Destination Promotion and Branding in Tourism of NE India

Title: Destination Promotion and Branding  in Tourism of NE India
Author: Irengbam Rubita
ISBN:  978-93-86934-23-9
First Edition: 2018
Binding: Hard Cover
Language: English 

Central Repository of Umanglai Culture of Manipur

Title: Central Repository of Umanglai Culture of Manipur

Author: Thounaojam Ruhichand

ISBN: 978-93-86934-16-1

About the Author:
Dr. Thounaojam Ruhichand is currently working as Assitant Professor at Manipur University of Culture.

About the Book:

Umanglai Haraoba is a ritual and religious festival consisting of fertility rites and ancestors’ worship. It also reveals the Cosmogony-theory of the creation of the Universe then the Earth; Evolution theory of the living creatures especially human being, etc. But, still the Umanglai culture, cultural powerhouse with thousands of years of history, has not got the worldwide recognition. Even in Manipur, the Umanglai culture is losing its prominence. Among the various factors for this situation, a major reason is lack of sufficient research and proper information support system. Even the study and research activities taking place in the various parts of the state are not properly coordinated. They are carried out in isolation. Most of the traditional knowledge of Umanglai culture remained in oral form and are in danger of dying if they are not documented and preserve properly in a central repository for long term preservation, easy retrieval and global access.

Regarding the potential contribution to knowledge in the field of Social relevance or National Importance, the present study will contribute to knowledge in the field of Social Science with respect to the unique cultural heritage of Meitei and Worship of Umang Lai (Ancestral Deities); its documented information will be of great value for research scholars of south-East Asian Countries to explore the formation of cultural identities and cross-cultural relations in South-East Asian region. The present study aims to develop an effective central repository of traditional knowledge of Manipur with special reference to Umanglai culture.  The major objectives of the study include: (i) to study the rich cultural heritage/traditional knowledge of Manipur (ii) to examine traditional knowledge  development programmes/systems adopted by government agencies, NGOs, museums, private cultural centres of Manipur (iii) to study for digital documentation of Umanglai culture for wider access (iv) to analyze traditional knowledge centres in the state (v) to identify various information channels and sources (vi) to assess the problems encountered by the centres (vii) to develop a suitable and conceptual traditional knowledge support system and network for easy retrieval and accessibility, etc.

The Fish Diversity of the Rivers in Imphal Valley in Relation to Its Physico-Chemical Parameters

Title: The Fish Diversity of the Rivers in Imphal Valley In Relation To Its Physico-Chemical Parameters
Author: Ningthoujam Mohendra Singh
ISBN: 978-93-86934-15-4
Year of Publication: 2018


About the Book:

Manipur is a land lock state, on the North-East border between India and Myanmar and consist of a vast area of water such as lakes, wetlands, rivers, swamps with a rich biodiversity and immense fish production potentials. Manipur has a total area of 56.461 hactre of which the lakes, reservoirs, beels tanks, canals etc. covered an area of about 13,221 hact. whereas rivers, streams etc. account for 13,888 hact., Economic Survey of Manipur, (2008).   The aquatic environment is highly complex and diverse. It includes several ecosystems of fresh water streams, lakes, ponds, rivers and wetlands etc. with many different biotic and abiotic components with unique characteristics. The physical and chemical characteristics of aquatic environment can have profound effect on biological activities and impact of chemicals and other xenobiotics.

Aquatic ecosystem involves total complex interaction of physical, chemical and biological factors. Further, similar ecosystems are not affected, by addition of same chemicals. More differences in the chemical and physical environment and in species composition can results in the fate of the chemical and different effects of the system.

The state of Manipur has two major river systems: The Barak River system and Chindwin – Irrawadi system. The Barak River system drains the western half of the state. The watershed is divided from that of the Chindwin by the range on the western hill sides of the Imphal valley. The tributaries of the system are – Irang, Makru, Jiri, Tuvai and other smaller tributaries like – Tuipi, Irang, Iyei and Leimatak, etc.

