminar will be invited to write a paper for presentation at the seminar.


Deadline for final submission: Those invited are expected to send their 3,000-4,000 word paper before October 31, 2024.

Submit your abstract at:  seminar.nesrc@gmail.com

For any queries, write to: Noihrit Gogoi (gogoinoihrit@gmail.com)

 

Note:

●       The participants will be given 15 minutes for their presentation at the seminar.

●       The participants are expected to send their power point presentations not later than November 13, 2024.

●       The organisers will take care of the travel expenses and shared accommodation for those coming from outside Guwahati.

●       The selected candidates will have to strictly follow various deadlines before and after the seminar to ensure the finalisation of a quality paper for publication.

 

References

Barbora, S. (2002). “Ethnic Politics and Land Use: Genesis of Conflicts in India’s North-East,” Economic and Political Weekly, 43 (10), 27-31.

Baruah, S. (2005). Durable Disorder: Understanding the Politics of Northeast India. Oxford University Press.

Debbarma, R. K. (2020). “Conflict Resolution in Tripura,” Seminar No. 732, August, 30-33.

Irlbacher-Fox, S. (2009). Finding Dahshaa: Self-Government, Social Suffering, and Aboriginal Policy in Canada. University of British Columbia Press.

Kikon, D. (2019). Living with Oil and Coal: Resource Politics and Militarization in Northeast India. University of Washington Press.

Misra, U. (2014). India’s North-East: Identity Movements, State, and Civil Society. Oxford University Press.

Nag, S. (2002). Contesting Marginality: Ethnicity, Insurgency and Subnationalism in North-East India. Delhi: Manohar Publishers.

Nehru, J. (2004). The Discovery of India. Penguin Books

Saikia, A. (2023). “Oral Traditions and Folklores as Tools of Political Mobilization and Conflict Transformation among Ethnic Minority Groups in Assam, India’s Northeast,” Peace Review, 35 (2), 216–226.

Syiemlieh, David R. (2003). “Lessons from Conflicts and Peace Initiatives: A Historical Review,” in Walter Fernandes (ed). Search for Peace with Justice: Issues around Conflicts in Northeast India. Guwahati: North Eastern Social Research Centre, 36-43.




Schedule of the Seminar on “The Role of History in Conflicts and Peace: Focus on the Northeast”

November 15-16, 2024

Organised by North Eastern Social Research Centre, Guwahati

Venue: Seminar Hall, Jagriti 3rd Floor, Christian Basti, GMCH Road, Guwahati 781005

Day 1: 15th November, 2024

9.00-9.30: Registration

 

9.30-10.35: Inaugural Session

 

Chairperson:

 

9.30-9.35: Felicitation

 

9.35-9.40: A Word of Welcome: Dr Walter Fernandes, Director, North Eastern Social Research Centre, Guwahati (NESRC)

 

9.40-9.50: Introduction to the Seminar: Mr. Noihrit Gogoi, Research Associate, NESRC and Seminar Coordinator

 

9.50-10.20: Keynote Address: Prof. Sajal Nag, Dean, Royal Global University, Guwahati

 

10.20-10.35: Chairperson Speaks

10.35-10.55: Tea

10.55-12.35: Technical Session I: History and Conflicts in North East India.

 

Chairperson:  Dr. Yengkhom Jilangamba. TISS, Guwahati.

 

1. Lob Singh and Ranjita Chakraborty, North Bengal University. Assam-Arunachal Pradesh Border Dispute: Historical Justifications and Narratives of Territorial Claims

 

2. Anjuman Ara Begum, Royal Global University. AFSPA 1958 and Its Role in Prolonging Conflicts in North East India.

 

3.  Munmun Chutia. Sikkim University. Megalithic Culture and Diplomacy in Sikkim: Historical Perspectives on Peace and Conflict

 

4.  Lalnunkimi Colney. Mizoram University. Representing Conflict: A Comparative Study of Media Coverage and Oral Histories of Mizoram’s 1967 Relocation Crisis

 

5. Geetika Mandavi and Ankit Oraon. Sikkim University. Gorkhaland Movement: Opinions and Attitudes from Sikkim.

12.35-13.25: Lunch

13.25-15.05: Technical Session II: History and Identity Conflicts

 

Chairperson: Dr Jagritee Ghosh,  HOD, Department of Sociology, Pandit Deendayal Upadhayaya Adarsha Mahavidyalaya, Tulungia

 

1. Niborna Hazarika. Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi. Constructing the Northeast: A Study of Ethnic Identity and Conflict in the Region.

