Knowledge Dialogues --
A Convention on Knowledge in Society.
Kuvempu University, 20-22 Feb 2025
Poverty and the Knowledge question –
the role of Indigenous /Traditional Knowledge.
Working Group: Veena Joshi (Convener), Umashankari, Rahul Goswami, C N Krishnan
​
While mass hunger may be a thing of the past, poverty and deprivation exist in India on a mass scale – large sections of people lacking in adequate food, nutrition, drinking water, healthcare, housing, education, transport, employment and wages, environment, etc. These sectors where poverty is still rampant are in reality our “core sectors” as far as the well-being of the people are concerned, and addressing this requires large scale investments going into them, and not merely into 'infrastructure' projects like airports, highways, harbours, bullet trains etc. Significantly, not much of these investments need to go into capital and energy intensive inputs like high technology, large machinery, high science etc, most of which anyway have to be imported. These investments need to go primarily into (i) employing much larger numbers of people in most sectors with reasonable levels of salaries and job security, along with appropriate training programs for them (ii) protecting our natural resources and assets and utilising them in a just and sustainable manner. The awareness, knowledge and skills available with the ordinary people, supplemented wherever needed with specialised knowledge, technology and training, would mostly be adequate to address the pressing problems of poverty in our country. This knowledge base available in the society, referred to as Knowledge in Society in this Convention, is composed of elements from both the Traditional/Indigenous and the Modern/ Western streams, created through a continuous process of experimentation, innovation, absorption, and integration practiced by the people in their day to day lives.
A Panel Discussion on
“The knowledge base needed for removal of mass poverty is largely available with the ordinary people and the small-scale sector”
The Panel will address this proposition from different stand points and taking different domains, highlighting how a partnership between the Traditional/ Indigenous and the Modern/ Western can effectively combat poverty and its consequences.
Click here for details
Session on
Poverty and the Knowledge question – the role of Indigenous /Traditional Knowledge.
The session is in the form of a Panel Discussion where the panellists having specialised knowledge and expertise in their own domains will comment on and discuss the following proposition:
“The knowledge base needed for removal of mass poverty is largely available with the ordinary people and the small-scale sector”
2.00 - 4.00 PM, Thu. 20th Feb.2025.
​
The Panellists:
Healthcare: Darshan Shankar (Bengaluru) and Mangalath Prasad (Thrissur)
Agriculture: A V Balasubramanian (Chennai) and Krishna Prasad (Mysuru)
Water: Ravindra Kumar Phatak (Gaya)
Textiles: Samyukta Gorrepati (Hyderabad)
Rural Industries: Pradeep Sharma (Raipur)
​
Discussion Moderator: Veena Joshi
About the panellists:
​
Darshan Shankar is the Founder-Vice Chancellor of the Trans Disciplinary University, Bengaluru, as well as the recipient of many awards like the Padma Shri Award, Normal Borlaug Award for contributions to conservation of medicinal plants, etc.
​
Vaidya Mangalath Prasad MD (Ayur) is the Director and Chief Physician at Sunethri Ayurvedashram and Research Centre, Thrissur. The Research Centre specialises in the field of autism, and they have developed the Sunethri Protocol for Autism treatment.
​
A V Balasubramanian is a Biologist by training. Since 1982 he has been involved in exploring the current relevance and potential of various aspects of Traditional Indian Sciences and Technologies. He is the Founder- Director of the Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems (CIKS), Chennai. The CIKS is devoted to exploring the contemporary relevance and applications of Indian Knowledge Systems particularly in the area of sustainable agriculture.
​
Krishna Prasad is the Founder Director of Sahaja Samrudha, Desi Seed Producers Company, Sahaja Samrudha Organic Producers Company. He is an Ashoka Fellow and is known as Rural Karnataka’s Native Seed Man. His organisations network with organic farmers, promote exchange of knowledge, information, and seeds.
​
Ravindra Kumar Phatak was Professor of Pali and Buddhist Studies, Magadh University, Bodhgaya. He has a special interest in traditional science, technologies and philosophy in different sectors, water being one of them. He leads a civil society group called Magadh Jal Jamaath which studies and advocates on water related issues in the Magadh region near Gaya.
​
Samyukta Gorrepati is a textile designer and a theatre actor. She works with Chitrika Foundation, Hyderabad. Her primary work is with weaver producer organizations in Andhra Pradesh in the domains of design and production, including capacity building. Her current work is with cotton spinners of Ponduru, Andhra Pradesh to take the craft experience to the public. She has authored the book “Learning the Heart’s way”.
​
Pradeep Sharma is ex Advisor to Hon. Chief Minister, Chhattisgarh. He is currently a mentor at the Rural Renaissance Innovative Solutions. The rural renaissance centres comprise of rural industrial parks and Gauthans to strengthen the rural livelihood activity wherein knowledge and knowledge holders are seen in a flow with minimum structural constraints.
​