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 The liberation of society and nature from the growth imperative is possible only when intergenerational equity is established by
subjugating private interests to
that of the community. We believe that indigenous ecological ethic contains the seed of
subversion of the hegemony of developmentality. |
| Organisational Structure | Precepts & Principles | Activities | Publications | Vrihi | Basudha | Events & Announcements | Contacts
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A Brief Introduction
Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies (CIS) was established
in 1993 with a view to establishing a forum for public discourse across various
disciplines of knowledge. CIS conducted a series of formal and informal
seminars on diverse topics – ranging from film theory to pentatonic music, from sociobiology to the politics of population, from Third World medicine to From
1995 onwards, CIS included field research in its fold of activities.
Beginning with a small economic and ecological survey in a deltaic
island of the Sunderban, CIS focused attention on the status of extant
crop genetic diversity and traditonal cultural institutions that are
conducive to conservation of local biodiversity. CIS has also been involved
in diverse policy advoicacy campaign, related to farmers' rights and
corporate plunder of indigenous knowledge systems under the WTO/TRIPS
regime.
   In order to facilitate coordination of research and
documentation with advocacy work, CIS was registered in December 2004 as trust organisation, with Dr. Debal Deb as its Chair and Mr.Debashis Chatterjee its Secretary. The Advisory Committee
of CIS is composed of professional natural and social scientists, and
educators.
In 1994-95, CIS conducted and monitored an eco-development project in deltaic islands of the Sundarban. The work generated a mass awareness of the significance of the Sundarban ecosystem among the forest-fringe villagers. The field research and sustainability campaign of CIS received a new vigor after its founder, Dr.Debal Deb left service in late 1996. From 1997 onwards, CIS has pioneered in conservation of indigenous crop diversity in east India, where the extent of folk crop genetic erosion has assumed enormous proportions. In 1998, CIS, as a partner of Research Foundation for Science, Technology & Ecology (RFSTE), New Delhi, established Vrihi, a folk rice gene bank – the first in eastern India. Vrihi (meaning "rice" in Sanskrit) distributes folk crop variety seeds among farmers to promote in situ conservation of rare crop varieties. In its dryland ecological farm Basudha (meaning "Earth Mother"), more than 500 varieties of Indian rice and over 30 different crop spcies are grown using zero input of any synthetic agrochemicals. Basudha is
the research station of CIS, where not only ecological farming techniques
but also methods of ecological architecture, rainwater harvesting, soil conservation, and conservation of
local bio-resources Basudha serves to create a tiny model of local resource-based community development, in which villagers are voluntary participants. CIS documents, and seeks to resuscitate, the evanescent elements of the indigenous culture that are known to have been conducive to biodiversity conservation. CIS has especially contributed to inventorying the region's traditional sacred groves and sacred ponds that house a wealth of rare and endangered biota. CIS periodically conducts farmers' workshops in different parts of the country, and gives training to farmers and NGOs in crop genetic diversity coinservation, ecological agricultural techniques, and participatoey documentation of local biodiversity. Alongside,
CIS organizes various non-formal educational programs to inculcate
scientific thinking into children, including school drop-outs. CIS
members are engaged in movements to oppose superstitions and social
injustices.
CIS periodically receives visitors - scientists, activists and students - whose voluntary farm labour, assistance in education and training, and consultation in technical matters are bartered with hospitality on Basudha campus. External Links "My only desire," Deb says, "was to save all these rice varieties, and conserve all this genetic diversity that is getting lost..." Nature 455: 1002-1003 (15 October 2008) "The microscope has opened up a whole new world for these children,” says Deb..." Nature Medicine 13: 1128 (October 2007) "Deb says, ...if development means unlimited growth in production and consumption of materials, sustainable development is an oxymoron." OP Rana, China Daily (21 Dec 2007) "I may have witnessed the small beginnings of a way of life and living that might well be our last chance of survival..." Samantak Das, The Statesman (7 Feb 2007) "It is indeed a wicked world where biofuel boats claim to be green and that fraud Al Gore gets a Nobel Prize instead of Debal Deb." Derek Wall, Blog (28 Dec 2007) "Basudha is a thriving example of democratic science – science by and for the people. A big reason Debal has no funding..." Josh Kearns, Blog (18 Oct 2007) "CIS procured and processed over seven tonnes of organic rice, and donated this “safe rice” to tsunami victims..." Samantak Das, The Statesman (1 Jan, 2006) "....the session on agriculture, and the speakers were Debal Deb, Director, Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies, Barrackpore, West Bengal, and..." CUTS Events (13 May, 2005) |
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This
site is kindly sponsored by Dr. Paoloroberto Imperiali of Circolo
Culturale Ambientescienze, Cremona, and designed by Tathagata Banerjee
of CIS, Barrackpore. Your comments and suggestions are
solicited. |