 

2. Debashree Saikia, JNU, New Delhi & Joyshree Saikia, Nowgong College. Forgotten Histories and Media Narratives: Social Exclusion and Identity Politics in Assam through the Lens of the 1983 Nellie Massacre.

 

3. Nayan Moni Kumar. Gauhati university. Between Recognition and Misrecognition: Interrogating the Position of the Assamese Middle Class on the Identity Question of the Miya Community

 

4. R Lalhriatpuii. University of Hyderabad. The Politics of Othering in the birth of Mizoram: Its Role in Conflict and Peacekeeping.

 

5. Hirokjeet Roy. KB Varma Sanskrit & Ancient Studies University, Nalbari. The Geo-Political Construction of a Borderland: Colonial Legacies, Liminality of Space and Identity in India’s Northeast

15.05-15.25: Tea

15.25 -17.00: Technical Session III: History and Conflicts around Ethnic Issues

 

Chairperson: Prof. Anjuman Ara Begum, Royal Global University, Guwahati

 

1. Sabeena Khatoon. Hyderabad University. A Historical Narratives Exploration of the Chakma Refugee Issue in Northeast India: State Responses & Ongoing Conflicts

 

2. Kughali G Assumi. University of Science & Technology, Meghalaya. Sumi Nagas and Involvement in Insurgency: Historicity and Contemporary Perspectives.

 

3. Y. Monojit Singha. Royal Global University, Guwahati. Colonial Land Policies and the Marginalization of Indigenous Communities in Barak Valley: A Historical Analysis of Demographic Shifts.

 

4. Joseph Riamei. Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Guwahati. The Rongmei Traditional Governance of Pei: Continuity and Challenges.

 

5. Aminul Alam Ali. Darul Huda Islamic University, Barpeta. Colonial Policies and the Ethnic Conflicts in Assam: The Mia Question.

Day 2: 16th November 2024

9.30-11.10: Technical Session IV: History and the Conflict in Manipur

 

Chairperson: Dr Shiwani Thapa, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong

 

1. Yengkhom Jilangamba. TISS, Guwahati. The Time for Peace History in Manipur is Now.

 

2. Leivon Albert Lamkang. University of Delhi. Land, Conflict, and Reconciliation: Revisiting Historical Narratives in Manipur

 

3. Taniya Khangembam. Gauhati University. Hill-Valley Divide in Manipur: Past Resentments and Present-Day Tensions Hill-Valley Divide in Manipur:

 

4. Savy George. Vidyajyoti, Delhi. Intractable Conflicts and the Role of History: The Kuki-Meitei Conflict in Manipur and the Way Forward

 

5. Cecilia.K.Singson. Guwahati. History as a Means to Bridge the Great Divide: with Reference to the Ongoing Manipur Conflict.

11.10-11.30: Tea

11.30-13.10: Technical Session V: History, Conflict and Gender

 

Chairperson: Dr Joseph Riamei, TISS, Guwahati

 

1. Ruhi Kashyap. Tezpur University. The Tezpur Mahila Samiti and the Politics of the Archives, 1919 – 1947: A Feminist Interrogation

 

2. Gunjana Boruah. Lend a Hand India. Delhi. Historical Legacies, Gendered Labor, and Pathways to Peace: Unravelling Conflict in Northeast India’s Tea Plantations

 

3. C. Lalmuansanga. Mizoram University. Looking Back at Rambuai: Conflict, Identity and the negotiation of Masculinity.

 

4. Anannya Nath & Elbani L Hrangkhol. PDUAM, Behali Biswanath. Women and Insurgency: Silent History in Easterine Kire’s Mari.

