NATIONAL SEMINAR on LAND AND WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN CENTRAL INDIA Date: 14th-15th March 2014 Organized by Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture & Archaeology, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak (M.P.) SECOND CIRCULAR

Theme of the Seminar: The history of Man-Land-Water relationship begins with the origin of human being on the earth. At the early stage, man was totally depended upon his surrounding environment. From Neolithic period, man started exploiting the land resources and water bodies for various purposes. At least from the Pre-Harappan period, Man started to control the natural resources- Land and Water. Thus, Land and Water resource management are two significant aspects for the development of Man and the State. The Land resource management would have started from the period when settled agriculture was started. The early literature of India, archaeological sources do indicate that for state formation Land resource management played a very important role. The Dynastic history of Central India, including that of Mauryas, Sakas, Satavahanas, Panduvanshis, Sarabhapurias, Kalchuries, Paramaras, Pratiharas, Chandellas, Kachchhapghatas and others (from early times to 13th century) provide various references about land system, land revenue and different types of land of the state. No doubt, the land system ascended the feudatory system in early medieval history of India. In the medieval period various regional states ruled in different parts of Central India. In this aspect, mentioned may be made of Bhopal State of Nawab, Gwalior State of Schindia, Holkars of Indore, Bhonsles of Nagpur and a number of small states. These regional states introduced new system of land resource management. With the coming of the British rule, the colonial master had their own system of land management which was accepted to provide to them maximum land revenue. The Ryotwari, Mahalwari and Zamindari system took its root in this period. The tribes of the region such as, the Baiga, the Gonds, the Kamars, The Bhils etc residing in Bastar, Jagdalpur, Sarguja, Mandla, Chhinwara have their indigenous land revenue system. After independence, the Indian state has introduced land resource management through various legislations, policies and programmes. The history of Water resource management goes back to prehistoric period. The small dams constructed during Early Harappan period and the findings of various irrigation cannels, ponds, tanks etc. reveal the system of water management during Harappan period. In the early historical period there are various references regarding the construction of tanks, wells, ponds and dams on small rivers and streams along with irrigation cannels as known from epigraphs and excavated sites. The benevolent rulers made every possible effort for the management of water resources particularly in those areas where there were scanty rainfall. As a result the dynastic rulers introduced a number of innovative methods to conserve water. The regional state of Central India also contributed in this regard for example, the Nawab of Bhopal and Raja Bhoj of Parmar dynasty made elaborate arrangement for conservation of water. The Britishers in India had their own water resource management as revealed from various irrigation cannels- cum-small dams and reservoirs constructed during the period as reflected in various archival documents of the periods. After independence, the state of India has initiated various steps for water resource management and conservation of water by constructing big and small dams, irrigation cannels etc through various policies and programmes. The construction of big dams is a debatable issue. Indira Sagar Project in Madhya Pradesh has created a lot of resentments among the local people who are protesting for the issue of displacement. The unique type of Satyagraha and Jalsatragraha is still continuing at Khandwah in Madhya Pradesh by men and women. Even the tribes of Central India are managing their surrounding land and water resources by their own traditional methods and techniques. The land and water are scarce resources for India. India has more than 17 % of world population but has only 4% of world’s renewable water Resources with 2.6% of world’s land area. The demand of land and water is increasing rapidly due to growing population, rapid organisation, rapid industrialization and economic development. In this regard, it is essential to evolve the system for integrated management of land and water recourses and to design integrated policy. The government of India is coming with revised national water policy for enrolment of water use efficiency, urban and rural water supply and sanitation. This revised policy will give a new opportunity to private players for implementation of new technologies in water supply and sanitation The government of India has created the department of Waste land Development in 1992 which has been subsequently recognized and renamed as Department of Land Resources with a broader mandate. Various programs like DPAP (Drought Prone Area Programme) DDP (Desert Development Programme), MGNREGS (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme), IWDP (Integrated Watershed Development Programme), NRDWP (National Rural Drinking Water Programme) etc. have been initiated by the Government of India for land and water resources management. The United Nation is celebrating this year as international year of water conservation. The seminar takes into account very important aspects of Land and Water Resource Management in Central India from early times to contemporary period. The deliberation shall focus on indigenous land and water management system among the tribes and assess the programs and policies of the government which shall be helpful in formulating future polices of land and water resources management for the people of the area. Sub-themes of the Seminar 1. Land and Water Resource Management in Central India (from Pre-historic Age to British Period). 2. Geographical and socio-economic concept of Land and Water in Central India. 3. Land and Water Resource Management among the tribes and contemporary societies of Central India. 4. Water Management Policy of the state, 5. Management of river water- reservoirs and dams etc. 6. Critical Reviews of various policies and programmes of the state regarding Land and Water Management 7. Land and Water policy process of India : discourses of power and resistance.

Target Participants: The seminar is interdisciplinary in nature. The participants shall be from various disciplines of Social Sciences such as History, Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology, Geography, Economics, Sociology, Anthropology etc.

