No.

8
September
2010

Founded in 2003
Department of Sociology, University of Calcutta Alipore Campus; 01, Reformatory Street,
Kolkata 700027 West Bengal; India; Phone: +91 33 2479 2926

more of a teacher, forever willing and ready to

teach any and every kind of student audience.

Editor’s Column: May be, Shantanu was less of a public face of

Fledging organisations like SAWB suffer most the Association. His activities were in the inner

at the death of key personalities. The premature recesses of the Association: developing a

death of Dr. Shantanu Ghosh and Dr. Anjan network of college teachers, reaching them for

Ghosh points towards that. Both quietly used the tasks assigned to him and articulating his

their skills at different levels of SAWB’s thoughtful opinion on organisational issues. A

activities. Anjan was adept in introducing and founding member, Shantanu served as the

sustaining international standard while editing Treasurer and a member of the Executive

the SAWB journal, in guiding the young Committee. Unlike Anjan and Shantanu, Prof.

scholars and in strategic planning of seminars Deb Kumar Banerjee was not involved in the

and conferences all through taking care of all the activities of the Association. But as a Professor

interests, not harmonious always, of the in the Department of Sociology, Calcutta

members and the Association. As its second University and a colleague of many members of

President, he bridged the gap between research the Association, he shaped their ideas on how

institution and the college-university nexus: he the interests of the sociological community in

made interactions possible between two kinds of West Bengal could be collectively looked after.

