KORAPUT: A two-day national seminar on Role of Tribal Museums in the Preservation of Tribal Culture was held at the Council of Analytic Tribal Studies complex here Monday.
The seminar was organised as part of the silver jubilee celebrations of the tribal museum of Koraput. Eminent scholars from all over the state attended the seminar. The focal point of the two day deliberations was the importance and sheer lack of proper tribal museums both in the state and nation. Students of Central University, Koraput and Vikram Dev College, Jeypore took part in the deliberations as well.
The Seminar was inaugurated by Koraput Collector K Sudarshan Chakravarthy along with the Vice Chancellor of the Central University, Koraput Sachidananda Mohanty. Eminent anthropologist Kishore Basa gave the key note address in which he elaborated the impact of globalisation on tribal communities. Basa opined that multifaceted tribes are negatively affected not only in India but all over the world.
Vice Chancellor Mohanty said that in the name of development, the life, livelihood, culture and habitat of indigenous people has been brought under severe stress. Octogenarian scholar S N Rath stressed that tribal studies have been traditionally pioneered by anthropologists over the last hundred years whose purposes were different than what they are conceived now.
Anil Dhir, Project Head of INTACH Odisha, said that cultural loss among the tribal communities was intangible in nature. Hence, it was difficult to comprehend the extent of the loss. The aspect of tribal identity is essential, if the tribes lose it they become mere commodities. He said that platforms like tribal museums should be created where the intangible heritage can be shared, preserved and promoted. As per the 2011 Census, 32% of Odisha’s tribal population now lives in non-tribal areas, mostly urban.
Gadhadhar Parida, former collector of Koraput and Director of the tribal museum said that Museums can become the catalysts for tribal studies, and serve as a communication tool, disseminating beliefs and traditions of the indigenous people. Tribal expert A C Sahoo, who has spent years in the Bonda hills, opined that tribal museums can create a network of support for fringe groups and can prevent culture and languages from dying.