International Conference
On
"Performance and the Prospects of Folkloric Tribal Culture of Eastern India"
Sponsored by UGC SAP, DRS Phase II
Organized by the Department of English
Vidyasagar University, Medinipur, West Bengal, India.
DAY 1 - Tuesday, March 20, 2018
10.45 am – 11.00 am: Inauguration: A P J Abdul Kalam Hall
Prof. Ranjan Chakrabarti (Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, West Bengal)
11.00 am – 11.45 am: Keynote Address 1 A P J Abdul Kalam Hall
Decolonizing Indian Performance Studies: Perspectives and Prospects
Prof. Ananda Lal (Professor, Department of English, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, West Bengal)
11.45 am – 12.00 pm: Tea
12.00 pm – 1.00 pm: Plenary Session 1 (including Q&A session) A P J Abdul Kalam Hall
Traveling Exchanges: Theatres. Architectures, Heritage, and Performance Art
Dr. Kanta Kochhar-Lindgren (Fulbright-Nehru Senior Scholar and Indian-American Dance Artist, USA)
1.00 pm – 2.15 pm: Parallel Business Session 1 A P J Abdul Kalam Hall
A Paradigm of Folk Existence of the Sitala Cult Among the Savara of West Bengal—Dr. Proggya Ghatak (Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Singur Government College, Singur, West Bengal)
Performance in Transition: Understanding Santali Jatra in West Bengal—Amrita Middey (Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Pakuahat Degree College, Malda, West Bengal)
Mourning for Mahisasura: Some Aspects of ‘Bhuang Dance’ in the Tribal Belts of Jhargram—Dr. Pritha Kundu (Assistant Professor, Department of English, Hiralal Mazumdar Memorial College for Women, Dakshineswar, West Bengal)
Invention of Culture: Understanding Ritual, Performance and Identity in Tribal Eastern India—Dr. Sumahan Bandopadhyay (Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, West Bengal)
Parallel Business Session 2 Raj Narayan Basu Savakaksha
“Bonobibir Pala”: A Folkloric Theatrical Performance and Tribal Cultural Practices—Dr. Manisha Sarkar (Assistant Professor, Department of English, Bhairab Ganguly College, Kolkata, West Bengal)
Forest Conservation Through Faith, Folklore and Law: A Study of Environment in the Sundarbans Through Literary Representations of ‘Bonbibi’—Dyuti Banerjee & Debolina Dey (Advocates, Calcutta High Court)
Ulgulaan: A Revolt Against Environmental Exploitation—Dr. Sandip Kumar Mishra (Assistant Teacher, Balisai Patna Board High School, Ramnagar, West Bengal)
The Oraons and Santals of Sundarban: The Folk and Religious Practices—Ankana Das (Research Scholar, Department of English, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, West Bengal)
2.15 pm – 2.30 pm: Working Lunch
2.30 pm – 3.15 pm: Keynote Address 2 A P J Abdul Kalam Hall
The Status of Oral Discourse and Tribal Literature in India: A Theoretical Viewpoint
Prof. Jawaharlal Handoo (President, Indian Folklore Congress)
3.15 pm – 4.30 pm: Parallel Business Session 3 A P J Abdul Kalam Hall
Folk Performances and the European Gaze in Bengal in the Nineteenth Century-A Study in the Formation of Normative Distinction—Sarottama Majumdar (Assistant Professor, Department of English, Sarsuna College, Kolkata, West Bengal)
Dak Bapla: A Tribal Performance of Santals—Sanoj Stephen Hembrom (Junior Research Fellow, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, Jharkhand) & Dr. Md. Mojibor Rahaman (Associate Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, Jharkhand)
Ritual Theatre of Manipur: Tangkhul-Nurabi, a Primitive Folk Art Through the Elements of Tribal Culture—Dr. Manju Elangbam (Assistant Professor, Department of Umanglai Haraoba, Manipur University of Culture, Imphal, Manipur)
Rewriting Resistance: Folk Performance and Urban Stage in Malda—Dr. Samipendra Banerjee (Assistant Professor, Department of English, University of Gour Banga, Malda, West Bengal)
Parallel Business Session 4 Raj Narayan Basu Savakaksha
