Participants of the one-day national symposium at Baptist College, Kohima, on Friday. EM images
KOHIMA — A national symposium on “Naga Oral Tradition and Tribal Culture,” organised by the Research and Development Cell of Baptist College, Kohima, in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), Regional Centre, Guwahati, was held at Baptist College, Kohima, on Friday.
According to the organisers, the symposium aimed to promote research on Naga oral traditions and indigenous knowledge systems and contribute to the preservation of intangible cultural heritage.
Prof. Anil Kumar, anthropologist and Head of the Janapada Sampada Division, IGNCA, New Delhi, emphasised the need to view culture from a holistic perspective.
He said IGNCA’s mandate includes studying rural, tribal and folk traditions through a holistic approach.
Research, he noted, should go beyond passive observation to active documentation and digitisation for wider dissemination. He added that the centre has extensively documented both tangible and intangible heritage across the northeastern states.
Kumar highlighted the importance of textiles in shaping cultural identity, noting that IGNCA has undertaken extensive research in the area.
He stressed the need for communities to interpret and document their own stories, cultures and traditions accurately, cautioning against misinterpretation.
He also underlined the importance of experiencing and participating in other cultures to develop a deeper understanding of them. According to him, cultures naturally begin to assimilate, exchange and adopt elements from one another when communities come into contact.
Kumar urged participants to preserve their cultural heritage for future generations and ensure that younger generations remain connected to their traditions.
Source: https://easternmirrornagaland.com/symposium-explores-naga-oral-traditions-tribal-culture