History of Modern India, North East India, Ethnohistory, Oral History, Folklore, Indigenous Studies and Traditional Knowledge

As Associate Professor in History, responsibility handled in this incumbency is academic in nature. It involves planning, organising, teaching  and evaluation of courses in various aspects of history. Currently teaching courses on State Formation and Polity of Medieval Assam, Colonial Northeast India and a course on Ethnohistory.

Holding charge of Coordinator of MA Programs in History under Institute of Distance and Open Learning (IDOL), Gauhati University.

PhD 2015, Department of Folklore Research, Gauhati University, Assam, India on Memory, History and Polity: A Study of Dimasa Identity in Colonial Past and Post Colonial Present.

M.A. in History, 1998, Cotton College (Specialisation: Socio-cultural and Economic History of Modern India)

B.A. in History, 1995, Cotton College, Guwahati, Assam, India

NET (National Eligibility Test for Lecturership), University Grants Commission, New Delhi, 2002.

2017 – 2018, Deputy Director (Research) in the Indian Council of Historical Research (an Autonomous Organisation under the Ministry of the Human   Resource Development, Government of India) with over all charge of special projects. 

2012-2017, Deputy Director (Research) in the Indian Council of Historical Research (an Autonomous Organisation under the Ministry of the Human Resource Development, Government of India) with over all charge of its North Eastern regional Centre.

2015-2018, Liaison Officer for ST/SC/OBC/PWD in Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi. 

2003-2012, Assistant Director (Research) in the Indian Council of Historical Research (an Autonomous Organisation under the Ministry of the Human Resource Development, Government of India) with over all charge of its North Eastern regional Centre

2000-2003, Lecturer in Indian History and the History of Assam, DHSK College, Dibrugarh, Assam, under Dibrugarh University (under-graduate level) as faculty in permanent position.

2024, Member of the Board of Studies, Department of History and Archaeology, Tura Campus, North Eastern Hill University. 

2024, Member of Board of Studies of Bodoland University, Kokrajhar (Syllabus for NEP)

2024, Member of Board of Studies of Rabindranath Tagore University, Hojai, Assam (Syllabus for NEP)

2024, Member of Board of Studies, Girijananda Chowdhury University, Azara, Guwahati (Syllabus for NEP)

2023, Member of the Board of Studies, Department of History, Arya Vidyapeeth College (Autonomous), Guwahati .

2018 - 2023, President of the District Organising Committee of National Children Science Congress.

2016, Member of Board of Studies, Department of History, J B College (Autonomous), Jorhat, Assam.

2015, Member, Monitoring Committee for the development of Assam State Archives, Government of Assam. 

2014, Member of the Advisory board for Project on the Welsh – Khasi Intercultural Dialogues funded by the Leverhulme Research Grant, UK.

2018, Seven Day long Faculty Development Programme (FDP) on Behavioral Remodeling and Use of ICT Tools for Classroom Delivery of Teachers organised by the HRD Centre, GU and IIT Guwahati. 

2013, Ten day summer course on Oral History, Organised by Shrishti, Banaglore.

2010, Three day Residential Modular Program on Domestic Enquiry, Disiciplinary Action and Discipline (Module I) and How to manage Employee Seperations Lawfully by the Institute of Public Administration, Bangalore.

2008, One day course on RTI organised by Institue of Secretariat Training and Management, Department of Personnel and Training, Govt. of India, New Delhi.

2003,    Attended twenty one day Refreshers Course in History, organised by the Department of History, Dibrugarh University and sponsored by the University Grants Commission, New Delhi.

2019,  Reconstruction of Dimasa Royal Complex: An Oral History Method jointly with Sri Kuldeep Patowary, Assistant Professor in History, Department of History, Gauhati University, and funded by the Department of Archaeology, North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council, Dima Hasao.

2019, Documentation (Digital) and Survey of Stone Jar Sites (Neolithic) in Dima Hasao District jointly with Dr. Tilak Thakuria, Assistant Professor in Archaeology, Department of History and Archaeology, Tura Campus, NEHU and funded by the Dperagtment of Archaeology, North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council, Dima Hasao. 

