Tags
Conclave, Folk Media, Media and Communication Studies, the Department of Media Studies, Wildlife Conservation
The second session of Media Conclave took place on 20th June 2015, Saturday. The theme for the presenters was Folk Media. Media Conclave is a platform for students from the Department of Media Studies to present their research in front of their peers and faculty. Folk Media is a dying form of communication today, which is why the students of our department give a lot of emphasis to it.
The chief guest for the day was Mr. Go Ru Cha, a respectable folklore scholar and senior writer.
Go Ru Channabasappa, renowned folklore scholar and Kannada writer
Symbols of Chittara And its Contextual Relevance In The Society
A Study of Soliga Folk Songs and Their Scope for Wildlife
Conservation in B.R. Hills and M.M. Hills, Karnataka
BIHU : Commercialization and Dilution of the Authentic Form
Narratives Behind The Kolam Practice In Tamilnadu
The member of the folk media group presented four papers. The first paper titled “A Study of Soliga Folk Songs and the scope for Wildlife Conservation in B.R. Hills and M.M. Hills, Karnataka” was presented by Shravan Kumar S. He started his presentation with a video shot by him during his stay with the tribals. He had earlier written a book on the tribe and their hereditary medical problems. This paper was an extension of the same.
The second presenter was Fr. John Shekar who had co-authored the paper with the course coordinator of Media and Communication Studies, Fr. Biju K.C. The paper titled “Narratives behind the Kolam Practice in Tamil Nadu” was well received by everyone. His research was aimed towards uncovering the reasons for the ancient tradition of Kolam art, practiced regularly by women across South India.
The next paper titled “Bihu: Commercialization and Dilution of the Authentic Form” was presented by Nimisha Medhi. She went back to her roots to discover the rich heritage behind the festival of Bihu, comparing the past and present. Her research was based on the content analysis of various Assamese songs and the drastic shift in their lyrics. Her paper also dealt with the influence of politics on Bihu.
The last presenter was Vasundra Beniwal whose paper was titled “Analysis of Kalbelia Tribe of Rajasthan”. Her paper dealt with the snake charmer tribe of Rajasthan and their lifestyle. She focused upon important issues pertaining to their discrimination and disconnect from the mainstream. The paper also included an expert interview with Gulabo Sapera, a well known Kalbelia dancer and activist who fights for women rights within the community.
After the paper presentations, Mr. Go Ru Cha spoke to the students about the importance of folk media and its scope. He focused upon the need to use folk media for communication instead of just preserving it. His words of wisdom not only educated, but also presented a clear picture of the current scenario of folk arts today.
Overall, it was another successful edition of Media Conclave.
-Indrani Bharadwaj
Media & Communication Studies @ Christ University, Bangalore 