Call For Papers : Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Culture of Agriculture in the Communities of Northeast India

The agriculture sector of India in contemporary times faces two challenges. One, intensification of land use to raise food production for the rising population, and two, the challenges posed by natural resource degradation and climate change caused particularly by variable rainfall and extreme weather events.

Khasi Marriage System

The foundation of the Khasi society is based on the concept of Kur and Kha. Ka Tipkur ka Tipkha is a respectful recognition of the basic social structure, which consists of either maternal or paternal relationships. All those who are descendants of the same ancestral mother belong to the same Kur or clan and members of the father’s clan are not Kur but Kha. It enjoins all to know and respect each other, to recognize one’s relation on both sides and to give due regard to them.

Tribal Studies: Search for the Common Thread of Unity

The micro data of different communities of India –its castes and tribes – if put together and viewed in macro frame-work often leads us to the threads of unity. The apparent diversity, the cultural plurality gives way to commonality of cultural elements, our cultural continuum. Our approach brings a lot of difference – the approach whether we want to emphasize the diversity or intend to search the basic materials of culture, the permutation and combination of which make the difference.

Underlying Bond of Unity: Some Aspects of the Rabhas and the Garos

Rabhas are one of the largest communities of northeast India and spread throughout Assam, Meghalaya and West Bengal and also some parts of Bangladesh. Claimed themselves as origin from Tibeto-Burman linguistics stocks, the Rabhas inherited one of the richest socio-cultural trends. They are sub-divided into Rongdani, Pati, Maitori, Bilotia, Hana, Chunga, Totla, Dahori etc.

Main Ceremonies of the Khasi

The latest VKIC Publication, The Main Ceremonies of the Khasi was released on the occasion of the inauguration of the NRL CONFERENCE HALL at the Vivekananda Kendra Institute of Culture [VKIC], Guwahati, by Shri Dipak Chakravarty, Managing Director, Numaligarh Refinery Ltd. Originally written in Khasi by KS Marbaniang, Sitimon Sawian and Wallamphang Roy, they have been translated into lucid English by the well known author of Shadow Men, Bijoya Sawian.

VKIC foundation day 2015

Chairman VKIC, Dipok Kr Barthakur, delivering the welcome address mentioned that this year is significant for VKIC as it the birth centenary year of Eknathji Ranade, the founding father of Vivekananda Kendra and Vivekananda Rock Memorial. His vision to establish a centre to study the culture of Northeast of India led to the inception of Vivekananda Institute of Culture (VKIC) in 1993.