Look North East to Act North East: Negotiating Cultural Diversity and other Contesting Issues
22nd to 23rd September 2019
Sponsored by
MAKAIAS (Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies)
Organized by
Nehru College, Pailapool, Cachar, Assam, India
Call for papers
Nehru College, Pailapool, Cachar, in collaboration with Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies(MAKAIAS), Kolkata is going to organise a National seminar on the theme “Look North East to Act North East: Negotiating Cultural Diversity and other Contesting Issues” from 22nd to 23rd September 2019. Original and unpublished research papers are invited from teachers, researchers and interested participants for presentation at the seminar.
Concept Note
In 1991, Indian Foreign policy had a watershed moment as the country shifted her conventional trade focus from its western shores to the verdant Eastern horizons, stretching deep into our South East Asian Neighbourhood. Thus, the vision of Look East was born. The aim was to refresh political ties, forge regional security, cooperation and develop economic linkages by increasing integration with Southeast Asia. From that distant dream of bridging the ASEAN brotherhood, India has come a long way indeed to arrive at the Act East Policy initiated in 2014.
Truly, ever since India transformed its Look East policy to Act East, there have not been any looking back and continuous efforts are in place to make this initiative practical and result oriented. No more a mere economic strategy, today’s Act East policy of India is an inclusive vision that gives voice to a mottled bouquet of interests. Relying on the 3 C's : Culture, Connectivity and Commerce, it plays on many a diverse chord – from Counter- terrorism initiative to Maritime Cooperation, and from Cultural exchange to Cyber security Capacity Building.
Promising as it is, the Act East approach has its own challenges though. Among the several of those, one is its many binaries with North-East India. The country’s gateway to the southeast Asia- as the region is often called- it is one of the most diverse, culturally rich and naturally endowed regions as well. It is a land where multiple ethnicities reside; every ethnic community has a history and shares a cultural memory. There exists tension among these communities and the conflict of space and identity is further intensified by immigrant forces and acculturation. With a narrative of decades old economic deprivation, political exploitation and cultural aggression, this region is sure to play a decisive role in the future course of India’s Act East policy.
The proposed two day National Seminar anticipates an intellectual deliberation on the multifaceted and evolving contours of the Act East Policy and its myriad footprints on the social, economic, cultural as well as political texture of North East India, in order to contribute and make substantive inputs to a meaningful realization of the policy. Furthermore, as many eminent scholars of Cultural Studies, Sociologists, Historians and Economists of international repute have kindly consented to grace the seminar, we envisage positioning the thinking minds from diverse academic stratas together, resulting into some truly enlightening dialogues and discourses.
Sub- themes
1. Theorizing Multiculturalism
2. Language and Cultural Diversity in North East India
3. Look North East to Act North East : Contexts
4. Democracy and Diversity: Political Participation and Representation
5. Human Rights and Civil Rights in the North East India : Assertions and Violations
6. Issues of Ethnicity, Migration, Identity
7. Cultural Diversity and Contesting Issues: Representations in Literature
8. Oral Traditions of North East Societies: Issues of Acculturation
9. Folk Traditions of Northeast: Challenges in the Context of Globalization
10. Role of Translation in North East India
11. Tourism in North East: Problems and Prospects
12. Issues of Transport and Communication in North East India
Submission and Registration guidelines:
Abstracts (250-300 words, with maximum 5 key words, MS Word, font size 12 points, Times New Roman with 1.5 spacing, justified, 3 cm margin on all sides) should be sent to nehrucollege.seminar@gmail.com on or before 25th August, 2019. All abstracts will be scrutinized through blind review by the editorial board. The selected authors shall be informed individually via their respective emails.
Shortlisted authors must submit full papers (5000 – 7000 words) on or before 20th September 2019 without fail. Details for the article format will be communicated at a later stage. Each participant will be given 20 minutes for oral presentation on the day of seminar. (subject to change, depending on the number of participants in each technical session).
Registration:
Registration:
Selected participants have to go through the registration process on arrival, on the opening day of the seminar, paying an amount of Rs.1000 (with paper) or Rs.500 (without paper). In case of multiple authors for a single presentation, all participating authors must pay Registration fee individually.
Accommodation:
The Organizing Committee may assist the outstation participants in arranging the accommodation and the payment in this regard has to be be made by the paricipants to the concerned Hotel/Guest House. The information in this regard has to be made at least three days before the event.
Travelling Allowances:
There is no provision for travelling allowance, however free return bus service will be provided from Silchar to the venue (Nehru College) and vice versa on both the days, initiating from a common pickup point at Silchar.
Accommodation:
The Organizing Committee may assist the outstation participants in arranging the accommodation and the payment in this regard has to be be made by the paricipants to the concerned Hotel/Guest House. The information in this regard has to be made at least three days before the event.
Travelling Allowances:
There is no provision for travelling allowance, however free return bus service will be provided from Silchar to the venue (Nehru College) and vice versa on both the days, initiating from a common pickup point at Silchar.
Professor Dipendu Das
Patron, Organizing Committee
President, Governing Body
Nehru College, Pailapool
Dean, SKC School of English & Foreign Language Studies
& Professor, Department of English
Assam University, Silchar
Dr. Purnendu Kumar
Chairperson, Organizing Committee
Principal
Nehru College, Pailapool
Dr. Shuvajit Chakraborty
Coordinator , Organizing Committee
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science
Nehru College, Pailapool, Cachar. Assam
Phone : +91 – 9435172649
Mrs. Madhumita Das
Joint Coordinator , Organizing Committee
Associate Professor, Department of History
Nehru College, Pailapool, Cachar. Assam
Phone : +91 – 9435071006
Dr. Indranil Dey
Joint Coordinator , Organizing Committee
Assistant Professor, Department of English
Nehru College, Pailapool, Cachar. Assam
Phone : +91 – 9435175355
How to reach the college
About the place and the College
Surrounded by hills from three sides – the Barail Range on the north, the West Manipur Hills on the East, and the Mizo hills on the south, Nehru college is located along the southern banks of the sinuous steams of Chiri River at the picturesque locales of Pailapool, 25 km eastwards from the city of Silchar. Set at the heart of green paddy fields, lavish tea gardens and inviting pineapple gardens, the college is indeed an ‘anthropological garden’ itself, that has been for the last 50 years, a centre of learning and knowledge to students from communities as diverse as Bengalis, Biharis, Manipuris, Tribes from Tea gardens, Hmars, Khasis, Rongmeis, Chirus, Kukis, Rajbongsis, Dimasas and even more.
Venue:
