Semir organized on role of indigenous knowhow towards sustaible development

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KOKRAJHAR, May 17: The All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU organized a tiol semir to deepen the understanding on indigenous knowledge-technologies and its various challenges for ensuring sustaible development and to find a way forward for revitalization, promotion and documentation of critical indigenous knowledge-technologies as means for sustaible development through consultative process.

The ABSU is focusing on issues related to indigenous knowledge and technologies that can become critical in promoting sustaible development. As a part of economic awareness year, the ABSU organized a day-long semir on ‘The role of indigenous knowledge-technology in sustaible economic development and policy of central, state and autonomous councils’ at the conference hall of Sankardev Kalakhetra recently.

The keynote speech was delivered by Pramod Bodo, president of ABSU. In his keynote address, he mentioned about importance of sustaible development. “Indigenous knowledge and skills available in the society must also be tapped for economic and social uplift. The focus must not confine to only skills for machines, digital and industry based technology. Businesses and industries must also give priority to rural and indigenous products. Fincial institutions should not run only after successful technology entrepreneurs but give equal preference, if not more, to rural and indigenous entrepreneurs and enterprises. Governments must create a level playing field through policy intervention to make rural and indigenous enterprises successful,” said Pramod Bodo.

Iugurating the semir, Debojit Khound, Economic Adviser of North Eastern Council, said that conventiol economic model had not been able to bring change and hence a bottom-up approach was needed in the region.  He shared some activities of NEC and the way they had been effective in some parts of the region related to economic development.

Adip Phukan, senior jourlist, said that economic development was not taking place as policies were implemented from the top. He spoke about the areas which were linked with indigenous knowledge and said that new perspectives were needed for development.

Achinta Kr Baruah, faculty from Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship, said that there was problem with attitude in comparison with other parts of the country. He said that there was need to do alysis and move ahead for entrepreneurship growth.

Amiya Sarma, Director of Rashtriya Grameen Vikash Nidhi, said that paradigm shift was needed to bring development to the region. There must be good governce and rule of law for the change and there must be vibrant public institutions for brining economic development.

Mril Gohain, Regiol Mager of Action Aid, said that many places in the State had lost tural resources like forest cover.

Jennifer Liang, Maging Trustee of Action Northeast Trust, shared the experiences of social business Agor’.  She said that there should be short-term courses to mage local business and there must be more indigenous entrepreneurs for brining economic development.

Other speakers included Dr Hemen Bhattacharjya, Director; Extension Education of Assam Agriculture University, who said that there must be market-linked production.  He also gave data related to agriculture production from four districts of BTC.

Dr P S Harikrishraj, Assistant General Manger of BARD, shared the activities of the bank and the exposure programme for entrepreneurs.

Dr B K Bhatttacharjya, Regiol head of ICAR –ICFRI said that indigenous technical knowledge could be mixed with modern technologies for yielding more production.  He also said that Geographical Index was needed for documentation and resource mapping was important.

Barun Mandal, Junior Inspector of Coir Board, spoke about Coir Board and its functions. Other speakers and guests included Pratibha Brahma, social worker from Kokrajhar ; Manoj Basumatary, entrepreneur from Sonitpur ; Pushpadhar Das from Bagsa; Utpal Jyoti Sarma, Programme Coorditor, KBK, Bagsa; Hitesh Basumatary, MLA from Chapaguri;  Govinda Basumatary and Dhiren Bodo, general secretary and chairman of NDFB(P); Rwn Gwra rzary , Nirmal Brahma and Guneswar Gayari , MCLAs of BTC; Bhaskar Deuri , president of All Deuri Students’ Union and Ratan Kachari , president of All Sonowal Kachari Students’ Union.  The semir was chaired by Raju rzary, Executive Director of NERSWN. Eight successful indigenous entrepreneurs were felicitated by ABSU on the occasion. The semir was attended by people from different parts of the State.