Participatory Research : It was decided that VKIC will not adopt the anthropological models generally practiced in conventional institutions for study of the communities as these have emerged from the bias of Western white men. VKIC will ensure that the community would participate in the research to understand itself in depth and take to the process of self-renewal in the context of the contemporary challenges without losing its identity. Thus, the seminars were conducted for various communities titled as ‘Traditional customs: Change and Continuity’. The Seminars thus become almost a year long process where the scholars belonging to the community alone would present the papers, but not taking excerpts from the books written by others. These scholars would discuss with the wise elders in the community and thus would write the papers that reflect the vibrancy and live practices of the communities giving the traditional interpretations and understandings of all rites and rituals, customs and practices, values, festivals etc. In the seminar, through the paper presentations, interactions and discussions they would discover the customs which were adopted in some specific situations and could be changed or needed to be changed; and all those practices which are of eternal value, which give the identity to the community etc. These seminars thus became instrumental in enhancing the confidence of the community in it’s culture and also to move ahead. For 26 communities, this vibrant process of Seminar through participatory research has been taken up.
Documentation : As many communities do not have the written records of its practices from the practitioner’s point of view, VKIC took up the work of documenting traditional institutions, internalization of the core eternal human values and its manifestation, oral history, rights and rituals, customary laws, Gods and Goddesses, festivals etc. Till date VKIC has brought out various books, CDs, monographs etc.
Recognition of dedication and service for culture : Our communities though organized internally very well to take care of the matters with respect to community, they are not specially equipped to face the aggression of the exclusive ideologies whether secular or religious. Even though its has been a centuries that the aggression is going on, the fact that many of the communities have retained their culture is due to the people who work with dedication for the protection of the culture of the community. On its Foundation Day, VKIC, honours such persons every year, and makes their work known to people.
Inter Community bonding : As the commonalities got focused through the work of VKIC, it helped in nurturing the inter community bonding. The communities also unhesitatingly come together on the VKIC platform for working for the development of the region.
VKIC as intellectual fountainhead : VKIC is a research institute. It sets itself to formulate the important thoughts and ideas which informs the various walks of life. Certain topics like the importance and relevance of Sattra, land policies of Assam, Indigenous Prayer Movements of Arunachal Pradesh, ‘Development through Culture’, are some of the areas in which VKIC gave the intellectual inputs which were later picked up at governmental or institutional or societal levels.
Samskriti Anveshak : In 1998, the Samskriti Anveshak Forum has evolved as an interdisciplinary platform to share and understand ideas and findings that affect or promote our culture. Till date 116 talks- some of which were a series on a specific topic- has been organised on various social, cultural, religious, literary and environmental issues.