2018 - 2023, Member of Research Group on Traditional Knowledge System supported by the Heinrich Ball Foundation, Germany.

2016 - 2017, Nodal Officer cum Coordinator of the project on publication of Comprehensive History of North East India by Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi.

2012 – 2016, Lead researcher on the case of North East India in project entitled Imagined Sovereignties: Boundaries of Statehood and Globalisation in Peace Research Institute Oslo funded by the Norwegian Research Council.

2012 – 2016, Headed ICHR project on Survey, Collection, Documentation and Digitisation of Archival Sources in North East India.

2015, Vetted the Assam and Bengal chapter of the project on Dictionary of Martyrs: India’s Freedom Struggle (1857 - 1947) sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India and executed by the Indian Council of Historical Research.

2009, The Working of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council: An Overview as part of the project on ‘The Working of the Autonomous Council in North East India’ under the Commission for Centre - State Relations, Government of India.

2006, Customary Law and Land Alienation among the Karbis in the district of Karbi Anglong as part of the project ‘Tribal Land Alienation in North East India: Laws and Land Reforms’ sponsored by IWGIA, Sweden.

2006, Militarisation & New Course of Dimasa Identity Movement as a part of the project ‘Understanding Ethnic Movements in Assam’ by Action Aid India.

Journal

2022, An Archaeological Survey of Assam Stone Jar Sites with Tilok Thakuria & Nicholas Skoppal in Asian Archaeology, Vol. 5, Issue 1-2, April 2022, pp. 41 – 50, ISSN 2520-8101(Electronic) & 2520-8098 (Print)

2020, Stone Jars of Assam: Recent Discoveries with Tilok Thakuira in Man and Environment XLV (2); 76-86 published by Indian Society for Prehistory and  Quarternery Studies

2008, The Assamese as Reflected in Dimasa Folklore: Excerpts from the Song ‘Jiniba Raji, Indian Folklife, Journal of National Folklore Support Centre, Chennai, Sl. No. 31, November 2008, pp. 7 – 8, ISSN 0972-6470.

Monograph

2021, Londisang: Stone Jars of Dima Hasao with Tilok Thakuria, published by North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council, Dima Hasao in December. 

Book Chapter

2021, The Dimasas: Children of the Big River in Assam in An Ethnic Mosaic by Wasbir Hussain & Hiren Chandra Nath published by Wordweaves India, pp. 117-136, ISBN – 9789383094066.

2021, River, Ritual and Communities in Sharing Life: The Ecopolitics of Reciprocity (Alternative Worldviews) published by the Heinrich Ball Stiftung,

2017, A Note on State Formation and Rice Cultivation in Assam: A Need for Alternative Perspective in Blending Region & Nation: Essays in Honour of Professor Amalendu Guha, ed. Sajal Nag & Ishrat Alam, Primus Books, New Delhi, ISBN – 978-93-86552-73-0

2017, The Kamarupa State as They Remember: Interpreting Dimasa Social Memory in Studies on Dimasa History, Language and Culture, Vol. 1, Ed. Monali Longmailai, DVS Publishers, Guwahati, ISBN – 978-93-85839-0

2015, Introduction to History of the Dimasas and Other writtings of Sonaram Thaosen published by DIPRO, Haflong, Dima Hasao, Assam, pp. xxii – xxix, ISBN 9788193602218

2014, Sixth Schedule in Managing Diversity: Case of Karbi and Dimasa Autonomy Movement in Troubled Diversity: The Political Process in North East India, Ed. Sandhya Goswami, Oxford University Press, India pp. 140-218, ISBN 0-9-945333-0.

2011, Double Descent and Concept of Purity and Pollution in Dimasa Society in Religion and Society in North East India, Ed. D Nath, DVS Publishers, Guwahati, pp. 204 – 218, ISBN 978-81-86307-29-8.

2008, Land, Laws, Alienation and Conflict: Changing Land Relations among the Karbis in Karbi Anglong District in Land, People and Politics: Contest Over Tribal Lands in North East India, Ed. Walter Fernandes and Sanjay Borbora, North Eastern Social Research Centre,   Guwahati and International Working Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), pp. 142 – 149, ISBN 9788791563409.

