TISS Guwahati hosts national seminar on rethinking culture in NE amid shifting socio-political realities
In a move to deepen academic engagement with the evolving cultural landscape of Northeast India, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Guwahati Off-Campus, organized a two-day national seminar titled “Rethinking Culture: Retrospect and Prospect in the Northeast India Context.” Sponsored by ICSSR-NERC, Shillong, the event brought together a wide range of scholars, researchers, and students to interrogate and interpret the region’s cultural pasts and futures through multidisciplinary perspectives.
The seminar opened with the institute song, followed by a felicitation of guests and a thematic introduction by Dr. Subeno Kithan, convener and faculty at the Centre for Sociology and Social Anthropology (CSSA). The welcome address was delivered by Prof. Jagannath Ambagudia, Campus Director, who emphasized the seminar’s role in reorienting cultural conversations around Northeast India.
A major highlight of the opening day was a thought-provoking address by Prof. N. Sudhakar Rao, former Anthropology professor at the University of Hyderabad, who stressed the ethical complexities of researching and representing culture, especially in regions marked by diversity and historical marginalization.
Renowned sociologist Prof. Virginius Xaxa, visiting professor at the Institute for Human Development (IHD), New Delhi, delivered the keynote address. He urged scholars to reject static views of culture, arguing instead that culture is a constantly shifting construct, shaped by how communities choose to represent and negotiate their identities in contemporary times.
“Culture should not be treated as a frozen artefact of tradition, but rather as a dynamic site of identity, resistance, and change,” Prof. Xaxa remarked.
Dr. Abhinandan Saikia, Associate Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Humanities, TISS Guwahati, delivered the vote of thanks, concluding the inaugural session.
Over the two days, academic sessions and paper presentations covered a broad thematic range—ethnography, literature, food, gender, health, material culture, legal frameworks, and the digital transformation of cultural practices.
From tracing traditional healing practices to analyzing gender roles in indigenous festivals and examining digital media’s influence on language use, the sessions offered fresh insights into how Northeast Indian cultures are both enduring and transforming.
A key highlight on Day 2 was a roundtable discussion featuring Prof. Akhil Ranjan Dutta, Prof. Kedilezo Kikhi, Dr. Ngamjahao Kipgen, and Prof. N. Sudhakar Rao, who collectively examined culture through historical, political, and environmental lenses, stressing the region’s complex interplay of tradition, modernity, and statehood.
The seminar concluded with a valedictory session chaired by Dr. Yengkhom Jilangamba, Chairperson of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, TISS Guwahati.
Prof. Kalpana Sarathy, Dean of the School of Social Work, TISS Guwahati, in her address, called for rethinking research methodologies in cultural studies to more accurately reflect the lived socio-political realities of the region.
The final vote of thanks was offered by Dr. Stephen Pamei, Chairperson, CSSA.
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