Migrant Literature, Culture and Society: Discourse on Homeland and Destination held at GNLU

“Lokdhwani 2- Migrant Literature, Culture and Society: A discourse on homeland and destination” was held on the 03^rd and 04^th January, 2016.

The two day cultural meet was organised by Govind Ballabh Pant Social Science Institute, Allahabad in collaboration with GNLU Centre for Law and Society, Gandhinagar on 03rd and 04th January 2016 under the project 'Migration and Cultural Traditions of Bhojpuri Region: A Research and Documentation Programme' supported by The Tata Trusts, Mumbai.

Mr. Saurabh Anand, Director of GNLU Centre for Law and Society welcomed all the eminent guests namely Prof. Raghuveer Chaudhary Jnanpith Award Winner 2015, Prof. Bimal N. Patel, Director, Gujarat National Law University, Prof. Vidyut Joshi, former Vice-chancellor, Bhavnagar University, Prof. N. Jayram, NLSIU Bengaluru and Prof. Badri Narayan, JNU, Delhi and Project Coordinator.

Prof. Badri Narayan told that this programme aims to document and analyze the metaphors of migration evolved during over the years in context of the migrant labourers.

Prof. N. Jayram in his inaugural address addressed that ‘migration is fundamentally a cultural and social phenomena’.

Prof. Vidyut Joshi in his address raised the point that the largest number of migrant people belongs to Dalit community and there is a lack of consciousness among them.

Prof. Raghuveer Chaudhary in his presidential address focused on the migrant literature where separation is the main theme of these writings.

In the another session, comprising of Prof. R.B. Bhagat, Indian Institute of Population Studies, Mumbai, eminent writer Akhilesh, editor Tadbhav, Prof. Devendra Chaubey, JNU Delhi and Shri Naval Shukla, Director, Bhojpuri Sahitya Academy, Bhopal shared their experiences of the migrant literature involving their pains, agonies and struggle at the destination.

In one of the important session on Traditional culture and Intellectual Property Rights where resource persons like Prof. N.K. Pathak, Gujarat University, Dr. Nidhi Bhuch, Director, Centre for IPR, GNLU, Mr. Jatin Trivedi, High Court advocate and Mr. Saurabh Anand, interacted with the local folk artisans who are facing the issues of copyrights where their original works are being used by the affluent sections and they are negligibly paid or sometimes they are not get the due credit of their original work.

Also the Dalit Resource Centre, Govind Ballabh Pant Social Science Institute, Allahabad published their project report for the last two years.