The Chindwin – Irrawadi system consists of Imphal River and its tributaries. The lakes and marshes lying in the valley and hill streams of Ukhrul, Chandel and  Senapati District,  which drain into the tributary of Chindwin in Myanmar.

The Manipur River system is the longest and most important in the Manipur central valley. It formed a centripetal drainage pattern in the basin. The Imphal River is the main stream, and Iril, Thoubal, Chakpi, Khuga and Kongba rivers are the tributaries. While Nambul, Nambol, Thongjaorok, Khujairok, Irumbi, Lamnganbi and Hentakkhong etc. are the streams which falls into the Loktak Lake. The Khordak channel, 10 km long and about 10 meters wide, known as KhordakMaril, join the Loktak Lake and Imphal River at KhordakIchil. 

HIV / AIDs and Human Rights in Manipur

Title: HIV / AIDs and Human Rights in Manipur
Author: Wahengbam Gyanibala

ISBN:  978-93-86934-17-8

About the Author:

Dr. Wahengbam Gyanibala has completed her M.A. (Sociology) from MS University, Vadodara. She completed her PhD. from Manipur University. She is currently working with Government of Manipur.

About the book:

When one studies about HIV/AIDS in Manipur, he comes to understand the importance of studying drug abuse or use in Manipur as the first HIV positive cases were reported among the IDUs (Injecting Drug Users). Studies show that popping of pills was a common practice especially among the urban youths in the early 1970s. By late 1970s there was a shift in the practice of using drugs, a section of youths started injecting morphine and soon injecting of morphine  became very common and popular among the then youths and it spreaded like a fashion in Manipur. In the mid 1980s there was scarcity in the availability of morphine in Imphal and heroin was introduced to the morphine injectors as a substitute. From the mid 1980s injecting of heroin among the youths turn in to an epidemic proportion.

Social Scientists in Digital Information Environment

Title: Social Scientists in Digital Information Environment
Author: Sarangthem Bembem

ISBN:  978-93-86934-18-5

About the book:

In this work Social Scientists in Digital Information Environment undertaken to assess their information needs, information seeking behaviour in digital environment, use of ICT-based services, the problems and barriers encountered, the stock of availability of digital resources in social science and its related organisations has attempted to suggest for designing a model through which the social scientists can meet their information needs. The study covers 463 Social Scientists comprising of Teachers, Teacher cum Researchers, Researchers, Social Workers, Professionals and Others who are engaged in a number of social science and its related organisations/ institutions of Manipur.

Flood Management in India’s North East and Bangladesh

Title: Flood Management in India’s North East and Bangladesh
Author: Priyanka Mallick

ISBN:  978-93-86934-19-2


About the Author:

Dr. Priyanka Mallick completed M.A (2004) in Political Science (specialisation in International Relations) from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), M. Phil (2004-06) in South Asian Studies, School of International Studies, JNU. She got her PhD (2012) from South Asian Studies, School of International Studies, JNU.

She is currently working as Assistant Professor in Christ University, Bangalore. She was earlier working in Delhi University as Assistant Professor.

About the Book:

Floods are an integral part of the inherent variability of nature. It is an attribute of the physical environment and thus is an important component of hydrological cycle of a drainage basin. They are also essential elements in the creation and maintenance of many ecosystems and in the geomorphic evolution of landscape. Flooding is a normal seasonal inundation of floodplain to which traditional settlements, infrastructure and land use are well adapted. It plays a major role in replenishing freshwater resources, recharging wetlands and groundwater and supporting agriculture and fishery systems, thereby making flood plains preferred areas for human settlement and various economic activities. However, floods have negative impacts as well, such as on lives, livelihoods and economic activities and in extreme cases they cause devastation.

A preoccupation with natural events and hydrological processes may lead to a narrow, cosmetic and incomplete understanding of the causes of flood hazards and disasters and to narrowly defined and unsuccessful approaches for addressing them. On the other hand, too much focus on social causes can lead to effective measures aimed at reducing flood risks being overlooked. So, this problem is investigated further through multidisciplinary and environmental approaches by focussing on two case studies, namely Bangladesh and India’s north-eastern region.  

