Cuttack: Ravenshaw University's history department organised a two-day conclave over the weekend focusing on tribals vis-a-vis development.

Vice-chancellor Prakash Chandra Sarangi said: "The conclave was planned as part of 150th year celebrations of the university. We took into consideration the size of the tribal population (22.01 per cent of state's population with 62 tribes) in Odisha and the cultural world they inhabit."

"The discussions reflected the issues and challenges facing both the state's agenda for development in the context of a globalised economy and the social movements involving the tribals, peasants and other marginalised sections of the society," said Chandi Prasad Nanda, head of the department of history and co-ordinator the conclave.

The conclave opened up discussions on issues associated with the tribal people and the idea of "development".

On Saturday - the inaugural day -the conclave had the inaugural session followed by two technical sessions devoted to tribal issues related to governance and politics and the perception of resistance.

On Sunday, three technical sessions dwelled on tribals relating to their cultures and representations, configuring law and state and Odisha tribals in today's globalised world.

The discussions called for a critical understanding of the tribal milieu and its natural and human resources in the light of surge of new kinds of knowledge and scholarship that have characterised the domain of social science in contemporary times.

Among others, MP Balabhadra Majhi, green activist Prafulla Samantaray, Projit Kumar Palit of Assam University, MLA Pradip Purohit, Utkal University of Culture vice-chancellor Kamala Kanta Mishra, former finance minister Panchanan Kanungo, literary critic Sasanka Chudamani, additional director-general of police (vigilance) Debasish Panigrahi and director general of prisons Bijay Kumar Sharma took part in the programme.

The discussions indicated that the recent popular agitations in Odisha and its neighbouring states had brought into focus the question of land. Attempts at acquisition of land by state and multi-national corporations have given rise to struggles by the society's marginalised sections.

The agitations have centred on issues of setting up industries and methods of land acquisition by state. The local cultivators, indigenous people and civil rights group constituted the base of these social movements. Large swathes of central India are also in the throes of Maoist insurgencies.

On the occasion, Prafulla Samantaray and activist Kuni Sikkoka were felicitated. A book by historian Subrat Acharya was also released.