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Final Report of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh Visits of Dr. K. K. Chakravarty and IGNCA Team
By Dr. Kailash Kumar Mishra
Organized by
Indira Gnadhi National Centre for the Arts
(21st May 2007 to 12th June 2007)
Introduction
A detailed tour programme for academic search and possibilities of projects and proposal in two North East States of India – Assam and Arunachal Pradesh – by the IGNCA in association with institutions, experts and scholars was prepared under the able direction of Dr. K. K. Chakravarty, Member Secretary, IGNCA. The activities took place with effect from 21st May 2007 to 12th June 2007. The IGNCA Team comprised following members:
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Dr. K. K. Chakravarty, Member Secretary, IGNCA
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Dr. A. C. Bhagabati, Hony. Coordinator, N.E. Regional Centre of IGNCA, Guwahati, Assam
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Shri Pratapanand Jha, Director, CIL, IGNCA
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Dr. G.L. Badam, Senior Consultant, IGNCA
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Dr. Madhu Khanna, Professor of Comparative Religions, Jamia Millia Islamia University and Consultant IGNCA
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Dr. Richa Negi, Junior research Officer, IGNCA
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Dr. Kailash Kumar Mishra, Junior research Officer, IGNCA
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Shri Joy Kuriakose, Under Secretary, IGNCA
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Shri Virendra Bangroo, Documentation Officer, IGNCA
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Shri Kishore Kumar, Accounts Officer, IGNCA
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Shri. DNVS Seetharmaiah, Photography Officer, IGNCA
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Shri Illiyas Ahmed, Conservation Assistant, IGNCA

The Major Objectives of Visit
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Meetings of Museums of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in the Governments as well as in the private sector with the aim of initiating programmes of documentation and conservation with them.
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Meetings with interested
sattradhikaris in Guwahati and Tejpur to discuss an exhibition on the history, heritage, culture, arts, including music and architecture, and oral history of
sattras, including kalasattras, sattras managed by women, the
namghar tradition.
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Meetings and interaction with the craftsmen and artists from tribal and folk communities with display of their textiles, artefacts and ethnographic objects representing family and community traditions, with historical accounts, provided by elders, which can be acquired.
Series of discussions with representatives of various local self governance institutions concerning customary laws, dispute resolution and reconciliation, human and natural resource management strategies, pursued by these institutions.
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Meetings with the scholars of social Science departments of Rajiv Gandhi Central University, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh; Tejpur Central University, Tejpur and Gauhati University, Gauhati, Assam including the experts, knowledgeable people, performers of the respective regions.
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Meetings with the representatives of women in all possible dimension of their contribution and specialty so that history, and contribution of the women can be created from their perspective.
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To understand the bio-cultural diversity and the role of cultural practices in maintaining the bio-cultural harmony.
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Meetings with the Lamas and nuns of various monasteries in Arunachal Pradesh to know their point of view and priority areas. Also to evaluate the status of monasteries, their museums, libraries, objects, architecture, art, artistic skills etc. with the aim of initiating programmes of training, documentation and conservation with them.
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To know the people’s perception of culture and their intervention for preservation, promotion and documentation of cultural heritage.
To initiate dialogue with the institutions and individuals who have already done extensive audiovisual documentation so that IGNCA can digitize such institutional (and individual) holdings and share products with them.
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Explore further collaborative activities with the Government of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to appreciate and develop culture as a constitutive element in development in consultation with officials and individuals.

Advance Team
In order to assure the smooth functioning of the already decided activities and the identification of resource persons, institutions, and administrative requirements Dr. K. K. Chakravarty instructed Dr. Richa Negi, Dr. Kailash Kumar Mishra and Shri Kishore Kumar to reach Guwahati, Tejpur, Itanagar and Tawang as advance team and interact with the organizing partners, scholars, experts, administrative officials. Accordingly, the Advance Team left Delhi for Guwahati on 21st May 2007 and arranged the activities. The Advance Team managed everything – from administrative management to academic activities – in both the states. The Advance Team members came on 12th June, 2007 when every activity was finally concluded and all details of expenditure was finalized.