Performance and Politics: The Censorship Saga of ‘The Adivasi Will Not Dance’—Dr. Priyanka Tripathi (Assistant Professor of English, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Patna, Patna, Bihar)
All The World’s Her Stage: Revisiting Teejan Bai’s ‘Pandavani’—Nabanita Mitra (Assistant Professor, Department of History, Women’s Christian College, Kolkata, West Bengal)
Acculturation, Cultural Resistance or Cultural Rigging: Folk Performances in Popular Films—Bidisha Pal (Junior Research Fellow, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, Jharkhand) & Dr. Md. Mojibor Rahaman (Associate Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, Jharkhand)
The Performativity of Culinary Habits in Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar’s ‘They Eat Meat!’—Rony Patra (Project Fellow, UGC SAP-III DRS-II, Department of English, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, West Bengal)
4.30 pm – 5.45 pm: Parallel Business Session 5 A P J Abdul Kalam Hall
Baha and Sahrai Festivals: A Confluence of Tribal Artistic Traditions of Eastern India—Dr. Nikhilesh Dhar (Assistant Professor, Department of English, Onda Thana Mahavidyalaya, Bankura, West Bengal)
Bringing Both Folk and Lore Together To Dig Up Meanings in Reference To Tribal Groups of Eastern India—Manoj Kumar Behera (Research Scholar, Department of English, Utkal University, Odisha)
Saharai: Sangbaddhata o sangskritik sangrodh—Dr. Pralay Kumar Ghorai (Assistant Professor, Department of Bengali, Kalna College, Kalna, West Bengal)
Jatra: Bibartan Banglar Prekkhite—Priyanjana Banerjee (Research Scholar, Department of Folklore, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, West Bengal)
Parallel Business Session 6 Raj Narayan Basu Savakaksha
Exoticizing the Margins: Tribal Folklore and Performance in a Globalized World—Jayati Maity (Research Scholar, Department of English, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, West Bengal)
Shifting Paradigms in the Tribal Folk Practices: An Explorative Study of the Globalized Indian Folklore—Oliva Roy (Research Scholar, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, National Institute of Technology Durgapur, Durgapur, West Bengal)
From Page To Stage: Finding Folk Elements in Some Recent Theatrical Adaptations – A Cultural Confluence Through Performing Arts—Arnab Chakraborty (Guest Lecturer, Department of English, Chakdaha College, Chakdaha, West Bengal)
7.00 pm – 8.30 pm: Cultural Programme
VENUE: Open Air Theatre (in front of the Central Library, Vidyasagar University)
Essay on Seasonal Variation in Santhal Society
a contemporary theatre production of Trimukhi Platform
directed by Jean-Frédéric Chevallier in collaboration with Surujmoni Hansda and produced by Sukla Bar Chevallier
with/lighted by Bhudray Besra, Jean-Frédéric Chevallier, Dananjoy Hansda, Dulal Hansda, Joba Hansda, Chintamoni Hansda, Ramjit Hansda, Salkhan Hansda, Sukul Hansda, Surujmoni Hansda and Pini Soren
texts Bhudray Besra, Jean-Frédéric Chevallier, Dhani Hansda and Marc Hatzfeld
video Jean-Frédéric Chevallier
biographical investigation Bhudray Besra
light set-up Dulal Hansda and Sukul Hansda
computer Chintamoni Hansda
DAY 2 - Wednesday, March 21, 2018
9.30 am – 10.00 am: Keynote Address 3, Skype Presentation and online Interaction
Raj Narayan Basu Savakaksha
Ethnography and Evidence Conservation in the Greater South-Western USA
Dr. Alan P. Garfinkel Gold (Eminent anthropologist & archaeologist from San Francisco, CA, USA)
10.00 am – 10.30 am: Tea
10.30 am – 11.15 am: Keynote Address 4 A P J Abdul Kalam Hall
Prof. Deb Narayan Bandyopadhyay (Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, Bankura University, Bankura, West Bengal)
11.15 am – 12.15 pm: Plenary Session 2 (including Q&A session) A P J Abdul Kalam Hall
Theatre and Community: Rethinking Contemporary Performing Arts from a Santhal Village
Dr. Jean-Frédéric Chevallier (Director, Trimukhi Platform, Kolkata/Paris, France/India)
12.15 pm – 12.45 pm: Plenary Session 3 (followed by Q&A session 10 mins) A P J Abdul Kalam Hall
