Kohima: Tetso College in Sovima hosted a two-day national seminar on October 22 and 23. The event brought scholars together to examine the state of governance in Northeast India. It featured 45 papers from across 11 Indian states. Academics, researchers, and students filled the halls. They debated traditional institutions, identity politics, and peace processes.
Principal Dr. Hewasa L. Khing opened the ICSSR-sponsored event. She pushed attendees to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Keynote speaker Prof. Jagannath Ambagudia of TISS, Guwahati, mapped the evolution of tribal politics. He pointed to the friction between customary bodies and modern democratic frameworks. The sessions covered everything from the Inner Line Permit to Autonomous District Councils.
Presenters dived into volatile topics. They discussed parallel taxation by Naga insurgent groups and the ongoing Naga-Kuki conflict. Other research tracked the impact of the Manipur conflict on education and livelihoods. Technical sessions also examined the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority, women's political participation, and the digital divide. The schedule was packed. Discussions spanned forest rights, borderland governance, and the Clean Election Movement.
Prof. Jangkhongam Doungel of Mizoram University delivered the valedictory address. He traced the region's governance from ancient chieftainship through British colonial rule. He noted the protective power of the Sixth Schedule and various constitutional safeguards like Articles 371A and 371G. Doungel demanded better resource management and federal funding for the region.
He closed with a blunt assessment of the region's relationship with the rest of the country. Referring to the Free Movement Regime, he remarked, "Mainland is mainland, Northeast is Northeast." The seminar served to highlight the persistent tension between modern administrative policy and the region's indigenous cultural identity.
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