Academic Sessions
Ashtalakshmi Sant Vichaar Sammelan
At the core of each of the Sammelans are the Academic Sessions that invite spiritual leaders, thought leaders, academicians, poets, artists, authors to come together over discussions, presentations, deliberations, debates on learnings, experiences, and perspectives – a practice that is ancient in India, and so necessary in a world going increasingly global.
Following the tradition started by the Vishwatmak Sant Sahitya Sammelan, the crux of the Ashtalakshmi Sant Vichaar Sammelan was also the Academic Sessions.
Spread out over two days, these content heavy sessions were by a mix of academicians, field workers, policy makers, and thought leaders. Apart from an introduction to the North East way of life, the sessions were conceptualized with a view toward problem definition and solution brainstorming too.
Academic Sessions 1
Spiritual Traditions & Practices
in North Eastern States of India
As the introductory session of the Ashtalakshmi Sant Vichaar Sammelan, this panel presentation helped acquaint the audience to the plethora of traditions & practices found in the north eastern states of India, whether they are mainstream religious practices or even specific practices of certain communities, indigenous tribes, faith groups, etc.
From Prof Gogoi talking about a continuous flow of cultural history from prehistoric times to the present, to Nikhil Newaskar defining a Sant as a genius who stays amongst the masses to keep the society running in the right direction, the panel presentation set the tone for the rest of the Sammelan to follow.
“There is no mainstream or sidestream in Sanatan Dharma. It is like an ocean which takes everything and makes it its own.” – Jishnudev Varma
From Left to Right:
Swami Tryambakanand (Ramkrishna Sangh)
Dr Sangeeta Gogoi (Dept of History, Mangaldai College, Assam)
Swagat Adhyaksha Dy CM, Govt of Tripura Shri Jishnudev Varma
Swami Chitta Maharaj
Nikhil Newaskar (RSS Praant Pracharak, Tripura Praant)
Moderated by Parth Sarathi Dutta (Grassroots Social Worker, NE region)
There is no mainstream or sidestream in Sanatan Dharma. It is like an ocean which takes everything and makes it its own
Academic Sessions 2
Traditional Roots of North East Bharat
Exploring the History of Yogic, Tantric, and Healing Traditions
The second session of the Sammelan focused on the variety of Shakti worship in the North East as well as the Yogic and Healing traditions prevalent in the region. With a number of Shakti Peeths, Devi worship, and Tantric practices that the region is known for since ancient times, this was a lively discussion that included researchers of temples, culture, and myth making, as well as practitioners of Shaiva, Shakta, and Vaishnav traditions of the North East region of India.
O Rilando Shallam, spoke about how faith amongst the indigenous people gets passed down orally and through traditions rather than through writing or formal education. He also cautioned against the gentrification of these faith systems in today’s world.
Brajamani Sharma spoke about the devotional aspect of the Rasleelas while Agastya Sanjeev compared Assamese Tantric practices to Tantric practices in Kerala. His observation was that the practices in Kerala showed more Vedic influences than the ones in Assam.
Manushi Sinha Rawal brought a different perspective of healing our collective Dharmic traumas brought about by invading forces through the last many centuries.
Dr Sourish Devburman spoke about the Kirat people as mentioned in the Mahabharat as the people of what is the current North East.
From Left to Right:
Manoshi Sinha Rawal (Prolific Author, Independent Researcher of History & Temples)
Acharya Agastya Sanjeev Purohit (Sri Vidya Upasak)
Kakchingtabam Brajamani Sharma (Manipuri Vaishnavism Scholar and Practitioner)
O Rilando Shallam (Custodian of NiamTre Indigenous Faith & President of Seinrajj Jowai, Meghalaya)
Dr Sourish Devburman (Practicing Surgeon, Scholar of History, Culture, and Tribal Studies of NE region)
Dr Arvinda Mahato (Regional Director, IGNOU)
On the dais: Acharya Srider Vasudevan (Sanksrit Scholar)
Academic Sessions 3
Challenges before Faith
& Traditions of North East India
The North East has in recent history, faced challenges with conversion, militancy, and customary laws. These were the issues discussed in this session titled Challenges before Faith and Traditions of the North East.
Rami Desai spoke about how interconnected the various challenges in the region are. A coversion at gun point is not just an issue of religion, but also of militancy.
Shukhdeba Sharma mentioned how the spread of Manipuri Vaishnavism that was practiced by the royals in the region was difficult because the royals were not very accessible to the local people.
Dr Atul Debbarma lauded programmes like the Sammelan that help to bridge the gap between the mainland and the North East mentioning how give and take in the last few years has considerably increased.
From Left to Right:
Dr Atul Debbarma (MLA – Govt of Tripura, Medical Doctor, educationist, writer, translator of Bhagwad Geeta to Kokborok)
Sandeep Kavishwar (Grassroots social worker)
Dharmguru Gautam Mishra (Manaspuja Guru and Proponent)
Dr Shukhdeba Sharma Hanjabam (Prolific author and scholar, Convenor of Intellectual Forum of NE, Manipur)
Rami Niranjan Desai (Anthropologist with grassroots experience in NE)
Special Session
With Foreign Delegates
From Left to Right:
Moderator for the session Shri Prafulla Ketkar (Senior Journalist, Editor of Organiser) contextualizing the presentation of the delegates.
Ms Joysree Biswas (Delegate from Bangladesh)
Ms Naranchimeg Narangerel (Delegate from Mongolia)
Mr Tharthana Lnu (Delagate from Myanmar)
Mr Amit Kumar Kushwaha (Delegate from Nepal)
This special session focused on adding context to the Ashtalakshmi Sant Vichaar Sammelan by inviting foreign student delegates from neighboring countries to talk about the cultures they come from and to see what threads run in common with the culture of the North East states of India.
From Left to Right:
Mr Tharthana Lnu, Ms Naranchimeg Narangerel, Dr Sanket Kharpude, Ms Joysree Biswas, Mr Amit Kumar Kushwaha
Dr Sanket Kharpude with the foreign delegates at the grounds of the beautiful Ujjayanta Palace.
Academic Sessions 4
Exploring the Teerth Yatra
and Tourism Potential of North East Bharat
This was a showstopper of a session with an eclectic mix on the panel – from historians talking about community cultures that lead to better tourism development, to sustainability practitioners helping local communities and tribes get reintroduced to their relationship with the local ecology.
From Left to Right:
On the dais Dr Mun Mun Das Biswas, the host for the session introducing the panelists.
Dr Shankar Roy (HoD Biochemistry, Tripura Medical College)
Gangadhar Krishnan (North East explorer, sustainability practitioner)
Pranajit Singha Roy (Minister for Dept of Tourism, Govt of Tripura)
Dr Veenu Pant (HoD History, Sikkim University)
Morningstar Khongthaw (Ecologist, Living Bridges Activist and Expert, Meghalaya)
Manoshi Sinha Rawal (Prolific Author, Independent Researcher of History & Temples)