Details
of the Activities Held in Assam
|
SN. |
Activity |
Date & Date |
|
1. |
“An Interactive Meet
on Indigenous Knowledge Systems: A Meet of Experts, Scholars and
Bearers of Traditions” at
Conference Hall of Department of Cultural Studies, Tejpur Central
University, Tejpur. (Organized in association with Department of
Cultural Studies, Tejpur Central University.)
|
4 th June 2007 from 11.30 A.M. to
4.30 P.M. |
|
2. |
Documentation of
Community-wise Customary Laws
· Dispute resolution mechanisms
· Management
of Soil, forest and other community resources (including the
management of sacred grooves) at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra,
Guwahati
(Organized in association with Srimanta
Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati)
|
4th & 5th June 2007 from 10.30 A.M.
to 5 P.M. |
|
3. |
One-day Meet of Museum
Experts of Assam at
Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati (Organized in association
with Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati)
|
6th June 2007 from
10.30 A.M. to 5 P.M.
|
|
4. |
A Daylong Meet on “Research
Perspective in North East India” at Conference Room, Department
of Anthropology, Gauhati University (Organized by North Eastern
Regional Centre (Guwahati) of the IGNCA.
|
June 6, 2007 10.00 A.M.
– 4.30 P.M.
|
|
5. |
Initiating Preparation
of Glossary of Local Vanishing Terms Available in Various Regional
Languages and Dialects
at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati
(Organized in
association with Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati) |
6th & 7th June 2007
from 10.30 A.M. to 5 P.M.
|
|
6. |
Folk Deities Their
Morphological Features, Associated Myths and Legends of Assam
at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati
(Organized in
association with Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati)
|
6th & 7th June 2007
from 10.30 A.M. to 5 P.M.
|
|
7. |
Women’s Participation
in Development of Modern Assamese Lifestyle
at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati
(Organized in association with Srimanta
Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati)
|
7th June 2007 from
10.30 A.M. to 5 P.M.
|
|
8. |
One-Day Meet of the Resource Persons
working on Sattras at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati (Organized
in association with Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati)
|
7th June 2007 from
10.30 A.M. to 5 P.M.
|
|
9. |
100 Years’ People’s
Oral History of Assam: Capturing the Experiences of the Elders
at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati
(Organized in
association with Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati)
|
8th & 9th June 2007
from 10.30 A.M. to 5 P.M.
|
|
10. |
Identification and
Procurement of Tribal and Folk Literature, CDs, Cassettes, Jewelry,
Ornaments and Other Traditional Artifacts
at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati
(Organized in
association with Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati)
|
8th & 9th June 2007
from 10.30 A.M. to 5 P.M.
|
|
11. |
Detailed Photographic
Documentation of Archaeological and Heritage Sites of Assam
(Organized in
association with Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati) |
24th May – 8th June 2007 |
|
12. |
Documentation of
Conservation Status of Monuments, Libraries and Museums of Guwahati
and its Surroundings
(Organized in
association with Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati)
(From Srimanta
Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati)
|
24th May – 8th June 2007 |
|
13. |
Collection of
Indigenous Materials and Techniques, visits of Museums, Libraries and
Monuments of Cultural and Geographical Pockets of Assam
(Organized in
association with Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati)
(From Srimanta
Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati)
|
24th May – 8th June 2007 |
|
14. |
IGNCA Team visited
Vivekanada Kendra Institute of Culture
at MG RoaD, Riverside, Ujanbazar in Guwahati and discussed the ongoing
project activities of the Kendra with the Officials and scholars |
June 8, 2007 |