knowledge institutions. To many of us he was

SAWB Newsletter No.8, September, 2010 1
We deeply mourn the death of our three
esteemed and loved ones. We resolve to
cherish their memories by doing what they did:
taking care of the sociological community by
nourishing its rich diversity.
Obituary
Anjan Ghosh (13th May 1951 - 5th
June, 2010)
Anjan Ghosh, social scientist and public
intellectual, the ex-President and an Executive
Committee member of the Sociological
Association of West Bengal (SAWB) passed
away on Saturday morning, 5th June, 2010. He
was survived by his mother, wife, daughter and
a large band of grief-stricken students, scholars
and colleagues. After graduating in English
from St Xavier's College, Calcutta,
completed his MA and M.Phil. in Sociology
from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.
He taught at the IIT Delhi, and the IIM
Calcutta, before joining the Centre for Studies
in Social Sciences, Calcutta (CSSSC) in the
early 1980s, where he was a Fellow until his
last breath. He did his doctoral research at the
University of Michigan in the mid-1990s and
was a Fulbright Visiting Lecturer as well as
Senior Research Scholar at the University of
Oregon, USA. Recently, he was selected a
Fellow of the Indian Institute of Advanced
Study, Shimla. His areas of interest and
research included social inequality, violence
SAWB Newsletter No.8, September, 2010
ethnicity and ethnic mobilizations, informal
modes of communication in South Asia, issues
of unequal development and in postcolonial
social theory. More recently he worked on
rumour and communal violence in South Asia
as well as on urban public culture such as
Durga Puja. As a teacher he remained actively
engaged in teaching Sociology and
Anthropology in different colleges and
universities of West Bengal and in other
institutions outside West Bengal over last three
decades. Anjanda- as he was popularly known
to his numerous young friends- excelled in the
informal setting of adda. He was an
ethnographer who used all his senses while
interacting with them. He always tried to equip
the mind of the learners with the power of
critical understanding. His knowledge of
he
archival resources and exceptionally wide
reading was of invaluable help to the young
teachers and researchers as well as his peers.
His sensitivity towards the cause of the
students in peripheral colleges was unique. It is
indeed amazing and exemplary too, how a
teacher could operate with ease at various
levels of scholarship. In the present market
driven competitive educational scenario,
Anjanda stood as a practitioner of cooperative
and collaborative pursuit of knowledge. He
played a very crucial role in organizing
professional sociologists, researchers and
2
students in West Bengal under SAWB. Under
his able leadership West Bengal Sociological
Review, the journal of SAWB, became a truly
professional journal. His sudden demise entails
an insurmountable loss for the discipline of
Sociology in West Bengal and beyond.
Santanu Ghosh (5th February, 1956 -
14th March, 2010)
Members of the Sociological Association of
West Bengal (SAWB) are shocked and
extremely grieved by the death of Dr.
Shantanu Ghosh - a founder-member of
SAWB, its Ex-Treasurer and an Executive
Committee member. Dr. Ghosh was a Reader
in the Department of Sociology, Shibpur
Dinabandhu Institution and also was its vice-
Principal. He completed his Bachelor degree in
Political Science from the Presidency College,
Kolkata and did his Masters in Political
Science from the University of Calcutta.
Afterwards he also obtained the L.L.B. degree.
He started his career in the West Bengal Civil
Services in the mid 1980s. In the early 1990s
he left civil services to adopt Sociology as his
profession. First he had joined as a lecturer in
Sri Chaitanya College, Habra and then joined
Shibpur Dinabandhu Institution where he
taught Sociology at the undergraduate level till
his untimely demise. Besides teaching, Dr.
Ghosh’s most serious contribution as a
SAWB Newsletter No.8, September, 2010
sociologist lies in the text books written by
him in the vernacular. As the first treasurer of
the Association, his efforts were quite
instrumental for SAWB to overcome smoothly
all the difficulties associated with its inception.
SAWB will miss such a friendly, hard
working, ever smiling, simple living
personality.
Deb Kumar Banerjee (26th August,
1926 - 28th February, 2010)
SAWB mourns the sad demise of Prof. Deb
Kumar Banerjee, a founding Faculty Member
of the Department of Sociology, The
University of Calcutta. Throughout his long
career he taught in numerous colleges like
Nalbari College, Assam, and Balurghat
College, Howrah Girls College, and Scottish
church College in West Bengal. He was a
brilliant student and could count among his
teachers renowned social scientists like Prof.
Benoy Kumar Sarkar and Prof. Bhabatosh
Datta. Throughout his long career he taught
Economics, Political Science and Sociology.
He also played an active role in the
administration of Calcutta University where he
was a member of the Faculty Council and the
