DANDAKARANYA: A Talk Series. Moderated by Mohana Chatterjee.
The e-book curated under the project will be available across geographies via Amazon.
The Myth: Travel-lore of Ram Sita
Dandakaranya, as a place is associated with various Myths and Mythological references, which eventually created a huge influence on its reality as well. That brings us to this panel discussion where we try to understand the Myth and their impact on society today.
Speakers: Vikrant Pande Gisa Jähnichen Utkarsh Patel
The Refugees: In Search of New Home in modern-day Dandakaranya
The site of Dandakaranya was chosen as the rehabilitation site for Bengali Refugees coming from East Pakistan (Bangladesh) under Project Dandakaranya. In this panel discussion we are going to discuss about the Bengali Refugees and their struggle for finding home in a place completely alien to them. We will discover the overlap of myth and reality here.
Speakers: Debjani Sengupta Anasua Basu Ray Choudhury Anindita Ghoshal
Punishment Posting: An Undesirable and Forced Relocation
Dandakaranya was the place where Ram-Sita travelled during their exile. It can hence be associated with Punishment Posting. In this panel discussion we will explore the idea of Punishment Posting from three perspectives - (1) the forced relocation of the armed forces in undesirable places (2) the duty of medical professionals during the COVID era (3) corporate forces accustomed to long office hours for whom the home became a punishment posting.
Speakers: Dr. Chandrakant Lahariya Lt. Col. Ankita Srivastava Anurag Anand
The Cultural Shock : Clash between Traditional and Modern
Original inhabitants being remote tribals, Dandakaranya today has the presence of refugees and visitors who cause clashes between the traditional dwellers and the modern influx. That brings us to this panel discussion where we generalise the cultural clash between the traditional and contemporary from three different perspectives. (1) the remake or adaptation of films. (2) translation of regional books for global audience (3) the evolving women’s world.
Speakers: Charudutt Acharya Saba Mumtaz Somrita Urni Ganguly
Fear Factor: Discomfort and Resistance in Exploring the Unknown
Dandakaranya is a fearful place in mythology, frequented by rakshasas. In the more modern world, Dandakaranya represents the fear of isolation and danger associated with it. An obvious interpretation thus, is the natural human tendency which is always discomforted and afraid of the unknown. This panel discussion will explore how this resistance ultimately takes a backseat when people are brave enough to embrace the change, by deserting the old orthodoxy. That is, how the idea of Dandakaranya can be relieved from the fear factors associated with it.
Speakers: Tanushree Podder Sutapa Basu
The Cursed Terrain: A Discussion on the Geological Aspects of Dandakaranya
The story of Refugees from the geological perspectives, the acceptance of the place amid the resettled inhabitants, various tribal groups living there, the infertility of the soil which makes it difficult to sustain, the irrigation works initiated and the cultural conflicts. A thorough fact checking.
Speakers: Mihir Kumar Senapati (Geologist)