In the Indian sub-continent, India and Bangladesh share three major river systems, Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna (GBM), which serve as the life line of millions of people. Due to the excessive water flow in the monsoon months in these three rivers, the people of both the countries suffer from untold miseries due to the occurrence of floods almost every year, particularly in Bangladesh and the north eastern region of India.

India’s North East has all the attributes of a huge powerhouse and reservoir that could transform the region, ameliorate poverty, and generate enormous national wealth. The region receives an average annual rainfall of 2470 mm which drains into one of the largest river system viz. Brahmaputra and Barak. Due to high rainfall, the annual soil loss due to erosion is 455.9 million tonnes, carrying with it about 976 thousand tonnes of nutrient load. After the unexpected heavy floods in 1954, the Government of India took several steps to constitute a number of committees to study flood problems in India. Some important ones are: Policy Statement (1954), Ministerial Committee on flood control (1964), Working Groups on flood control for Five Year Plans, Rashtriya Barh Ayog (1980) and the National Water Policy (2002).

In 1980 The Brahmaputra Board was established by Government with a number of responsibilities related to the development and management of the Brahmaputra and Barak basins, commencing with a series of surveys and investigations that would form a basis for planning. Two mega projects on the Dihang (also called the Siang), the main stream of the Brahmaputra, and the Subansiri were identified. Additional benefits included improved navigation, rich reservoir fisheries, and considerable augmentation of lean season flows, which could possibly be diverted to the Ganga in West Bengal through a major link canal traversing Bangladesh from a barrage at Jogighopa. However, since Bangladesh opposed the link canal idea on a number of grounds, India had to withdraw the proposal.

Bangladesh being the lower riparian is known to be even more vulnerable to floods. Frequent floods have put enormous constraints on its development potential. Unfortunately, the frequency of high intensity floods is on the rise. So far the country has struggled to put a sizeable infrastructure in place to prevent flooding in many parts of the country with limited success. In recent times, it was found that losses of lives and valuable assets could be significantly minimized by implementing non-structural measures including the improvement of flood forecasting and warning system. The existing flood forecasting and warning capacity of Bangladesh could be more effective if real-time data could be acquired from upstream areas within the GBM catchment, where runoff is generated. Bangladesh can develop effective flood forecasting and warning systems with the real-time comprehensive data on water levels in rivers and rainfall, which are available from India in particular, but also from Nepal and Bhutan so as to face the problem well before danger levels are reached.

History and Nature in Amitav Ghosh

Title: History and Nature in Amitav Ghosh
Author: Bhubaneswar Deka
ISBN: 978-93-86934-20-8

About the Author: 

Dr. Bhubaneswar Deka is currently working as Associate Professor and Head of English Department, Pandu College, Pandu, Guwahati, Assam. He has done Ph.D. from Assam University.

The author has many books under his belt. They are Aravinda Kalita Zindabad (Novel-Assamese), Mrigatrishna (Novel-Assamese), Markin Sahityar Rup Aru Rekha (Assamese), English Essays, (edited), Treasure Trove, and Eta Dharal Kolomor Sandhanat (Assamese).

About the Book:

The first part of the book is concentrated on how colonial, pre-colonial and post-colonial history of the subcontinent side by side global history is fictionalized and represented in the fictions and nonfictions of Amitav Ghosh, Indian novelist of the twenty first century. An attempt to re-read political connotations, issues of India’s colonial past and the contemporary world is made in the light of New Historicism. Ghosh’s politics of representation is also surveyed to some extent referring to postcolonialism, globalization, subalternity, neo-colonialism, liminality, binary oppositions, colonial hegemony, ambivalence etc.

In the second part, Ghosh’s concern for the endangered eco-system or his environmental imagination is checked from a new perspective Eco-criticism or Green Cultural Studies.