2008, History, People and Politics: Memories and Re-Construction of the Pasts among the Dimasas, Ed. Chandan Kr. Sarma, Souvenir, Twenty Ninth Annual Session of NEIHA, Dibrugarh, pp. 139 – 153

Others

2024, Foreword of the reprint of Hairamba Bhasha Prabesh by Manicharan Barman, ed. by Biswajyoti Barman published by Dimasa Sanskriti Parishad, Silchar.

2022, Contributed three individual entries i. Judima Festival: A Toast to Cultural Brew; ii. Judima, the brew; iii. Basketful of Freshnes: Where Local Means Premium and one joint entry on Londisang: Stone Jars of Dima Hasao in the special issue entitled The Spirit of Judima of Discover India’s North East, a travel magazine edited by Kishore Serum, published by Outdoorpeople Tourism Promotion Pvt Ltd (OPC), Vol 8, Issue 06, November – December 2022

1999 - 2014, Written for the Assamese Encyclopedia (History Section) published by Asom Sahitya Sabha, the Assamese magazine Satsari, and several English-language newspapers including the Telegraph and Assam Tribune.

Editorial Experience

2007 - 2016, Edited and published twelve editions of lectures delivered at the ICHR, North East Regional Centre in form of booklet.

2017 – 2019, Edited three souvenir volumes of Judima Festival

2017, Edited souvenir of Dimasa Heritage Rally organised by YADEM and Dimasa Youth Forum

Translation

2021, Sankardev authored by Dr. P J Mahanta and Published by the Sankardeva Kalakhetra Samaj, Guwahati 

2007, Translated two Dimasa short stories titled Sainkhlim (Shade) and Jbah (War) into Assamese for publication under a project by Sahitya Academi. One of the story has been published in the souvenir brought out to mark the occasion of the Annual Session of the Asom Sahitya Sabha held at Baithalangso in 2010 edited by Dr. Upen Rabha Hakasam.

2006, Translated into Dimasa language the book entitled Land Alienation in North East India, written by Anshumi Shimray, North East Social Research Centre, Assam.

2023, Hangsao Busu, a traditional post-harvest festival of Dimasa community (under production)

2016, Judima, a video documentary on Dimasa Traditional rice wine.

2012, Keepers of Faith, a video documentary of quinquennial ritual performed for Mungrang, a Dimasa deity.

2016, Funding Historical Researches: An Overview of Review and Selection Process of ICHR in Exchange Programme organised by Finland Academy & EqUIP, Helsinki on 13 – 14 June. 

2015, Conference on Everyday Lives of Sovereignty: Contents and Conflicts in a Transnational Era, Nicosia, Cyprus from 9 – 10 October.

2014, Workshop on Basque Nationhood in Globalising World organised by Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), International Catalan Institute for Peace (ICIP), University of Basque Country, Bilbao Spain, from 28 to 30 May.

2013, Visiting Fellow for six months at Peace Research Institute Oslo (Prio)

2012, Presented a paper on People versus Power: Anti Dam Movement in India’s North East in workshop on India’s Hidden Security Risks at Kathmandu, Nepal from 20 – 21 February.

2024, A panel discussion on Framing Northeast India: Ecological Pluralities and Diversity on 19 May, 2024 organised by Heinrich Boll Foundation at Guwahati

2014, Approach of Participatory Research Methods with Indigenous People and Local Communities on 7th March at Department of Geography, GU in collaboration with Heinrich Boll Foundation.      

2023, National Conference on Water by North East India Water Talks, held at Garmur in Majuli from 1 – 3 October

2023, deSchool Confluence Workshop in Majuli, organised by the Heirich Ball Stiftung from 3 – 8 September

2022, National Workshop on Alternative Worldviews organised by Kalpvriksh at Timbaktu Collectives, Andhra Pradesh 6 – 8 November.

2022, Workshop on Curating Confluence of Ideas, Thoughts and Impressions at Manas organised by the Heirich Ball Stiftung from 3 – 6 June. 

