Department of Cultural Studies
Tezpur University
Granted the status of ‘Centre with Potential for Excellence in Particular Area’ by the UGC in 2016, the Centre on Cultural Memory in North-East India: A Research and Documentation Programme on Textual and Visual Narratives works with the mandate to explore and analyze texts relating to cultural memories in the context of North-East India, with particular focus on hitherto unexplored sites like photography and other visual narratives, oral traditions in addition to literary texts. This project is aimed at responding to the increasingly felt disparities in terms of listening, recording, documenting and disseminating the various local-specific narratives and worldviews about lived and recollected experiences of different ethnic communities.
The objective of this project is based on the understanding that collective memory and its cultural expressions are highly fluid sites of constructing the self and others, informed by several context-specific factors. The goal of this research project is to specifically understand the various historical junctures of modernity, industrialization and urbanity in the context of the eight different states of North-East India with particular reference to Assam.
Thematic Components:
Methodology
People and Areas of Research:
| # | Name | Area of Research |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Prof Debarshi Prasad Nath, Chief Co-ordinator, CPEPA and Faculty in Cultural Studies | Mercantile History, Environmental History, Women and Urbanity |
| 2. | Prof Prasanta Kumar Das, Faculty in English | Colonial Ethnographic Writings in English |
| 3. | Dr Parasmoni Dutta, Faculty in Cultural Studies | Memory of Market and Consumption, Urban Lifeworld, Documentation & Archiving |
| 4. | Dr Juri Gogoi Konwar, Faculty in Cultural Studies | Mercantile History (Border Trade) |
| 5. | Dr Jayanta V Das, Faculty in Cultural Studies | Progressive Movements, Media in North-East India |
| 6. | Dr Mandakini Baruah, Faculty in Cultural Studies | Women and Urbanity |
| 7. | Dr Hashik N. K., Faculty in Cultural Studies | Environmental History, Folk Religion |
| 8. | Dr Moushumi Kandali, Faculty in Cultural Studies | Visual & Literary Culture and Memory |
| 9. | Dr Juri Dutta, Faculty in Assamese Studies | Colonial Ethnographic Writings in Assamese |
| 10. | Dr. Mayuri Bordoloi, Research Fellow, CPEPA | Women and Urbanity, Performing Memory & Traditional Performances |
| 11. | Dr. Gaurav Rajkhowa, Research Fellow, CPEPA | Renditions of the National: Bhupen Hazarika and the Ideology of Voice in post-1950 Assam |
| 12. | Koustabh Jyoti Goswami, Project Fellow, CPEPA | Mercantile History and Documentation & Archiving |
| 13. | Upasana Hazarika, Project Fellow, CPEPA | Lifestyle and Urbanity in British Colonial Period |
| 14. | Lakhya Jyoti Gayan, Technical Assistant | Network Administrator |
Past Activities:
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| National Seminar on Colonial Writings On North East India. | 28-29 November 2019 |
| Workshop on Videography and Editing,Under the supervision of well-known filmmaker Mr. Tarun Bhartiya | 19-25th March 2019 |
| Third Advisory Committee Meeting | 7th March 2019 |
| Visit to Ranthali and Bebejia, Nagaon for field work on traditional Assamese ornaments and craft products | 18th February 2019 |
| National Seminar on 'Book History in North East India', Co-ordinated by Prof. Prasanta Kumar Das, Dean, Humanities and Social Sciences. | 11th-12th February 2019 |
| Installation of ‘Wall of Heroes’ Inaugurated by Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Vinod Kumar Jain | 30th Januray 2019 |
| Workshop on ‘Drama, Scripting, Designing and Music’Under the supervision of Adil Hussain, Tarali Sarma, Ashesh Malla, Subodh Patnaik, Ratna Pathak Shah and Naseeruddin Shah | 6th-8th Januray 2019 |
| Visit to various Satras and Salmara village in Majuli for field work on mask makers and potters | 15th-18th November 2018 |
| Receipt of the Artworks of Shree Neel Pawan Baruah, for the ‘Museum of Modern Art’ to be instituted by CPEPA, Tezpur University | 1st October 2018 |
| Second Advisory Committee Meeting | 16th March 2018 |
| Documentation of 'Archeological Excavation Sites of Assam' and 'Archiving of Visual Art (Phase-I): Modern Art' Dibrugarh |
21-24 February 2018 |
| Documentation Programme on 'Archiving of Visual Arts' From The Collection of Sri Nilpawan Baruah Guwahati | 16-19 February 2018 |
| Visit to Mizoram for Field Work | 10-15 February 2018 |
| Documentation on Rabha Traditional Marriage Hahim, Boko Tehsil | 24th January 2018 |
| Documentation on Assamese Wedding Ceremony of The Sankar Sangha, Guwahati | 20th January 2018 |
| Visit to Asia's Largest Dry Fish Market, Jagiroad for Field Work | 18-19 January 2018 |
| National Seminar on Women & Urbanity | 27-28 November 2017 |
| Workshop on Photography under the supervision of DNVS Seetharamaiah, SPO, IGNCA |
06-12 November 2017 |
| Visit to Manipur for Field Work | 28-31 August 2017 |
| Visit to Hahim Market for Field Work | 20-23 August 2017 |
| Visit to Shillong for Field Work | 26-29 June 2017 |
| Visit to Haflong for Field Work | 13-16 June 2017 |
| Visit to Mayamora Satra, Dibrugarh for Field Work | 11-16 June 2017 |
| Developed Cultural Interpretation Centre | 17th May 2017 |
| Workshop on 'Cataloguing of Museum Object' under the guidance of Prof A. K. Das, former Tagore Fellow, IGNCA – New Delhi. |
20-29 March 2017 |
| Workshop on 'Craft Practices of North-East India' | 02-16 March 2017 |
| First Advisory Committee Meeting | 16th January 2017 |
| National Seminar on Food Cultures of India | 01-02 December 2016 |