Details
of Activities Held in Arunachal Pradesh
|
SN. |
Activity |
Date & Date |
|
1. |
IGNCA Team members
visited Tawang Monastery and its Museum. The IGNCA Team saw the
details of the Library of Tawang Monastery and also interacted with
the authorities, Lamas and students to know their initiatives on how
the heritage of the region and monastery can be retained and
popularized in association with the joint activities of the IGNCA and
the Tawang Monastery.
|
May 29, 2007 |
|
2. |
Meeting held in Circuit
House where IGNCA Team members met the local Tangkha artists, elders,
Women, Monks and Resources Persons in Tawang in the afternoon to
discuss documentation, conservation and preservation of vanishing
traditional arts along with other relevant issues (customary laws,
language, scripts, medicinal and food plants, women’s specialty and
creativity, etc.)
|
May 29, 2007 |
|
3. |
IGNCA Team visited Anni
Gompa (Monastery of Buddhist Nuns) at Tawang, to discuss problems
of the Annis and also to preserve, conserve and document the
attributes of the Gompa.
|
May 29, 2007
|
|
4. |
IGNCA Team visited 6 th
Dalialama’s birth-place and monastery, Tawang (Urgelling Gompa)
and to see the foot-prints of 6th Dalai Lama.
|
May 30, 2007
|
|
5. |
IGNCA Team visited
Upper Bomdilla Monastery, Bomdilla, Arunachal Pradesh to meet the
monks and discuss about formation of committee to work jointly with
IGNCA. |
May 30, 2007
|
|
6. |
IGNCA Team visited
Lower Bomdilla Monastery, Bomdilla, Arunachal Pradesh.
|
May 30, 2007
|
|
7. |
IGNCA Team visited the
District Museum at Bomdilla, Arunchal Pradesh.
|
May 30, 2007 |
|
8. |
A Meeting with the
District Commissioner, Bomdilla, monks, Museum experts and local
resource Persons held at the Circuit House in Bomdilla, Arunachal
Pradesh.
|
May 30, 2007
|
|
9. |
A Daylong Meeting of
Experts, Scholars & People of Indigenous Knowledge Base on “Documentation,
Dissemination, Regeneration of Vanishing Knowledge System and Heritage
Elements of the Tribal Peoples of Arunachal Pradesh” at
Conference Hall, Rajiv Gandhi Central University, Rono Hills, Itanagar
(Organized in association with Arunachal Institute of Tribal Studies)
|
June 1, 2007
|
|
10. |
A Meeting with Museum
Experts and Resource Persons of Arunachal Pradesh in
Vidyut Bhawan, Directorate of Research under the Ministry of Tourism
and Cultural Affairs, Government of Arunachal Pradesh at Itanagar.
|
June 2, 2007 |

Quantitative
Achievements of the Visit
|
S.N. |
Items |
Quantity |
|
1. |
Books on tribal and
folk literature, language, culture, heritage, development etc. |
600 |
|
2. |
CD, DVD of the
programmes, activities, seminars, workshops, photography, landscape
etc. |
105 |
|
3. |
Photographs
· Still
photographs: 1000
· Digital
Photographs by P. Jha, Dr. Kailash Kumar Mishra: 2100
· Digital
Photographs by Dr. Richa Negi: 175
|
3275 |
|
4. |
Audio-video
Documentation:
· Elders’
dialogue on History and other pertinent issues
· Conversation
of women about the women’s participations in development of modern
Assamese Lifestyle
·
Documentation of Community-wise Customary Laws
·
Deliberations folk Deities, their morphological features, associated
myths and legends of Assam
·
Deliberations of the Meets of Museum Experts of Assam and Arunachal
Pradesh
· Proceedings
of the seminars/meets/workshops held in Itanagar, Tezpur University,
Gauhati University and Srmanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati,
Assam.
|
100 Hrs. |
|
5. |
Acquisition of Objects
· (Dari,
ornaments, musical instruments, terracotta items, garments etc.)
|
60 |
|
6. |
Coverage of activities
in the Local and National News Papers
· Activities
of Assam covered in 15 Newspapers (Dainik Jansadharan, Amar
Assam, Assamia Khabar, Dainik Jansadharan, assamia Pratidin, Assam
Tribune, Dainik Janmbhumi, etc.)
· Activities
of Assam covered in 2 Newspapers
|
17 |
|
7. |
Coverage of activities
in the Local and National Television Channels and Radio
· Activities
of Assam covered in 5 channels
· Activities
of Arunachal Pradesh covered in 2 channels
|
7 |
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