RGU oral culture seminar
RONO HILLS, 20 Nov: Renowned poet and writer Dr Easterine Kire set the tone for a two-day national seminar at Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) here on Thursday, urging scholars and students from the Northeast to reclaim their narratives and challenge longstanding stereotypes.
Delivering the keynote address at the inaugural session of the seminar on ‘Oral culture and tribal knowledge system: Preservation and praxis for viksit Bharat’, Dr Kire reflected on the depth and resilience of oral traditions in the region. She noted that, historically, narratives from the Northeast were often sidelined or misrepresented in mainstream discourse.
“In the past, it was often difficult for writers and scholars from the Northeast to find space in national platforms, and the mass media at times contributed to stereotyping and the primitivisation of indigenous communities,” she said.
Dr Kire stressed that the responsibility now rests with Northeastern writers, researchers, and cultural practitioners to actively counter such distortions. She urged the audience to reject externally imposed labels and instead redefine and reclaim their identities with confidence.
Celebrating the richness of indigenous heritage, she encouraged young scholars to write boldly about their cultures, traditions, and histories. Affirming the depth of indigenous worldviews, she said, “We have our own universe,” calling on participants to “safeguard our truths.”
RGU Social Sciences Dean Prof Uttam K Pegu highlighted the significance of documenting and preserving oral traditions in an age of rapid digital transformation, while the seminar’s convener Prof Kh Kabi stressed on the need for “renewed scholarship and community engagement in the field of tribal knowledge systems.”
RGU Registrar Dr NT Rikam also addressed the gathering and acknowledged the continued institutional commitment towards research on indigenous communities.
The session also witnessed an address by RGU Vice-Chancellor (i/c) Prof SK Nayak, who underscored the university’s mission to strengthen research on tribal identities, knowledge forms, and cultural expression.
The seminar, organised by RGU’s mass communication department and sponsored by the North Eastern Council (NEC), has brought together scholars, writers, researchers and students to deliberate on the vital role of oral culture in preserving indigenous knowledge systems.
The two-day seminar is expected to generate meaningful dialogue on the preservation, revitalisation, and practical application of tribal and oral knowledge systems.