Syndicate. He was also a member of the
Faculty council of The University of Burdwan.
Prof, Banerjee is regarded as an authority on
Marxism. He was one of the organizers of the
3
 Karl Marx Death Centenary Seminar in
Calcutta University (1983) and later edited the
proceedings in a volume entitled "Marx & His
Legacy: A Centennial Appraisal” (K.P.Bagchi
& Co.1988).It is still in print. He also wrote
"The Right to Rebel" (1984) a book on
political theory and a sociological monograph
entitled "The Goldsmiths" (1983). Prof.
Banerjee was a political sufferer. When the
undivided Communist Party was banned in
1948, he went underground but he was later
arrested and remained a detenue for a year. He
had wide-ranging interests in literature and art.
He was the founder Chairman of Balurghat
Sahitya Parishad. He was an accomplished
painter. During his stay in Nalbari College,
Assam, he organized a series on exhibitions on
subjects like Assamese history and the history
of the Freedom Movement. He also wrote a
play, “Sikshayan noibo noibo cha” which was
enacted in Scottish Church College and
published in the college magazine. He
published a book of rhymes entitled "Chora
Amar Chora" after his retirement. Prof.
Banerjee played an important role in public
life. He was the Chairman of Sinthee Nagarik
Samity. He was also associated with the
educational wing of Nabajatak, a socio-cultural
organization of Sinthee.
SAWB Newsletter No.8, September, 2010
Report of the Third Annual
Conference of Sociological
Association of West Bengal
(SAWB)
The 3rd Annual Conference of the Sociological
Association of West Bengal was held on
December 12, 2009, at St. Xavier’s College
(Autonomous), Kolkata, on the theme of West
Bengal Today: Profiles in Sociology. The
conference was given partial financial support
by the Eastern Regional Centre of the ICSSR.
A gathering of 330 registered delegates,
including many undergraduate and post-
graduate students, college teachers from
different parts of West Bengal, and teacher
representatives from many of the universities
in the state, enlivened discussions in the
academic sessions. The significant
participation of students in the proceedings of
the conference created a lively and interactive
ambience.
The inaugural session was chaired by Prof.
Swapan Pramanick, Vice-Chancellor,
Vidyasagar University, Midnapur. After a
welcome address by Prof. Abhijit Mitra,
President of SAWB, the Principal of St.
Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata, Fr.
Felix Raj S.J. delivered the Inaugural address.
4
 Then the souvenir of the Conference as well
The academic sessions which began after
as the second volume of the West Bengal
lunch were organized into four parallel
Sociological Review were released separately
thematic sessions. Prof. B.N. Borthakur
by Prof. Mitra, Prof. Prasanta Ray (Emeritus
(Dibrugarh University) chaired the session on
Professor, Presidency College, and IDSK) and
Emerging Social Structure of West Bengal,
the dignitaries on the stage. Prof. Ray also
Prof. Prasanta Ray (Presidency College and
addressed the gathering. After the formal
IDSK) chaired the session on Impact of
inauguration, distinguished sociologist Prof.
Cultural Globalization in West Bengal, Prof.
Andre Beteille, Padma Vibhusan, delivered the
Abhijit Mitra (St. Xavier’s College) chaired
Keynote address. In his address Prof. Beteille
the session on ICTs and Changing Patterns of
spoke on how a sociological perspective on the
Cultural Consumption, while Prof. Pradip
present must go beyond common sense,
Bose (Centre for Studies in Social Sciences,
engage with a comparative perspective and
Calcutta) chaired the session on Social
provide cues for reflection on contemporary
Movements and Popular Mobilizations. In all
developments. Prof. Beteille’s address was
30 papers were presented. All the sessions
followed by a vote of thanks by the Organizing
were well attended though the number of
Secretary of the Conference, Dr. Sweta Ghosh
papers presented in the different sessions
of St. Xavier’s College.
varied.
After the tea break, the symposium on Social
The valedictory session was addressed by Dr.
Movements in West Bengal commenced. The
Anjan Ghosh (Centre for Studies in Social
symposium was chaired by Prof. Rajatsubhra
Sciences, Calcutta) and chaired by Prof.
Mukhopadhyay (North Bengal University) and
Biswajit Ghosh (Burdwan University). Dr.
the speakers were Prof. Debjani Sengupta
Ghosh found hope in the development of the
(Kalyani University), Prof. Debi Chatterjee
discipline in the state because of student
(Jadavpur University), Dr. Jyotiprasad
participation in the conference and their
Chatterjee (Hijli College, West Midnapur), and
critical interventions. The conference
Sri Swatahsiddha Sarkar (North Bengal
concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr.
University). The speakers did not confine their
Madhumita Sen (Maulana Azad College), the
attention to West Bengal only but referred to
General Secretary of SAWB.
the global scenario. It stimulated specific
queries and interesting debates.

