Might be of interest.
For YETI
Debabrata Phukon
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Madhavi Latha <madhavi@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2019, 7:03 pm
Subject: Open defense of PhD thesis by Anirban Datta Roy on June 14, 2019
(Friday) at 11:00 am
To: Madhavi Latha <madhavi@xxxxxxxxx>
You are cordially invited to an open defense of PhD thesis
*Swidden, hunting and Adi culture: Highland transitions in Arunachal
Pradesh, India*
by
*Anirban Datta Roy*
*Ph.D. Scholar, ATREE*
Date & Time: June 14, 2019 at 11:00 AM
Venue: ATREE auditorium
------------------------------
*Abstract:* Indigenous communities across the biodiversity-rich uplands of
Southeast Asia and northeast India have been experiencing changes to their
lives and traditional livelihoods, as a result of policies and programmes
of the state. A capitalistic mode of production driven by globalization is
replacing the subsistence livelihoods of the past. In the mountains of
Arunachal Pradesh, the state pursues these changes with the stated
objective of 'development' of the uplands. The consequences of these
interventions both planned and unplanned are critical in determining the
future of these landscapes.
I studied the socio-ecological and agrarian practices of a remote upland
village in the eastern Himalayas and how households are being impacted by
developmental changes. Swidden cultivation (*jhum*) and subsistence hunting
are important activities of the Adi tribe of Upper Siang in Arunachal
Pradesh. For generations, swidden and hunting have been part of the
socio-cultural beliefs and practices of the Adi. However, traditional
activities such as these have been consistently discouraged by government
agencies from colonial times. The growing reach of the state has ensured
that upland peasants are no longer able to isolate themselves from the
forces of socio-economic and political change. The larger significance of
the state’s increased presence is beginning to manifest in the form of
permanent cultivation, privatisation of land and suppression of customary
local institutions.
I describe the history of Adi resistance to the colonial powers, which kept
the British out of the Siang valley. The eventual British strategy of
unjust policies, appropriation of land and curbing of traditional practices
set the stage for a coercive upland policy that continues till today. I
studied the impact of Adi culture and their animistic worldview on the
practice of swidden and hunting mediated through the spiritual world of
*uyu*. Contrary to perceptions, I found Adi culture to be flexible ‘hybrid
knowledge’ systems as a result of engaging with external drivers. However
the nature and magnitude of current changes are transforming Adi
livelihoods in far reaching ways.
Through a combination of Remote Sensing and qualitative interviews I found
that swidden has declined marginally in the study area while terraced Wet
Rice Cultivation (WRC) has become the most common form of agriculture.
Although factors like topography and availability of water influence the
creation of terraces, state schemes have promoted their spread. With the
growth of permanent terraces, privatization of land has increased while
younger people gravitate towards towns or find wage labour nearby.
I studied the influence of modern conservation approaches on subsistence
hunting among the Adi. While conservation practice proscribes hunting for
its adverse impact on biodiversity, I found that hunting and trapping forms
an integral part of Adi life and culture. Spatial and temporal patterns of
hunting revealed the importance of swidden fallows which provide half of
all large mammals harvested. Swidden fallows are also the primary source of
small and medium sized mammals as well as bird trapping. Large mammal
hunting was found to be a tightly controlled activity regulated by the Adi
*kebang* (traditional village council). Hunting was motivated by a variety
of social obligations and necessities that was more than for meat alone.
Swidden remains at the core of Adi social and cultural life apart from
being an appropriate agricultural system. However the most significant
change is the suppression of the Adi *kebang* through the growing role of
the Panchayati Raj. With increasing pressure from state and global forces
and the erosion of local institutions, the Adi of Upper Siang are facing a
scenario that is repeating itself across these highland regions. My work
contributes to the research on upland transformations and its implications
on indigenous minorities in the eastern Himalayas.
------------------------------
*Tea/coffee will be served downstairs at 10:30 AM*
--
__________________________________________________________________
Madhavi Latha G
The Academy for Conservation Science and Sustainability Studies
Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE),
Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur PO
Bangalore 560064, India
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Phone: +91-80-23635555 Extn: 121
Fax: +91-80-23530070
E-mail: madhavi@xxxxxxxxx
_________________________________________________________________
--
__________________________________________________________________
Madhavi Latha G
The Academy for Conservation Science and Sustainability Studies
Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE),
Royal Enclave, Srirampura, Jakkur PO
Bangalore 560064, India
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Phone: +91-80-23635555 Extn: 121
Fax: +91-80-23530070
E-mail: madhavi@xxxxxxxxx
_________________________________________________________________
