CHÜMOUKEDIMA, APRIL 28 (MExN): Modern College, Piphema held its third edition of the one-day State Level Students’ Seminar on April 25. The seminar was organised by the Department of History under the theme “Rethinking Naga History Beyond Tradition” and sponsored by the Department of Art and Culture, Government of Nagaland and the State Bank of India.
Keynote speaker Dr Nutazo Lohe, Assistant Professor of Phek Government College speaking on the theme “Rethinking the Discourse of Naga History,” shared his insights on the colonial narrative that the British left behind.
He said the history jotted down by the British lacked credibility due to the context and language gap and put forth the question of how and what do we do to reclaim our historical narratives beyond what is given to us. The discourse that we are mere objects of study in the museum must be challenged, he added.
In this connection, Lohe encouraged the students to visit their villages and speak with the elders about their culture and history during their summer breaks. He mentioned that as we continue to rely on the colonial narrative as our reference we must also critically analyse, practice validating and question such discourse.
He urged the students to think outside this predetermined framework and at the same time stay away from one’s own biases and subjectivity. “It is good to be rooted in our own culture but it is necessary to go beyond and research about other cultures and traditions to refine our own,” he stated.
Colleges from across the state participated and attented the seminar. Students from Modern College Piphema, Baptist College Kohima, Don Bosco College Kohima, Baptist College Sechu Campus, Phek Government College and Unity College Dimapur presented their papers on various topics under the theme. Out of 11 paper presentation, and the best presenter of the seminar was awarded to Diezenuo Chuzho.