SAWB Newsletter No.8, September, 2010 5

National Seminar on
Discourses on Development
Organised by: Department of
Sociology, Burdwan University
A two-day National Seminar was organised by
the Department of Sociology on 13-14th
March 2010 as a part of the Golden Jubilee
celebration of the University of Burdwan. The
ICSSR, UGC and the University of Burdwan
sponsored it. The Inaugural Session was
chaired by Prof. Abhijit Mitra, the former
Head of the Department and Professor of
Sociology, University of Burdwan. The session
began with a presentation about the history of
the Department of Sociology by Dr. Saurav
Madhur Dey of the department. Prof. Biswajit
Ghosh, the HOD & the Organising Secretary
of the Seminar, delivered the welcome address
after condoling the death of eminent
Sociologist Prof. Deb Kumar Bandyopadhyay.
Prof. Arup Chattopadhyay, Dean of Arts &
Commerce of The University of Burdwan also
addressed the delegates. The Keynote address
was delivered by Prof. Anand Kumar of JNU.
Dr. Ananda Mohan Kar, Joint Organising
Secretary of the Seminar, presented the vote of
thanks in this session.
Noted experts on the concerned fields
addressed the four sessions of the seminar.
SAWB Newsletter No.8, September, 2010
In the first session on State, Market & Civil
Society, chaired by Prof. Swapan Kumar
Pramanick, Hon’ble Vice Chancellor,
Vidyasagar University, the panelists were: Dr.
Surajit C. Mukhopadhyay of CSSS, Kolkata,
Prof. Satyabrata Chakraborty of Calcutta
University Prof. Kalyan Sankar Mondal of
IIMC and Prof. Apurba Mukhopadhyay of
NIAS, Kolkata.
Prof. Pradip Bhowmick of IIT Kharagpur
chaired the second session on Gender and
Development. The panelists of this session
were: Prof. Samita Manna of Kalyani
University, Dr. Manjula Rathaur of CAS, New
Delhi, and Prof. Amit Hazra of Visva Bharati.
Prof. Anand Kumar of JNU chaired the third
session on Science, Environment and
Development. The panelists of this session
were: Dr. Soma Choudhury Lahiri of St.
Xavier’s College, Kolkata, Dr Manish Verma
of BSBAU, Lucknow Dr. Subhasis Banerjee of
BESU, Shibpur, and Sri Bipattaran Ghosh of
Burdwan University.
The fourth session on Other Contemporary
Issues of Development was chaired by Prof.
Biswajit Ghosh.: Dr. Manish Kumar Thakur of
IIMC, Dr. Roddur Dey of C. G. College,
Hooghli, Dr. G. C. Rath of G.B.P.S.S Institute,
6
Allahabad and Prof. Rahim Mondal of North
Bengal University were the panelists in this
session.
There was also one Open Poster Session on
developmental issues where 14 posters by
teachers/scholars were debated and discussed.
Prof. Anirban Banerjee of the Department of
Sociology presented the Valedictory address
under the chairmanship of Prof. Amritava
Banerjee, former Visiting Professor
Sociology, University of Burdwan. Mr.
Bibhas Bagchi of the department extended the
vote of thanks. Nearly 200 delegates and
participants from different universities and
colleges attended the seminar from different
parts of the country.
Please participate in the 6th
Annual General Meeting of
the Sociological Association of
West Bengal (SAWB) to be
held at the University of
Calcutta (College Street
Campus) on 25th September,
2010
SAWB Newsletter No.8, September, 2010
Seminar on Knowing the Social:
Research and Method in Sociology
Organised by: Department of
Sociology, West Bengal State
University, Barasat
The Department of Sociology, West Bengal
State University organized on 2nd and 3rd
March 2010, a two day National Seminar
titled, Knowing the Social: Research and
Method in Sociology. The seminar was
of inaugurated by Prof. Ashoke Ranjan Thakur,
the Hon’ble Vice Chancellor and Prof. Uttam
Dutta, Registrar, West Bengal State
University was the special guest on the
occasion. The Resource Persons for the
Seminar were Prof. N Jayaram, TISS,
Mumbai, Prof. Pradip Bose, Professor of
Sociology, (formerly with ICSSR-ER), Prof.
Surendra Munshi, Professor of Sociology,
(formerly with IIM, Kolkata), Prof. Bholanath
Bandyopadhyay, Professor of Sociology,
Calcutta University, Prof. Samita Manna,
Professor of Sociology, Kalyani University,
Prof. Suraj Bandyopadhyay, (formerly with
ISI, SRU Kolkata), Prof. Amritava Banerjee,
(formerly with Ashutosh College, Kolkata),
Prof. Biswajit Ghosh, Professor of Sociology,
Burdwan University, Prof. H R Tiwary,
Professor of Sociology, Humanities and
Social Sciences, IIT, Kharagpur, and
7
 Dhrubojyoti Chattopadhyay, the inaugural
Dr. Amitesh Mukhopadhyay, Reader in
session was chaired by Prof. B.N.
Sociology, Kalyani University. The Seminar
Bandyopadhyay. The seminar was a humble
was more like a collegial discussion than a
effort on part of the department to unveil the
lecture series; conversations that reflected
richness and the contributions of select Indian
original and new insights in sociological
sociologists.
research so that new researchers in the field
The pre-lunch session was titled:
achieve a relatively broad understanding of
Significance of the Ideas of Indian
current practices. The seminar, attended by
Sociologists. The session was chaired by Prof.
more than ninety participants from all across
Prasanta Ray and the speakers were Prof. Bela
the state, sought to suggest broad guidelines
Dutta Gupta, former Shyamaprasad
for undertaking research.
Mukherjee Chair of Professor of Sociology,
State level seminar on Revisiting Calcutta University and Prof. S.K.Pramanick,
Indian Sociological Thinkers the Vice-Chancellor Vidyasagar University.
Organised by: Department of
Sociology, University of Calcutta Prof. S. K. Pramanick initiated the seminar