2021, Winter School on Understanding Traditional Knowledge Systmes and Worldviews of North East India from 20-28 November at Haflong organised Heirich Ball Stiftung.

2019, Workshop on Ecology, Society and Sustainability at Kaziranga organised by the Heirich Ball Stiftung from 25 – 27 April.

2019, Sharing Best Practices on Local Knowledge Systmes in Northeast India organised by Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi and Heirich Ball Stiftung from 24 – 25 November. 

2023, Sambhudhan Phonglo and Resistance against the British at webminar on Tribal Héroes of Independence on 10th July as part of Azadi ka amrit Mahotsav organised by NEHU, Meghalaya.

2023, Documenting Customary Laws: Issues and Challenges (Key Note Address) at workshop cum seminar on Significance of documentation of customary laws of North Eastern Region organised by Law Research Institute, Guwahati High Court on 27 May, 2023.

2023, Traditonal Belief System and Peace among Tribes of North East India at State Level C20 on the theme Dhamma For Peace held on 12 May 2023 at NEDFI House organised by the Chinmaya Mission, Guwahati.

2023, Ethnohistory and It’s Possibilities in Northeast India organised by the Department of History, Bodoland University and Goalpara College on 8th May, 

2023, Historicising Community Managed Biodiversity as Lead speaker in National Conference on Conversations on Biodiversity in the North-East with special focus on the livelihoods of vulnerable communities 25 – 26 March 2023 held at IIBM, Khanapara organised by ActionAid India and Department of Botany, GU, Guwahati.

2023,Traditional Knowledge and It’s Generational Transfer  on 22/02/2023 at Refresher Course on Traditional Indian Knowledge System: Sources, Concept, Practice and Relevance conducted by the HRDC, GU in ohysical mode from 16 February to 2 March 2023.

 2023, Time in Traditional Society on 02/03/2023 at Refresher Course on Traditional Indian Knowledge System: Sources, Concept, Practice and Relevance conducted by the HRDC, GU in ohysical mode from 16 February to 2 March 2023.

2021, Indigenous Worldviews, River and Ritual Narrative: A Case of Kopili River at Vivekananda Kendra, Guwahati, 23rd October

2020, Social Experience of the Sixth Schedule: A Dimasa Narrative organised by the Dimasa Scholars League on 6 September

2020, North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council: An Experience of Autonomy under the Sixth Scheduleas part of International Webline Lecture Series on Autonomous Council of India: The Experience of Assam organised by Department of History, DKD College, Dergaon and the Indian Council of Historical Research on 20 September.

2020, Lectured on Doing Ethnohistory at Refresher Course in History organised by UGC-HRDC, GU on 17 March

2017, Dimasa Society and Culture in Special Winter School on Cultural Heritage and Studies on North East India organised by the UGC-Human Resource Development Centre, Gauhati University on 28 January.

2017, Problems and Prospects of Autonomous Council under the Sixth Schedule in North East India, organised by the UGC-Human Resource Development Centre, Gauhati University on 6 February.

2017, History, Memory and Orality: Some aspects of Dimasa Social Memory organised by the Department of History and Archaeology, Tura Campus, NEHU on 4 May.

2016, Rethinking Some Key Aspects of Early State Formation in Asaam     in Tihu College on 21 October.

2016, Traditional Knwoledge and Technology at J N College, Pasighat,  National Seminar on Ethno Science and Technology in India with Special Reference to North East India from 6-7 October 2016

2022, Archaeological Survey of the Stone Jars of Assam at IPPA Annual Conference Held at Chiangmai, Thailand from 6 – 12 November.

2022, Survey of the Stone Jars of Dim Hasao Archaeological Heritage of India & Its Cross Cultural Ties with South East Asia from 19 – 20 November at Haflong organised by the Directorate of Archaeology, Government of Assam.

