HYDERABAD, AUGUST 07, 2025: The English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), Hyderabad, has organised a three-day international conference on “Indigenous/Tribal Communities – Reframing Research Methodologies” on Thursday, bringing together scholars, researchers, and community leaders to explore Indigenous Knowledge Systems and rethink conventional academic approaches to research.
The event was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Governor of Telangana, Shri Jishnu Dev Varma, who commended the university for addressing a topic of national relevance. In his address, he called for greater recognition of indigenous knowledge as foundational, not supplementary. Shri Jishnu Dev Varma urged academics, policymakers, and institutions to move beyond colonial frameworks. “Let us not merely learn about indigenous communities, but learn from them,” he said. The Governor also stressed that indigenous cultures should not be judged through western academic standards, and emphasised the need to mainstream tribal knowledge, traditions, and ecological wisdom in national research and policy discourse. Quoting Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchú, he added, “We are not myths of the past… We are people and we want to be respected.” He highlighted the government’s celebration of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas as a step towards recognising the legacy of leaders like Bhagwan Birsa Munda and the wider contribution of tribal communities to India’s cultural and environmental heritage.
Speaking on the occasion, EFLU Vice Chancellor Prof. N. Nagaraju emphasised the academic importance of indigenous worldviews and the need to create space for them within the broader research ecosystem. He listed out the EFL University’s efforts in nation-building by offering language and skill training at the national and international level.
Organised by the Department of Indian and World Literatures, the conference features a wide range of speakers and academicians including Prof. Y L Srinivas, Vice Chancellor, Sammakka Sarakka Central Tribal University, Prof. Deepak Kumar Behera, Guest of Honour, Prof. Amareswar Galla, Keynote Speaker, Prof. Hari Prasad, Registrar I/c, Prof. Shyam Rao Rathod, Proctor, Prof. Sonba M Salve, Dean- School of Literary Studies, Dr. Rajunayak, Conference Convenor and other university faculty members and research scholars and non-teaching staff.
The conference sessions explore a diverse range of themes, including oral traditions, ecological knowledge systems, language preservation, participatory research methodologies, and decolonial frameworks within the humanities and social sciences. In addition, filmmakers and storytellers will present creative projects that challenge dominant academic paradigms and offer alternative modes of knowledge production. Dr. K. Lavanya, faculty member in the Department of Indian and World Literatures, hosted the inaugural programme and delivered the vote of thanks.
