CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG: In a landmark declaration, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Thursday announced that the state government is preparing to launch an extensive research initiative to trace the origins of its tribal communities. Speaking at the inaugural session of the two-day National Seminar on “His Footprints in Time: Trailblazers of Meghalaya in the Making of Modern India” at Synod College, Shillong, the Chief Minister revealed that a dedicated team will be constituted under the Department of Arts and Culture to undertake an expansive exploration—both within the country and abroad—into the historical journey of Meghalaya’s tribes.
During his address, Sangma underlined that the initiative would culminate in a detailed programme within the next two to three months, adding that the Art and Culture Department has been tasked with spearheading the effort.
He reflected on the broader intent behind the seminar itself, stating, “This seminar, as I said, it’s not about talking about the contributions alone that these individuals have made, but it talks about the lives that they have touched—and more importantly, the lives they will inspire in the days to come. Through seminars like these, through documentation and papers that will come out, I’m sure the impact of how it will touch lives—whether it touched the lives of the person who was actually working and doing their bit or even now by listening to their life history and their contribution—those lives will be touched. So that’s what really makes this seminar even more special to me.”
Sangma said, “I’ve always stressed that one thing I would like to change, especially from the academy’s point of view, is documentation and research. And I have said this many, many times. I’m not saying this just because we are here today—this is something that is very, very crucial. That’s why every time there is a seminar to be held, whether it’s here or in any other college, most colleges will share with you that I have always done my best to support different seminars and encouraged them to always come out with some book or some kind of compilation of the text. We started last year urging that these books be circulated to different colleges across the state and possibly across the Northeast region—not just as research but as part of the learning experience for our children. We placed them in libraries across the state, the region, and also in large universities and colleges across the country. And that is something we should really focus on—how we can further send these books to different parts of the country.”
He added, “As part of the research aspect, it’s again one area that I have been pushing. About a year and a half back, we started a programme where we have research scholars being supported by the state government. We started with a small group of about 50, giving a seed fund of about three lakhs per research scholar. My intention is to expand this even further and support more and more research.”
Returning to the proposed research initiative, Sangma reaffirmed the need for immersive, on-the-ground study.
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