NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON ‘ROLE OF INTANGIBLE HERITAGE/INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE IN BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION WITH RESPECT TO WAYANAD’- 2016

Date: 22/12/2016

The Departments of Rural and Tribal Sociology & Zoology have jointly organised a National Workshop on ‘Role of Intangible Heritage/ Indigenous Knowledge in Biodiversity Conservation with Respect to Wayanad' on 22 December 2016. This workshop was conducted in collaboration with Regional Museum Of Natural History (Regional Office of the National Museum of Natural History (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India. Prof. Beena Sadasivan, Syndicate member and Principal of Govt. College, Mananthavady, Kannur University inaugurated the National Workshop.

Dr. B Francis Kulirani, Course Director, Department of Rural and Tribal Sociology introduced the workshop and welcomed the gathering. Dr. G. N. Indresha, Scientist-D, Regional Museum of Natural History presided over the inaugural session. Prof. Raghavan Payyanad, Former Head, Department of Folklore, Calicut University delivered Key Note address on the occasion.

In his Key Note address Prof. Raghavan Payyanad elaborated how indigenous people are manipulated by existing rules and regulations imposed by International and National level agencies in the name of Copy Right (CR), Intellectual Property Right (IPR), Patent Right (PR) and Trade Mark (TM). He holds the view that it is the duty of the academics to work with indigenous communities and make them stronger to safeguard their own rights over the conservation of biodiversity. Dr. P.K Prasadan, Head, Department of Zoology, Mananthavady Campus proposed a vote of thanks during the inaugural session.

The workshop focused on three sub-themes, 1) Indigenous Knowledge and Agricultural Practices, 2) Indigenous Knowledge and Ethnomedicine Practices and 3) Human -Animal Co-existence. These three Technical sessions were chaired by Sri. V. K. Mohan Kumar, Prof. Raghavan Payyanad and Dr. P.K. Prasadan respectively.

Presentations on all sub-themes were made by experts from the respective areas viz., Sri. Cheruvayal Raman (Indigenous Agricultural Practitioner), Sri. E.G. Joseph(Former Deputy Director, ST Development Department), Sri. Sudheesh Karingari (Research Fellow, Kerala State Biodiversity Board), Sri. V. K. Mohan Kumar, (Former Director, KIRTADS), Smt. Suma Vishnudas (Social Scientist, MSSRF, Kalpetta), Sri. P. A. Vinayan ( State Co-ordinator, WWF) and Sri. Prakash K.M. (Tribal Activist, Wayanad). A fruitful discussion was followed by each session.

In the panel discussion held at the end resolved that the Academics and student community should make concrete efforts in the conservation of biodiversity by working with, for and among the indigenous communities and make their voices heard before the development administrators and policy makers.

The workshop had a participation of more than hundred students, researchers, tribal activists, scientists, social scientists and tribal representatives.