Two-day National seminar begins at MU
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 17 2016: A two-day National seminar on 'State, Civil Society and Social Movements in Contemporary NE India: Approaches and Responses' started today at the conference hall of Sociology Dept, Manipur University.

The seminar is being organised by the Dept of Sociology, MU under the sponsorship of Indian Council of Social Sciences Research, New Delhi.

Vice-Chancellor of MU, Prof HNK Sarma; Dean, SSS, MU Prof N Lokendra; Prof Dipti Ranjan Sahu of Sociology Dept, University of Lucknow; Prof Rakesh Batabyal of Centre for Media Studies, JNU and Dr RK Nimai, Consultant to Govt of Manipur attended the inaugural session as the chief guest, president and guests of honour respectively.

Prof Kshetri Rajendra was the keynote speaker.

Speaking at the occasion, Prof HNK Sarma said that Manipur has become a big laboratory for social scientists and research scholars.

Some complex issues and turmoil have surfaced in Manipur during the past few decades, he said while adding that a dramatic change in the structure of the society has been witnessed.

The State is in a situation where anything can happen on a daily basis.

Instances of mob justice and the public taking the law in their hands has become the order of the day, he said while maintaining that these happenings are not at all a healthy sign.

These happenings have led to chaos and social unrest in the State.

At the same time the morality of the people has waned.

He further exuded confidence that crucial issues confronting the State would be addressed by the resource persons during the two-day seminar.

Delivering the keynote address, Prof Kshetri Rajendra of Sociology Dept, MU said that North East, particularly Manipur is in deep crisis.

A number of issues, conflicts and contestations are challenging the existence of Manipur as a unified entity, he said.

Although the prime focus of the seminar is on the recent cycle of protests and agitation in favour and against the implementation of ILPS in the State, similar protests and movement on other issues in the State and other parts of NE must also be addressed to give a comparative as well as comprehensive understanding of the relationship between the State, CSOs and social movement in the region, he said.

Prof Rajendra further said that the ILP movement cannot be understood in isolation of other movements and issues like Indo-Naga framework agreement, AFSPA, territorial integrity, migration, identity question, etc.

He underscored the urgent need to facilitate dispassionate exchange of views and opinions among subject experts, scholars and activists.

As such, the seminar aims to initiate policy-oriented discourses to develop practical models of contestations, movement activism of civil society, the State intervention and public response that can strike a seemingly difficult balance between the State, civil society and social movements in NE India by synthesising their approaches and responses.

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