Important Dates:

Last date of submission of Abstract: 20th February 2014 Last date of Submission of full length paper: 25th Feb. 2014 Notification of acceptance of abstract: 25th February 2014 Guidelines for Abstracts and Full-length Paper: - The abstract of the proposed research paper should not exceed 300 words. The full length paper should be presented in a very logical manner with a maximum of 3000 words. Contact details of author must feature in separate first page; followed by title of the paper and abstract. The references style of the full length paper must be in Chicago referencing style. Font: Time Roman size 12, Text space and alignment : 1.5 and Justified. Hindi Font : Kurti Dev size 14 , space and alignment : 1.5 and Justified. The paper and abstract should be submitted to Organizing Secretary at email: [email protected],

Venue and Date: The Seminar is scheduled to be held on 14th -15th March 2014 in Conference Hall, University Campus of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak (M.P.) 484886. You can get more Information from university website www. igntu.ac.in. Travel Plan & Accommodation: Please send your travel plan along with Abstract. To & fro travel expenses along with accommodation, food & local hospitality will be provided as per University norms. Air fare is not admissible to any participant. Amarkantak: Amarkantak is a pilgrim town in Anuppur District in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. Amarkantak region possesses a unique natural heritage area and is the meeting point of the Vindhyas and the Satpuras, with the Maikal Hills being the fulcrum. This is where the three important rivers of central India, i.e. the Narmada, the Son and the Johila have taken their origin. The place is important both in religious and archaeological points of view. The famous Narmada temple is located at the origin place of the sacred river Narmada. Besides, the ancient temples of Kalacuri period (10th to 11th century AD), Jain temple etc are located. Since this place is located close to Achnakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve, it is one of the Natural and Cultural tourism centres of central India. There are different tribal groups are residing in this region. The Baiga is one of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups of central India which is still in very primitive stage and famous for their traditional mode of treatment. Indira Gandhi National Tribal University: An Act was passed in Indian parliament which was published in the Gazette of India, Part II, section I, on 20 December 2007 by the virtue of which Indira Gandhi National Tribal University Act, 52, 2007. The then M.H.R.D. minister, Shri Arjun Singh laid the foundation stone on 19 April 2008 at Amarkantak. The government of India 7 July 2008, circulated the order of appointment of the founder vice-chancellor of the university. In compliance of this order, Prof. Chandra Deo Singh took the post on 08.07.2008. It is fully granted by the government of India, through University Grant Commission. Different from other universities, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak will have its regional campuses in tribal-dominated states. These campuses will be in tribal areas so that tribal students can have easy access to higher education and promote themselves and their interests so that they can occupy a remarkable place in the mainstream of society. The regional campuses will preserve the tribal art, culture, and traditional medicinal knowledge of the tribes and have been entrusted with the task of using it for the benefit of all. The University has been moved to its own campus in 2010 which is located 16 Kms away from Amarkantak at Aqmarkantak-Shadol Road. The University is spread over 375 acres of land adjoining to the Biosphere Reserve and the primitive tribal hamlets. The university has also established a regional campus at Imphal in Manipur state. At Present, there are 22 Department under the various faculties such as Social Sciences, Humanities, Sciences, Computer sciences and commerce & Management offering the UG, PG and Ph.d. Courses to cater the educational need of almost 2300 student.

Department of AIHC and Archaeology: The Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology has been established in the year 2008. The Department is offering B.A. (Hons.) Programme since its inception. M.A. degree course was started in the session 2011-12 and Ph.D. Programme will be started from the next session 2014-15. According to the Objective of the University much emphasis is given on tribal history, culture, art, architecture, tradition, customs, economic activities, beliefs, technologies and resources in the course content. Continuity, relevance and significance of tribal institutions are being taught in historical context. Field Work and Practical is an indispensable part of the Post Graduate Syllabus. Field training is imparted to the students during their studies. Students perform their field work among living communities for the analysis of unearthed artifacts and material remains. Acquaintance of all the theoretical and methodological aspects of comparing ethnographic and archaeological data, including the use of ethnographic analogy and archaeological ethnography is given to the students for the better understanding of ancient culture through contemporary tribes. Prof. Alok Shrotriya is presently heading the Department and other faculty members are Dr. Mohan Lal Chadhar and Dr. Vinay Kumar who are actively engaged in teaching and research activities. How to Reach: Indira Gandhi National Tribal University is located 1048 metres (3438 ft) above sea level. It is well connected by roads from Bilaspur, Rewa, Shahdol, Anuppur, Jabalpur, Katni, Allhabad, Pendra etc. The nearest railway stations are Pendra Road (25 km), Anuppur (65 KM) and Bilaspur (110 km). The nearest airports are Jabalpur and Raipur ( each 220 km).

Director of the Seminar Convener of the Seminar Prof. B. Tripathy Prof. Alok Shrotriya Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences Head, A.I. History, Cult.& Archaeology.

Organizing Secretary Co- organizing Secretary Dr. Mohan Lal Chadhar Dr. Vinay Kumar Assistant Professor Assistant Professor A. I. History, Cult & Arch. A. I. History, Cult & Arch. Email: [email protected], Email:[email protected], Mobile: 09301599008, Phone No.07629269765 Mobile: 09179110708