Bhubaneswar: The second edition of the International Conference on Indian Cultural Heritage with the theme ‘Kalinga and Southeast Asia: The Civilisational Linkage’ was kicked off at KIMS Auditorium here on Thursday.
Inaugurating the 3-day conference as chief guest, President of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe said the academicians should take efforts to conduct research in sister languages of Sanskrit to promote cultural linkages between Kalinga and Southeast Asia.
Taking a cue from India’s Look East and Act East policies, the academicians should go further in attracting scholars of Southeast Asian countries to strengthen the cultural and academic relations, he said.
Speaking on the occasion as guest of honour, Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University Prof. Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit said the cultural linkages between Kalinga and Southeast Asian countries need to be identified and recognised globally. “We should not judge India from a narrow binary western perspective of maritime traditions, the cultural relations, trade and commerce, architecture and arts are the testimonies to the great civilisational linkages between India and Southeast Asia,” she said.
Deputy Director General, Institute of Culture and Fine Arts, Royal Academy of Cambodia Dr. Chanthourn Thuy stressed on the historical significance of India’s relations with Southeast Asian countries.
While Professor of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya & Chairman of One Asia Foundation Dr. Chandi Prasad Nanda made the opening remarks, former Vice-Chancellor of Burdwan University Prof. Smriti Kumar Sarkar presented the keynote address.
Conference Chairman and Director of IMS, Utkal University Prof. Upendra Padhi and former Professor, Sambalpur University and Northern University of Malaysia & Convenor of the Conference Prof. Patit Paban Mishra also spoke.
A monograph comprising various research articles penned by noted historians and scholars was released on the occasion.
On the day, two plenary sessions were organised where experts and noted academicians debated on various issues. In the first plenary session, former Vice-Chancellor, Utkal University of Culture Prof. Amiya Kumar Pattanayak, Former Principal Technical Officer, Marine Archaeology Centre, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Goa Dr. Sila Tripati, senior professor of , President University in Cikarang, Bekasi and Indonesian International Islamic University (IIIU), Depok, West Java Dr. M. Syafi’i Anwar, Ex-Consultant, Southeast Asian Studies, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts & Visiting Professor, Department of Southeast Asian Studies, Manipur Central University Dr. Bachchan Kumar debated on ‘Historiography of India and Southeast Asia with Special Reference to Kalinga: The Indianization Process’. Dr. Neha Sharma, Lecturer in History, Neelashaila Mahavidyalaya, Rourkela moderated the session.
In the second plenary session, former professor of history of Berhampur University Dr. LN Rout, Director (Academic & Research) & Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University Prof. Alok Shrotriya, Archaeologist & Secretary of Odisha Institute of Maritime and South East Asian Studies, OLL&C Department, Govt. of Odisha Dr. Sunil Kumar Patnaik and Senior Consultant, Bhartiya Bhasha Samiti, Ministry of Education, Govt. of India Dr. Nishamani Kar discussed the ‘Literature, Folklore, Monuments, Ports, etc. as Evidence of Cultural Linkages; Archaeological Excavations and Findings as Evidence of Commercial Relations’. Guest Faculty of Shailabala Women’s College Aditi Khuntia moderated the session.
On Friday, third and fourth plenary sessions will be held. This apart, more than 50 research papers will be presented in the parallel sessions by the scholars and academicians. The closing ceremony will be graced by Union Cabinet Minister Parshottam Rupala on Saturday.