 

5. Monica Lakandri. Sikkim University. Rereading History with the Women in Gorkhaland Movement.

                                                                                                                       13.10-14.00: Lunch                                                               

14.00-15.30: Technical Session VI: History for Conflict Resolution

 

Chairperson: Prof. Akhil Ranjan Dutta, Dept. of Political Science, Gauhati University.

                                                       

1. Himashree Patowary. University of Science & Technology, Meghalaya.  From Conflict to Peace: The Role of Historical Narratives in Ethnic Reconciliation in Assam

 

2. Shiwani Thapa.  North Eastern Hill University. Gorkhas in Northeast India: Historical Narratives of Conflict and Peacebuilding for Contemporary Conflict Resolution

 

3.  Garima Thakuria and Shankar N. Bagh . Sikkim University.  Peace-Making in Sikkim: Significance of Blood Brotherhood Treaty.

 

4. Sarah Phangchopi and Preity Soreng Jirsong Asong, Diphu. Land, Identity, and History: Examining the Karbi-Bihari Conflict

15.30-15.50: Tea

15-50-17.00: Valedictory Session                                                                                                                                                                

 

Chairperson: Prof. Jagannath Ambagudia, Deputy Director, TISS, Guwahati.

 

16505-15.55: Felicitating the Chairperson and Valedictory Speaker

 

15.55-16.10: A brief report of the seminar – Mr. Noihrit Gogoi, Seminar Coordinator       

 

16.10-16.40: Valedictory Address: Prof. Akhil Ranjan Dutta, Dept. of Political Science, Gauhati University.

 

16.40-16.55: Chairperson speaks

 

16.55-17.00: Vote of Thanks

End of the Seminar

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Seminar on The Socio-Economic Impacts of Oil Palm Plantation in Northeast India

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Regional Seminar on the Socio-Economic Impacts of Commercial Oil Palm Plantations in Northeast India

