GUWAHATI, Jan 25 - The eighth Professor Bhuban Mohan Das Memorial Lecture was delivered in the Cotton University seminar hall today by distinguished anthropologist Prof TB Subba on the topic �Relocating Anthropological Studies in India�s Northeast�.
The lecture series is organised by the Department of Anthropology, Cotton University (the erstwhile Cotton College) in association with the family of Prof Das. It was initiated in 2011 under the aegis of the memorial trust formed to commemorate the life of the doyen of anthropologists in India and the North East.
Regarded as an authority on the diverse ethnic compositions of Assam and the North East, Prof Das authored ten books in English and 24 in Assamese on anthropological topics.
Delivering the lecture Prof Subba stressed the need for a strong correlation between the issues affecting society and the research work taken up by anthropological scholars.
Pointing out the issues affecting research works, he said unless research takes up the socially relevant topics, it cannot influence the policy makers and subsequently would make no contributions towards society.
�The North East is a hub of anthropological studies of all branches � cultural, linguistic physical etc. Our physical anthropologists have worked extensively on human biodiversity, they have not linked it with cultural, linguistic or environmental diversity, which overlap each other. Nor have they been able to evolve a regional level standard for growth, nutrition etc.,� he stated, adding that anthropologists need to relocate themselves, their area of expertise, their priorities, etc., in order to stay relevant and contribute positively to the region.
Earlier, Prof BC Goswami, Vice Chancellor of Cotton University (CU), while speaking as the guest of honour, outlined the relevance of anthropological studies. CU Registrar Prof Shikhar Kumar Sarma gave an overview of the lecture series, while Head of the Department, Anthropology Dr Upala Barua delivered the welcome speech. The event was compered by Dr Jonali Devi.
Srutimala Duara, educationist and daughter of Prof BM Das, dwelt on the contributions of her father and also his overall persona as an encouraging father and teacher. Eminent economist Dr Jayanta Madhab was also present on the occasion.
