Chairman, Union Public Service Commission, Prof David R Syiemlieh delivered an excellent Museum Popular lecture at Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya on Friday. He spoke on ‘North East India: Periodization: Freedom Struggle: Integration’.
The lecture was chaired by SN Choudhary (Rajiv Gandhi Chair, Barkatullah University, Bhopal). On this occasion Prof Sarit Kumar Chaudhuri (Director, IGRMS) welcomed the guests. The lecture was attended by many eminent personalities of the state like Anthony DeSa, Chairman of RERA, retired IAS officer Pukhraj Maru, former DGP OP Garg, professors from various universities, research scholars and a house full of students.
Syiemlieh said that this is a marvellous depiction of Indian culture in one place, if there’s any place in the country where you want to have a feel of tribal culture people living in rural areas – their houses, their ornaments, music, lifestyle, and this museum is providing it.
Prof Syiemlieh commenced his lecture by questioning the method of periodisation in context of Indian History, which he says has left out a major chunk of Indian regions especially the North-East. Giving example of lack of mention of Ahom Dynasty, he said, “It was the longest ruling kingdom in India, yet there is no mention of Ahom Dynasty in most of the history books.”
In the northeast there was a conflict in Assam and Kachhar, not in the sense of war but at least a contribution to Indian nationalism. It was very much present in the Brahmaputra Valley and in the Barak Valley. Not so much in the hills, because they were native states, they had just come under British rule and over there was not much contribution in the national movement.