Organized by
North Eastern Social Research Centre, (NESRC) September 6-7, 2024 Concept Note
Northeast India in the Eastern Himalayas is home to many species of flora and fauna. The region’s diverse ecosystems, including forests, grasslands, wetlands, and rivers support a wide variety of plant and animal species. Together with western Myanmar it is also one of India’s two mega-biodiversity zones, the other being the West Coast. Recently, with an aim to reduce the country’s reliance on imported edible oils and promote domestic oil production, the National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO), established by the Indian government in 2021, has expanded oil palm plantations across different regions of the country. Emphasis in this program financed by the Federal Government, is placed on Northeast India and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In a quiet experiment it has been grown on a few hectares in most states of the region with greater priority accorded to it in Mizoram where it began as early as 2005. It is grown today on 61,000 hectares(150,000 acres) in the region, 67 percent of it in Mizoram. A quota has today been fixed for each state, for example 13,200 hectares in Nagaland whose territory is 1,600,579 hectares. .
However, opinion is divided on the project both at the theoretical and practical levels. At the theoretical level, the post-development school views the mainstream development paradigm as a flawed concept that prioritizes economic growth over social justice, cultural diversity, and ecological sustainability and perpetuates social inequalities and environmental degradation. They apply this theory also to the oil palm plantation. On the other side there are those (e.g. Sen 1999) who argue that development is empowerment and includes social, cultural, and economic advancement in all aspects.If provided equal opportunities it should enhance environmental, economic, social, and cultural progress. To achieve it the state should take into account the basic questions such as the purpose of development, its beneficiaries, and its implementation. In contrast, field based studies give instances of people’s displacement by mega projects like dams, infrastructure, and industries that benefit some segments of society at the cost of indigenous people who never gain from this form of ‘development’ but take land away from them and impoverish them. It disturbs the local ecosystem and socio-economic structures (Singh, 2020).
Because of its shift towards commercialized agriculture the introduction of oil palm plantations in Northeast India has sparked the above discussion and a myriad debates mainly around environmental concerns, sustainability, impacts on social relations, land use and management. This debate emerged from the experience of Southeast Asian countries that have been having oil palm plantations for several decades. Studies in these countries have raised concerns in the recent past on possible threats from oil palm to biodiversity, land relations, disruption of community social and customary practices, and in many cases of its land use and management (Chao, 2022). Oil palm plantation is recent in India and not many studies have been done on it. However, these concerns are relevant in Northeast India because the plantations in this region affect forest and water resources and the land use pattern. Questions are thus asked on the impacts of extensive use of indigenous natural resources and creation of new agricultural systems on its traditional equitable land management, agriculture, ecology, and agro-biodiversity.
Ownership and property rights differ from tribe to tribe in Northeast India, even in individual and community management. Women almost never own land but they have some decision-making power in community managed land. Studies have been done in the region on other commercial plantations like tea, coffee and rubber for which individual ownership is demanded usually by the man perceived as the head of the family. Community ownership is the norm in the region in which women have some decision-making power. Studies indicate that these schemes have been beneficial to a few powerful individuals who monopolize land but that they result in class formation and stronger patriarchy and that women lose the little power they had in their tradition (Bathari 2008). Negative environmental impacts too have been witnessed.
That raises a number of questions. Does oil palm cultivation have environmental impacts associated with deforestation, soil degradation, water scarcity and biodiversity? Does it improve the condition of small farmers or is it beneficial only to big individual land owners. With individual ownership as the norm for this plantation, does the engagement of women in the cultivation improve their condition in the family or in their society? Does it give them a voice in the decision-making process? Most importantly, does the introduction of oil palm result in land alienation and create class formation between stronger and weaker sections of the community?
All these questions are essential for reflection by the tribal communities since their identity and livelihood are linked to land. In this context NESRC intends to bring together for two days (6th-7th September 2024) some researchers, young scholars, social activists, planters, to collectively engage with issues around the socio-economic and environmental dimensions of oil palm plantation in Northeast India. The seminar itself is an offshoot of a study that NESRC is conducting on the economic, social, environmental and gender impacts of oil palm plantations in Northeast India. Its draft report will be ready in mid-August and sent to some scholars and social activists invited for the seminar. A few other researchers, social and environmental activists and journalists will present papers based on their fieldwork and experience. It is hoped that such a combination of the studies of NESRC and of others coming from the field will give all the participants a better understanding of the issues around oil palm plantations and help with better follow up action in the field on this issue of great relevance to Northeast India.
The seminar will have around 40 participants from the four states where this study is being done. The states are Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland. The participants will be chosen from among researchers who have done some studies, social activists involved in action around these issues, some planters, environmental activists and journalists working on this issue. Around 15 or 20 local persons will join them thus bringing the number to around 60.

References
Bathari, Uttam. (2008). “Land Laws, Alienation and Conflict: Changing Land Relations among the Karbis in Karbi Anglong District,’ in Walter Fernandes & Sanjay Barbora (ed). Land, People and Politics: Contest over Tribal Land in Northeast India. Guwahati: North Eastern Social Research Centre & Copenhagen: International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs, pp. 142-159.
Chao, Sophie. (2022). In the Shadow of the Palm. Durham: Duke University Press. Sen, Amartya. (1999). Development as Freedom. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Singh, Arun Kumar. (2020). Development Induced Displacement: Issues and Indian Experiences. Economic & Political Weekly, 69 (2), 276-289.

North Eastern Social Research Centre Dr John Walter Fernandes
31st May 2024 Director

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Upcoming Seminar: Dialogues on Social Transformation

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Mark your calendars for an event that transcends conventional boundaries—NESRC’s upcoming seminar on social transformation. As we prepare to ignite dialogues that matter, envision yourself engaging in open conversations, connecting with experts, and contributing your insights to the discourse shaping our community. Join us for an immersive experience where collective wisdom paves the way for positive and lasting change.

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Book Launch Event: Perspectives on Northeast India

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NESRC invites you to a grand celebration of perspectives at our upcoming book launch event. This carefully curated collection spans policy insights, personal narratives, and diverse viewpoints, encapsulating the rich tapestry of Northeast India. Join us in applauding the authors, immersing yourself in the stories, and participating in conversations that not only amplify but also celebrate the unique voices that contribute to the shaping of Northeastern narratives. Together, let’s explore the depth and diversity that defines our region.