The department of Sociology, University of with a kaleidoscopic lecture from origin to the

Calcutta, organized a day long State level present, uniquely tying together the linkages

seminar titled: Revisiting Indian Sociological of the whole span of 19th and 20th centuries.

Thinkers on the 15th of March 2010 in the CSS Prof. Bela Dutta Gupta who unfortunately

hall, Alipore campus. could not come because of ill health was kind
enough to make available her book Bange
The proceedings began with two minutes Dhrubobad, from which she had marked out
silence for the departed souls of Prof. Deb portions to be read out to the audience. The
Kumar Banerjee, former professor of excerpts were read by Dr. Bula Bhadra,
Sociology, CU and Dr. Shantanu Ghosh, Vice Department of Sociology, Calcutta
Principal and Reader in Sociology, University.
Dinabandhu College, Howrah.

The seminar was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Stay Informed. Be a member

Pro-Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs, Prof. of the Husociology Blog

SAWB Newsletter No.8, September, 2010 8

 The post lunch session titled: Selected Indian sociological discourses of social change. Dr.
Sociologists, was chaired by Prof. Moinuddin’s address was followed by a vote
S.K.Pramanick, and the speakers were Prof of thanks delivered by Dr. Jyotiprasad
S.K. Bhattacharya who spoke on the works of Chatterjee, Reader, Department of Sociology,
Benoy Sarkar, Prof. Abhijit Mitra who Hijli College. In the symposium the speakers
analysed the richness of the Indian sociological were Sri Subhendra Bhowmik (Lecturer in
thinking in D.P.Mukerji’s contribution. Prof. Sociology, Kashipur Michael Madhusudan
Pradip Bose spoke on N.K.Bose’s Mahavidyalaya, Purulia), Sri Arghya Sukul
contributions. The session ended with a vote of (Research Scholar, Department of Sociology,
thanks. University of Kalyani, Nadia) and Dr.
Debaprasad Chatterjee (Associate Professor,
Seminar on Sociology of/for Social
Change: A journey from theory to Department of Sociology, Maulana Azad
practice Organised by: Department of College, Kolkata). The speakers through their
Sociology, Hijli College, Kharagpur lucid and lively presentations tried to reveal
The Department of Sociology, Hijli College, the twin role of Sociology as an academic
Kharagpur organized a Symposium on discipline devoted to the analysis of social
Sociology of/for Social Change: A journey change, and as an agency of social change as
from theory to practice at the college premises well. Quite interestingly, a group of students
on 3rd March 2010. Dr. D.N.Khanra, of the department came up with a very
Principal, Hijli College delivered the welcome interesting note on the Lalgarh movement.
address. The President, Governing Body of Being the inhabitants of the Junglemahal
Hijli College Dr. D.K.Neogi formally region they discussed the movement as a lived
inaugurated the seminar and through his experience. Their presentation helped the
stimulating speech set the tune of discussion of symposium to touch an even further academic
the symposium. Dr. S.A.H.Moinuddin, Reader height.
and Teacher-in-Charge, Department of
Sociology, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore
Please Renew Your
delivered the keynote address that
comprehensively analysed some important
Membership of SAWB