2020, Land, Orature and History: Case of Dimasa Folk Memory on Maibang Land in Literature and the Literature of the Land organised by the Department of History, Gurucharan College, Silchar  and MAKIAS, Kolkata 9-10 February 2020

2019, Colonialism, Law and Dimasa in Custom, Law and the Colonial State in Northeast India: Dynamic and Challenges for the Post-Colonial State, 13-14 June organised by Dept. of History, NEHU, Shillong and Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi

2019, Mapping Dimasa Royal Complex of Maibang: An Oral History Appraoch in Archaeology of North East India: Retrospect and Prospect by Dept. of History and Archaeology, Turam Campus NEHU 26-28 August

2017, The Sixth Schedule: History, Constituent Assembly Debate and Aftermath in the National seminar on Assam Since Independence: Polity, Economy and Society, organised by Department of History, D.U. and OKDISCD, Guwahati from 3-4 March 2017.

2017, Problems of Writing Dimasa History: A Need for an Alternative Archive at National Seminar in national seminar on Current Trends and Issues in Dimasa, Language, History and Culture organised by DYF.

2016, Reviewing Advent of Wet Rice Farming in Assam through Multidisciplinary Lens in 22^ndHimalayan Language Symposium organised by the Department of Humanities and Social Science and Centre for Linguistic Science and Technology, IIT Guwahati.

2016, The Kamrupa State as They Remember: Some Aspects of Dimasa Memory and History in international seminar on Orality: A Quest for Meaning organised by the Department of English, Bodoland University, Kokrajhar.

2016, Exploring Bio-ethics in Dimasa Traditional Hunting and Gathering Practices in national seminar on Hunting and Trapping Cultures of North East India organised by Doimukh College, sponsored by ICSSR.

2015, History of Doyang-Dhansiri Valley: An Alternative Perspective in History and Archaeology of Doyang Dhansiri Valley, 27 April, Jorhat College, Jorhat

2012, Using oral traditions for reconstruction of Dimasa History in a national seminar on Orality and Folk Literature in the Age of Print Culture: Contemporary Challenges and Prospects organised by Department of History and Department of Mizo, Pacchunga University College, Aizawl, Mizoram from 29^th to 91^st October.

2012, Memory, Traditions & Performance in Dimasa Society in the National Workshop on Cultural Mapping in Assam: Langauge, Performance & Society from 14 – 17 February organised by Department of Cultural Studies, Tezpur University, Assam.

2011, Folklore, Memory & Identity: A Case of Dimasa Movement for Autonomy at Interim Congress of International Folk Narrative Research, Shillong.

2011, Double Descent and Concept of Purity and Pollution in Dimasa Society in Religion, Society and Ecology in North East India, Department of History, Dibrugarh University, 3 – 4 March

2011, Dimasa Movement for Identity and Autonomy in seminar Ethnicity, Ethno-nationality and Culture: Identity Formation in North East India organised by ICHR at Guwahati

2010, Collaboration to Contestation: Identity Movement  and Conflict in the Hills of Assam in seminar on Shared History and Contested Territories, Organised by Department of History, Dibrugarh University, November

2010, Search for an Alternative Archive: A Case of Dimasa oral Narratives in seminar on Doing Ethnohistory in North East India: New perspectives and approaches at Guwahati organised by the Indian Council of Historical Research.

2009, Exploring Oral Sources for Reconstructing the History of Dimasas in Assam in a national seminar on Cultures of North East India: Ethnic and Archaeological Background organised by Centre for Archaeological Studies and Training, Eastern India (CASTEI), Kolkata 7^th – 9^thNovember.

 2009, History, Public Memory and Conflict in History in the Northeast as Source of Conflicts and Peace Initiatives, November by NESRC.

 2009, The Daikhos: An Insight into Dimasa Traditional Belief System in a national seminar on Culture of North-East India: A Historical Perspective orgnaised by Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, New Delhi from January 10 – 12.

2008, Colonialism, Ethnography and the Dimasa Identity Movement in seminar on Colonialism, Ethnography and State in North East India held at Manipur University by Indian Council of Historical Research from 2 – 4 October.

2008, The Dimasa Peace Process in the national seminar on Peace in the North East Region through Assimilation & Integration on 18 – 19 September.

2008,  The Sixth Schedule, Protection of Ethnic Rights and Identity Movements in Assam in the national seminar on Ethnicity and Folklore from 11 – 12 January organised by Chhaygaon College and sponsored by University Grants Commission.