Mananeeya Nivedita R Bhide visits VKIC
Mananeeya Nivedita R Bhide, All India Vice President Vivekananda Kendra Kanyakumari visited VKIC on the 9thJan to 11th Jan 2023. First on the schedule was her talk on ‘Development Through Culture’ for the business community of Guwahati at Alok Bhawan Machkhowa which was jointly organized by VKIC and the Laghu Udyog Bharati. While addressing the gathering she said there cannot be an uniform developmental approach wherein the yardstick has been provided by the west and success of business or economy is based therein. We must look for developmental models which are localized keeping in tune with the local cultural ethos as culture is the fundamental component of sustainable development. She further said that the world now recognizes the need for an integrated, inclusive and holistic approach to development rather than the conventional target-oriented statistical approach. The audience thanked the organizers for the insightful talk and expressed their desire to associate with VKIC in future.
On the 10th of Jan 2023 a research methodology workshop was organized for the Research Associates (RA’s) of VKIC which was attended by participants from Manipur Chapter as well. A brief overview of the workshop is presented below for the readers.
The workshop commenced with the RA’s presenting on the activities of VKIC and sharing their experiences relating to it with Mann. Nivedita Bhide ji.
Mann. Bhide ji further explained how VKIC has adopted a unique Research Methodology of community seminars and participatory research rather than pure academic research. The purpose of such seminars is to build up the confidence of the community, correct interpretations of the customs and the rituals, to understand the practices which have died down with time and needs a revival besides reforming the customs to make it relevant with the changing times. Besides creating confidence in the youth and ensuring an environment of cultural assurance through such seminar thus strengthening such Shakti Kendras of the communities.
She further elaborated as to how subjects like Anthropology were introduced by the British and deliberate mistranslations and misinterpretations of rituals and practices were done to alienate the individual from the community and create a sense of inferiority complex in the community which in turn helped the missionary design and thus break India. Besides these customs and rituals are not recorded which gives the forces with vested interest freehand to interpret and achieve their vicious designs. Thus, VKIC conducts Participatory/Community Seminars which are non-academic seminars wherein the researchers are the practitioners and not the academicians from the universities. The paper presenters strictly must be from the community. Involvement of the Gaon Buras, the priests are for authenticity of the practices and also to establish them in the society as they bind the community together.
Further spelling out the role of Research Associates she said that we must act as catalyst to the seminars. She said “As research scholars- can I find commonalities with my community and the community where we initiate such seminars – such a comparative analysis can itself be an aspect of research.” She asked VKIC to publish the proceedings of the workshop as a book of Research Methodology.
On the following day Mann. Nivedita met the members of the Executive Council and Research Advisory Council. Various matters regarding VKIC’s regular activities and role of VKIC in C20 was discussed.
