Shillong, May 10: The inaugural session of the 3rd International Conference of the Global Plant Humanities Network (GPHN) opened at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) Shillong with a distinguished gathering of scholars, academics, researchers, students and collaborators from different institutions and countries.
Delivering the welcome address, Prof Jyotimoy Pradhani, Head of the Department of English at NEHU, welcomed the dignitaries, faculty members, teachers, students, researchers, presenters and participants associated with the event. He acknowledged the collective efforts of the organising and collaborating institutions in making the conference possible and extended greetings to all those attending the gathering.
Goutam Majhi, president and one of the founding members of the GPHN and Assistant Professor of English at Sadhan Chandra Mahavidyalaya, described the occasion as one of the most historic and unique gatherings of recent times. In his speech, he highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of the conference, noting how it meaningfully connects botany, ecology, environmental studies, sociology, the humanities and the social sciences.
Earlier editions of the conference took place in Kolkata and Kathmandu. Majhi fondly recalled the earlier conferences and expressed appreciation for the contributions of collaborators from Australia, Portugal, Finland, Cotton University in Assam and other institutions. He also shared his happiness at receiving more than 200 abstracts for presentation and remarked that the conference had already emerged as a success.
Guest of honour Prof Moon Moon Mazumdar, Dean of the School of Humanities at NEHU Shillong, spoke on the interrelationship between literature, agriculture, environment and ecology. Recalling Rabindranath Tagore’s vision at Santiniketan, she referred to his efforts toward sustainable agriculture, village-based employment and community-oriented development. She described Tagore as a multifaceted and early environmental thinker whose ideas connected art, music, imagination and ecological sensitivity long before environmentalism became an established field of study.
Mazumdar also noted Tagore’s affection for the Saal trees of Santiniketan and emphasised that community-driven projects and plant humanities are deeply interrelated.
Chief guest Prof Sumarbin Umdor, Pro Vice-Chancellor of NEHU Shillong, set the tone for the conference by underlining the rarity and significance of a gathering in which botany and the humanities come together so closely. In a light-hearted opening remark, he observed that such an event was rare for him as well and expressed his happiness at being part of what he described as one of the largest and most unique gatherings of its kind.
Connecting the conference theme with indigenous knowledge systems, Umdor shared a Khasi folktale related to betel nut, betel leaves, lime and explained their importance in Khasi social and cultural life. He further reflected on Khasi indigenous medicine, sacred forests, food habits, myths, deities, ancestors, taboos, spiritual traditions and the larger ecological consciousness embedded in community life.
Prof Kynpham S Nongkynrih, a noted poet from Meghalaya and faculty member at NEHU, added a culturally rich dimension to the inaugural session with his reflections on Khasi folklore and oral tradition. Extending the discussion on local narratives, he spoke about the transformations and interconnections among people, plants, fruits, trees, birds and landscapes in Meghalaya. He offered a deeper reading of the folktale surrounding betel nut, betel leaf, lime and tobacco, and connected these stories with colonial references and regional memory.
Sessions were hosted at NEHU and the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) venues. It included keynote lectures, technical sessions and cultural programmes.