SAWB Newsletter No.8, September, 2010 9


National Seminar on Ethnicity and
Social Unrest Organised by:
Department of Sociology, North
Bengal University
The Department of Sociology, North Bengal
University, organized a national seminar on
Ethnicity and Social Unrest, as a part of the
ongoing Special Assistance Programmes of
the UGC, in collaboration with Sociological
Association of West Bengal (SAWB) at
North Bengal University on 29-30 March
2010. Prof. Abhijit Mitra, President, SAWB,
Dr. Madhumita Sen, General Secretary,
SAWB, and Dr. Debaprasad Chatterjee,
Treasurer, SAWB, represented SAWB at the
seminar.
The seminar began with a welcome address
by Prof. R. K. Bhadra. Prof. Abhijit Mitra,
Dr. Sanjay K. Roy, Dr. Madhumita Sen
elaborated the activities and importance of
SAWB. They also underscored the need for
greater cooperation between SAWB and
Sociology Departments of colleges and
universities across the State of West Bengal.
The noted social anthropologist, Prof. Ajit
K. Danda delivered the Keynote address and
well-known sociologist and ex-President of
Indian Sociological Society, Prof. Partha
Nath Mukherjee delivered the valedictory
address.
SAWB Newsletter No.8, September, 2010
The noted social anthropologist, Prof. Ajit K.
Danda delivered the Keynote address and well-
known sociologist and ex-President of Indian
Sociological Society, Prof. Partha Nath
Mukharjee delivered the valedictory address.
Sixteen scholars representing academic
disciplines like Sociology, Social Anthropology,
Political Science and Economics presented
papers in three academic sessions. There were
seven papers on various ethnic movements and
ethnic unrest in North Bengal, namely, the
Gorkhaland movement, Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi
Vikas Parishad movement, Greater Cooch Behar
movement, Surjapuri movement in the
transferred area from Bihar, Kamtapur
movement, and ethnic movements in general.
The speakers in this section were Prof. Verginius
Xaxa, Prof. Rajatsubhara Mukhopadhya, Dr.
Sanjay K. Roy, Sri Swatasiddha Sarkar, Dr.
Arun Kanti Jana, Dr. Rup Kumar Barman, and
Mrs. Prajna Paramita Sarkar. Three papers on
various ethnic and class movements in South
Bengal covered ethnic movement of Jharkhand,
Santhals in Birbhum and on ethnic formation
among the migrant Matua Community in South-
Eastern West Bengal. Three speakers in this
section, namely, Dr. Jyotiprasad Chatterjee, Ms.
Debkalpa Basu Das and Mr. Arghya Sukul
represented the SAWB. Two speakers, Dr. D. C.
Roy and Mr. Anjan Chakraborty, spoke on the
10
 ethnic movements shaping up in Sikkim
while two other speakers, Dr. R. K. Saha and
Dr. N. K. Das, based their papers on ethnic
movements in North-East India. Three other
papers, the ones presented by Prof. Abhijit
Dasgupta, Prof. Rajat Kanti Das and Prof. S.
R. Mondal discussed theoretical issues and
drew examples from ethnic movements from
other parts of the country.
The organizers announced their plan of
bringing out a volume of the articles
presented and requested the paper presenters
to edit their papers and return them for
publication.
A book of abstracts was published on the
occasion of the seminar.
Sensitivity/Awareness/Motivation
Workshop Organised by:
Department of Sociology, Maulana
Azad College, Kolkata
The Department of Sociology, Maulana
Azad College, Kolkata successfully
conducted a UGC sponsored Residential
Workshop on Sensitivity/Awareness/
Motivation under the Capacity Building of
Women Managers in Higher Education
scheme, during 22-26, March, 2010 at the
premises of the National Institute of
Technical Teachers’ Training and Research
(NITTTR), Salt Lake, Kolkata.
SAWB Newsletter No.8, September, 2010
Dr. Madhumita Sen Reader and Head, Dept. of
Sociology, was the Local Coordinator of the
Workshop.
Altogether Thirty Three participants attended
the Workshop of which fifteen were from the
neighbouring states of Orissa (4 participants
from Sambalpur University and Utkal
University), Jharkhand (5 participants from
SKM University) and Bihar (6 participants
from Bhagalpur University and Nalanda
University Bihar,). The rest were from
different districts of South Bengal including
Kolkata. The participating Universities of
West Bengal were Kalyani University,
Burdwan University, West Bengal State
University and University of Calcutta.
The participants, the middle career women
teachers, belonged to a wide range of
disciplines as Philosophy, Political Science,
Home Science, Bengali, Urdu, History,
Zoology, Botany, Commerce, Oriya,
Education, Physics, Chemistry, Sociology,
Geography, Hindi, Mass Communication and
English.
The organisers were fortunate enough to have
Professor Padma Ramachandran and Professor
Karuna Chanana as Core Group Resource
Persons for the workshop. Professor Sarbani
Chaudhury was present throughout the
11
Workshop as the Regional Coordinator. Ten Seminar on Bridging the Gender Gap
Trainer Associates (Resource Persons) in Access to Nutrition and Education
Organised by: Department of Home
transacted five manuals (Women’s Studies
Science, Calcutta University
Perspective, Women and Governance, Women
The Department of Home Science, Calcutta
and Academic Leadership, Personal and
University organized a day-long seminar on
Professional Roles and Women and Research)
Bridging the Gender Gap in Access to
in fifteen Technical Sessions during the five-
Nutrition and Education on the 8th of February
day Residential Workshop. Renowned
2010 at the Viharilal Campus. The Head of the
personalities as Dr. Miratun Nahar, ex-member
Department, Dr. Santa Dutta De, in her
of West Bengal Women’s Commission and
welcome address, explained the relevance of
Anuradha Talwar, a famous Human Rights
the theme. Four distinguished speakers
Activist in West Bengal addressed two Open
representing the academics and applied fields
Sessions on Women’s Rights as Human
addressed the gathering. The lectures
Rights.
generated some lively interactions between the
The organisers were also privileged to have speakers and the students in the audience.
Professor Swapan Kumar Pramanick, Special Lecture
Honourable Vice Chancellor, Vidyasagar
• Cultural Distinctiveness between
University, Professor Prasanta Ray, Presidency
East Bengal and West Bengal
College, Dr. Sanghamitra Mukherjee, Hindus following Partition-
Principal, Lady Brabourne College, and the Migration during 1946-1947
Principal, Maulana Azad College in the
Organised by: Department of
Sociology, Jadavpur University
inaugural session.
Golam Sarwar Khan from the Department of
All the sessions were interactive with active Sociology, University of Western Sydney,
contribution of the participants and the Australia delivered a talk on Cultural
resource persons. A Cultural Evening was Distinctiveness between East Bengal and West
organised with active involvement of the Bengal Hindus following Partition- Migration
students, the teachers of the Department of during 1946-1947 in the Department of
Sociology, Maulana Azad College and the Sociology, Jadavpur University, on 30th
participants of the Workshop. December, 2009 at 3p.m.

