Modern College hosts seminar on Naga history

DIMAPUR — Modern College, Piphema, hosted its third edition of the one-day state-level students’ seminar on Thursday, organised by the department of History, themed ‘Rethinking Naga history beyond tradition’.

According to a press release, the seminar was sponsored by the department of Art and Culture and the State Bank of India. The keynote speaker for the seminar was Dr. Nutazo Lohe, assistant professor at Phek Government College.

Speaking on the occasion, Lohe expressed concern about the colonial narrative left behind by the British. He emphasised that the history documented by the British lacked credibility due to contextual and linguistic gaps. Dr. Lohe raised the question of how Nagas could reclaim their historical narratives beyond what was imposed upon them.

Speaking on the occasion, Lohe mentioned his concern about the colonial narrative that the Britishers left behind. He said that the history jotted down by the Britishers lacked credibility due to the context and language gap and raised the question of how Nagas could reclaim their historical narratives beyond what was given to them.

He stressed the need to challenge the notion that Nagas are merely objects of study in museums and encouraged students to visit their villages and engage with elders to learn about their culture and history during their summer breaks.

He mentioned that as Nagas continue to rely on the colonial narrative as their reference, they must also critically analyse, practice validating and question such discourse.

“Can we think outside this predetermined framework and at the same time stay away from our own biases and subjectivity?” He questioned and advised that while it is good to be rooted in their own culture, it is necessary to also go beyond and research other cultures and traditions to refine their own.

Colleges from across the state participated in the seminar, and 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 related to the theme.

In total, 11 participants presented their papers, and the best presenter of the seminar was awarded to Diezenuo Chuzho.