Knowledge Dialogues -
A 3-day Convention on Knowledge in Society.
Organised jointly by
Kuvempu University Shivamogga and the Journal of Dialogues on Knowledge in Society.
20-22 Feb 2025, Kuvempu University
First Announcement (Kannada - ಕನ್ನಡ)
The Convention on Knowledge in Society is an open forum to critically examine the Knowledge question, including the Science and Technology question, in the light of our developmental and nation building experience of over 75 years . It would investigate whether the choices that have been made, and are being made, in the domain of Knowledge in our country have themselves contributed to our present state where the majority of the people continue to live under conditions of poverty, deprivation and indignity.
Though the role of Modern Science and Technology in development has been a subject of debates for long, the knowledge component of other spheres of human activity, such as economics, politics, social sciences, arts, philosophy, social organisation, family etc., have not received much critical examination. While the issue of Knowledge has so far not appeared as significant as those of Equity, Freedom and Sustainability, it is becoming apparent that in many cases of contending standpoints there is likely to be an underlying question of Knowledge and its foundations, going beyond those of preferences, interests and power. It has not been recognised widely that different societies and cultures through history have developed different knowledge systems and practices that suited their civilisational goals and purposes, and that the Modern systems and practices that have had their origins in the West are only one of them.
Knowledge and its practices pertaining to different fields of concern to most people ( food, nutrition, health, housing, transportation, agriculture, water management, textiles, rural industries, social organisation, arts, family etc) still exist in a widespread and distributed manner in our society. This is distinct from the centralised modern institutional forms of knowledge organised hierarchically through universities, laboratories, academies etc. This “Knowledge in Society” transcends categories of Modern/Traditional, Western/Indigenous, Organised/Folk etc, and is a living and ever evolving entity, with values and culture appropriate to it embedded into it.
The journal “Dialogues on Knowledge in Society” (https://www.ppstindia.in/) that has evolved out of the earlier work of the PPST ( https://www.ppstindiagroup.in/) is devoted to such a pursuit, and the Convention is expected to take the dialogue forward in an open and inclusive manner. Kuvempu University (Kuvempu.ac.in) in Shivamogga (erstwhile Shimoga) is born out of University of Mysore, and has been pursuing education and research in certain areas (Bio-Diversity in Western Ghats, Indigenous Nyaya Panchayats, Cultural Differences, Folklore, Local Traditions, Pluralism and Coexistence) that have a bearing on the indigenous/local aspects of the knowledge question.
Some themes for the Convention.
One of the main purposes of the Convention is to examine the Knowledge choices, including S&T choices, that had been made in the development process in our country, the reasons thereof, and their impact on the outcomes in different sectors.
Knowledge choices made in some core sectors of our economy.
Following are some of the key sectors whose inadequate performance has been very hurtful to the vast majority of our people: Food and Nutrition; Drinking Water; Toilets and Sanitation; Agriculture, Irrigation and Animal Husbandry; Land and Forests; Housing and Habitats; Health and Medicines; Clothing and Textiles; Household Energy needs; Industrial Development; Environment and Ecology; Literacy and School Education; Local Self-governance; Etc. In the Convention, we will get knowledgeable and experienced persons in each of these fields to speak on the kind of Knowledge choices that were made in their field from the time of independence, the reasons thereof, and how the process of selecting/rejecting among them was carried out. They will also tell us if any of these choices are still available to us, and if so, whether they should be examined and adopted even now.
Some foundational issues underlying the different Knowledge systems
In the Indian context at the time of independence, there were two broad contending systems or traditions of Knowledge : those that originated in the West around the 18th century and got introduced into our country as a part of the colonization project, and those that were of 'local' origin and which had been supporting the society and economy of this region for long periods of time. Efforts will be made in the Convention to bring out the differences in the epistemic foundations between these two Knowledge streams or traditions, and to what extent these differences may be responsible for the consequences that followed from the choices that were made.
It is also known that these two systems differ significantly in the way they get organised in society. “Knowledge in Society” seems to be the way indigenous Knowledge traditions get organised, with their embedded-ness in society enabling them to keep renewing themselves to whatever extent the circumstances permit. Did the differences in their organisation within society, especially under an aggressively centralizing and hostile state, also contribute to their differences in performance? Does the idea of Swaraj have a role while making choices in the Knowledge domain even today?
Knowledge and its connectedness.
There are other aspects of Knowledge that the Convention should examine, such as its relationship with Power. Relationships with Arts, Films and the Media and Role of Knowledge in social relationships, family etc should also be discussed. What is the Knowledge basis of movements like the Ecological Movement, Farmers’ Movement, Women’s Movement, Tribal’s Movement, etc?
Going forward
The central concern of the Convention should be on the initiatives in the knowledge domain that needs to be taken to address the central issue of largescale poverty that still exists in our country. We need to see how and to what extent the Modern Knowledge, including its S&T components, can be re-organised and adapted to meet the needs of the Indian people and the Indian nation in a more effective and just way. This should take into account, among other things, the shifting grounds of knowledge in the Digital and Internet age, as well as new developments like Artificial Intelligence. A similar exercise should be done on the Knowledge systems of Indian origin (called Indian Knowledge Systems, or IKS) and their value and relevance to the developmental processes to be freshly assessed. How can the emphasis be shifted from preservation to renewal? How can the idea of a partnership between the two traditions be formulated and promoted? Examination of IKS should also go beyond the domain of the material world, and encompass the social, cultural, artistic, moral, ethical and family dimensions. We should also examine a view existing in our society that IKS was elite knowledge in some kind of adversarial relationship with ordinary people’s lives and their knowledge.
A New Knowledge Academy?
Do we need a new kind of Academy to pose the questions of knowledge, theoretical and practical, in a new way and support other initiatives which do so? The Convention may explore the setting up of such an institution.
Prof. C.N.Krishnan Prof. Meti Mallikarjuna
Dr. J.K.Suresh Prof. B V Ramaprasad
Journal of Dialogues on Knowledge in Society Kuvempu University https://www.ppstindia.in Shivamogga Karnataka
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