SAWB Newsletter No.8, September, 2010 12

 • Making Development Needs into delivered Special Lectures on “Globalization
Educational Needs: On the social and Cultural Imperialism” and
construction of need as “Globalization and Gender” respectively, to
educational needs Organised by:
the students of the Department of Sociology
Department of Sociology,
Jadavpur University on 16th March 2010.

Professor Howard Davidson of Department of

Forthcoming Seminar/
Extension Education, University of Manitoba,
Conference Notice &
Canada, spoke on Making Development Needs
Information
into Educational Needs: On the social
construction of need as educational needs on XXVI ALL INDIA SOCIOLOGY
22nd February, 2010 at Anita Banerjee CONFERENCE
Memorial Hall, Jadavpur University. 27, 28 and 29 December 2010

RAVENSHAW UNIVERSITY, CUTTACK

• Perspectives on the Experiences of
Theme:
Immigrant Youth in Canada Development, Polity and Social
Organised by Department of Tensions
Sociology, Jadavpur University
¾ Symposium – I
Professor Lori Wilkinson, Department of
Revisiting the development discourse in
Extended Education, University of Manitoba contemporary times
Winnipeg, Canada delivered a lecture on
¾ Symposium – II
“Perspectives on the Experiences of Immigrant State, civil society and social conflicts in
India
Youth in Canada” at the Department of
Sociology, Jadavpur University on 19th April, ¾ Symposium – III
2010. Social tensions and the politics of
development in Orissa
• Globalization and Cultural Dates to remember:
Imperialism Organised by
Department of Sociology, West Last date for submission of abstracts
Bengal State University, Barasat September 15, 2010

