International Conference on Agrarian Anthropology

Chief Guest Professor K Suman Chandra, Head of Centre for Agrarian Studies at the National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), Hyderabad, interacting with students

​Hyderabad: The Department of Anthropology, School of Social Sciences, University of Hyderabad (UoH) organised a two-day International Conference titled "Agrarian Anthropology: Insights and Pathways" on Thursday at the Auditorium, School of Humanities.

The Chief Guest Professor K Suman Chandra, Head of Centre for Agrarian Studies at the National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), Hyderabad focused on suicide among the farmer's community as ensnared in the "death trap."

Prof D Narasimha Reddy, Former Dean of School of Social Sciences, UoH delivered the Keynote Address. Prof Reddy an eminent economist assessed the issues faced by farmers as a larger economic problem.

He elaborated on how economists look at the larger mapping and not at the processes which lead to the decision making policies. He discussed how anthropologists should find methods to elaborate possible alternative agricultural methods to improve productivity.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Appa Rao Podile, approached the farming system in India as one that has changed over the years and spoke about his research on inter-cropping and changes of bio-communities affecting the "health of the soil."

He extended his concern about the exploitation of the natural resources and the need for intense research on traditional ways of farming which include use of natural fertilisers like cow dung and the possibility of accommodating microbes present in the dung in any other form so as to rely less on chemicals.

Prof R Siva Prasad, faculty at Department of Anthropology welcomed the guests and the gathering while Professor P Venkat Rao, coordinator of the Seminar and the Dean, School of Social Sciences, spoke on how anthropological wisdom can be used to look at agriculture.

The seminar will be focusing on links between culture and agricultural practices, evolution-diffusion-distribution of agriculture in the Indian Society, change and restructuring of states, economic approaches, modernisation and traditionalisation of agricultural practices and most importantly on the principle concern of suicides among Indian farmers.