Prof. Saugata Bhaduri (Professor, Centre for English Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi)
12.55 pm – 1.25 pm: Plenary Session 4 (followed by Q&A session 10 mins) A P J Abdul Kalam Hall
Prof. Anshuman Khanna (Professor, Department of English, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh)
1.35 pm – 2.00 pm: Working Lunch
2.00 pm – 3.15 pm: Parallel Business Session 7 A P J Abdul Kalam Hall
Psychogeogrpahy and Folk Practices: A Study in the District of Nadia of West Bengal—Kajal Dey (Research Scholar, Department of Folklore, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, West Bengal)
The ‘Chhau’ Chronicles: A Lyrical Journey Captured Through Moments of Cultural Interaction—Sneha Roy Chowdhury (Research Scholar, Centre for Media Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi)
Street Deities: ‘Bahurupi’ and the Performative Art in West Bengal—Sourav Kumar Nag (Assistant Professor, Department of English, Onda Thana Mahavidyalaya, Bankura, West Bengal)
Changing Attribute: A Comparative Analysis of Two Bengali Pata Paintings—Bappa Maji, Debasish Ghorui (Research Scholars, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh) & Dr. Ritvij Bhowmik (Assistant Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh)
Parallel Business Session 8 Raj Narayan Basu Savakaksha
Raibenshi Dance and the Performance of Responsibility—Dr. Saurav Sengupta (Assistant Professor, Department of English, Damdama College, Kulhati, Assam)
Ojapali Matrix: Ethnic Spirit of Assam—Jayanto Ghosh (Assistant Professor, Department of English, Sri Ramkrishna Sarada Vidya Mahapitha, Kamarpukur, West Bengal)
Performance, Identity and Exposure: Tribal Culture on the Theatrical Stages of Present-Day West Bengal—Sougata Chakraborty (Research Scholar, Department of English, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, West Bengal)
The Politics of Performance: A Study of ‘Gambhira’ of Malda—Dolon Sarkar (Research Scholar, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh)
3.15 pm – 4.30 pm: Parallel Business Session 9 A P J Abdul Kalam Hall
Cultural Democracy, Social Equity and the Changu Dance of the Juang Tribe in Odisha: An Anthropoetic Performance Analysis—Dr. B. Siva Nagaiah & Dr Rajendra Kumar Dash (Associate Professors, Department of English, K L University, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh)
Coding Kirton: Decoding Rashleela from the Perspective of Carnival—Subhadip Konar (Research Scholar, Department of English and Culture Studies, University of Burdwan, Barddhaman, West Bengal)
Role of Bhagavata Tungis in the Socio-Cultural Regeneration of Odisha—Dr. Sasmita Kar (Entrepreneurship Coordinator, School of Education, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab)
Spirituality in the Tribe of Bodos—Dr. K. Usha Rani (Assistant Professor, Department of English, K L University, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh)
Parallel Business Session 10 Raj Narayan Basu Savakaksha
Revisiting the ‘Lost’ Folk Performances of Bengal: A Study of ‘Sitachuri Pala’ and ‘Jugi Jatra’—Mir Ahammad Ali (Assistant Professor, Department of English, Bhatter College, Dantan, West Bengal)
Metaphors for Identity: Exploring the Issues of Resistance, Representation and Borderlands in Gorkha Folk Music—Godhuli Goswami (Assistant Professor, Department of English, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Government College, New Town, Kolkata, West Bengal)
Performing Embodied Memories and Cultural Practices in Jharkhand—Subodh Kunwer (Research Scholar, School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi)
Performance as the Political: A Reading of the ‘Saved By Dance’ (‘Nachi Se Bachi’) Movement of Ram Dayal Munda During the Latter Phases of the Jharkhand Movement—Shabnam Parveen (Research Scholar, Centre For English Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi)
4.30 pm – 4.45 pm: Vote of Thanks A P J Abdul Kalam Hall