Prof. Anand Kumar, CSSS, JNU. New Delhi and Last date for registration
November 30, 2010
DR. Manjula Rathaur, (formerly with BHU)
visited West Bengal State University and

SAWB Newsletter No.8, September, 2010 13

National Seminar on “Rural
¾ The politics of transcript and language
Consumers in a Globalizing Market:
involving nation and the tribal
Vulnerability and Choices” communities.
Department of Sociology, University of ¾ The space of interaction between nation
Kalyani, 15-16 December, 2010 and the tribal communities in literature.
¾ Reflection of any of the above issues in
The Department of Sociology, University of literature.
¾
Kalyani in collaboration with Indian Institute of Abstracts (in not more than 500 words) of papers
Public Administration (IIPA), Delhi is going to should be sent to any of the following e-mailing
organize a seminar on “Rural Consumers in a addresses by 15th September, 2010.
Globalizing Market: Vulnerability and Choices” 1. kalynchatterjee@gmail.com
on 15-16 December, 2010. Those who are 2. rajarshi.mitra.ju@gmail.com
interested to participate and present papers
37th Annual Conference of Kerala
please visit: www.klyuniv.ac.in
Sociological Society
UGC Sponsored State Level Seminar
The 37th Annual Conference of Kerala
on Nation and Its Tribal Populace
Sociological Society will be held at Farook
4th-5th October, 2010
Organized by College, Calicut, Kerala from November 19th to
The Department of English & the 21st 2010. The theme of the conference is
Department of History, Mobility, Mobilization and Social Development
Jhargram Raj College, Jhargram,
in a Globalized World. Papers are invited on the
Paschim Medinipur
topics related to the theme. Those who wish to
Papers are invited on the topics mentioned below
present papers may send in their abstracts in not
or on any topic related to the subject of the
more than 250 words by 20th September 2010,
Seminar:
to the Secretary via email:
¾ Construction of tribal identity in the
colonial era. antonypalackal@yahoo.com. The abstracts
¾ The place of the tribal movements in the should contain the problem, objectives,
nationalist discourses in India.
¾ Representation of the tribal voices in the methodology and the major findings/arguments
nationalist discourses in India. of the paper. The screening committee will go
¾ ‘Development’/ ‘Progress’ and its impact
on tribal communities. through the abstracts and the selected papers will
¾ The present scenario in the tribal belts of be intimated by 30th September 2010. The full
India and the role of nation.
¾ Nation and tribal communities: the global paper will have to be turned in by 10th
perspectives. November, 2010.

SAWB Newsletter No.8, September, 2010 14

UGC Sponsored Three Day National Seminar on
Rural Development: Problems, Changing Prospects and Implementation Strategies
Second Half of November, 2010
Organized by
PG and Research Department of Sociology, D.A.V. College, Civil Lines, Kanpur
(C.S.J.M. University)

Last date for the receipt of title of the paper and abstracts 05 September, 2010
Last date for the submission of paper 15 October, 2010
Paper should be sent by e-mail to:-
Dr. Anoop Kumar Singh, Organising Secretary, Deptt. Of Sociology, D.A.V. College, Kanpur – 01s
e-mail- aksingh_2008@yahoo.co.in Contact Mobile - 09415126765

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Please participate in the 6th Annual General Meeting of the

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University of Calcutta (College Street Campus) on 25th September,
2010

SAWB Newsletter No.8, September, 2010 15

 WEST BENGAL
SOCIOLOGICAL REVIEW
All full papers submitted to SAWB in
its conferences will be peer-reviewed
and those selected by the reviewers will
be published in due course in West
Bengal Sociological Review (WBSR).

------ Editorial Board, WBSR, SAWB

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Department of Sociology, University of Calcutta

Alipore Campus; 01, Reformatory Street,
Kolkata 700027 West Bengal; India
Sociological Association of West Bengal
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Edited by Professor Prasanta Ray; Editorial Assistance: Dr. Jyotiprasad Chatterjee and published by
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SAWB Newsletter No.8, September, 2010 16