Dr. Kalyani Sahal | Kolhan University Chaibasa (original) (raw)
Uploads
Papers by Dr. Kalyani Sahal
Journal of Indian Anthropological Society, 2021
Water has become the central point of discussion behind many controversies pertaining to mining p... more Water has become the central point of discussion behind many controversies pertaining to mining projects at national as well as international levels where issues related to its appropriation, pollution and depletion of natural water resources spring up. All these problems raise important questions for anthropologists to dwell on by analysing the consequences of large-scale mining operations. Fieldwork for the present study was carried out at dual sites-Khetri Nagar, where the Khetri Copper Complex (KCC) mining project is in operation, and Chanwara village, where the Water-Resourcing Unit (WRU) of KCC is located; both the areas fall in the the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan (India). This study tries to deal with the question of gradual transformation of this region from being water abundant to water scarce and follows a longitudinal method to closely look at the changes in water availability in the last fifty years since the inception of KCC mines in 1967. This paper examines the reasons for water shortage and also the underlying politics of water sharing between the villagers and mining company. The data for this study were collected through ethnographic fieldwork employing the standard anthropological tools and techniques of data collection namely participant observation, interview and case studies along with secondary data. Results, however, indicated contradictory viewpoints of miners and farmers regarding water scarcity in the region, one blaming the other. We conclude from this study that a holistic understanding is needed to accommodate the interests of different stakeholders considering the rising tension over water sharing between different communities.
International Journal of Research Culture Society, 2018
Water is a unique resource as it transcends the dichotomy of nature v/s culture. It is as much as... more Water is a unique resource as it transcends the dichotomy of nature v/s culture. It is as much as cultural as much as it is natural. Its role in the hydrological cycle and other biological processes points towards its significance to the physical environment. But this does not imply that social and cultural connotations of water can be relegated. There is a growing concern to understand water from interdisciplinary perspectives highlighting its essentiality to social institutions like economic, political, religious, etc., as this natural resource is central to the life and livelihood of the people. Anthropologists are known to conduct long term based ethnographic studies that can complement the scientific and technical understanding of water crisis. This paper brings forth the emerging themes of water based studies in anthropology. The nuanced, layered and deeper understanding of concepts of water and its usages can provide the better picture of human-environment interrelations. In other words, by using the lens of anthropology we can visualize the intricacies and complexities inherently water share in the lives of people as a ‘social construct’. This article aims to review the emerging literature on water issues and tries understand them using anthropological perspective.
Water is a unique resource as it transcends the dichotomy of nature v/s culture. It is as much as... more Water is a unique resource as it transcends the dichotomy of nature v/s culture. It is as much as cultural as much as it is natural. Its role in the hydrological cycle and other biological processes points towards its significance to the physical environment. But this does not imply that social and cultural connotations of water can be relegated. There is a growing concern to understand water from interdisciplinary perspectives highlighting its essentiality to social institutions like economic, political, religious, etc. Long term based ethnographic studies can complement the scientific and technical understanding of water. This paper brings forth the emerging themes of water based studies in anthropology. The nuanced understanding of concepts of water and its usages can provide the better picture of human-environment inter-relations. By using anthropological lens, we can visualize the intricacies and complexities inherently water share in the lives of people as a ‘social construct’.
International Journal of Research Culture Society, 2018
Water is a unique resource as it transcends the dichotomy of nature v/s culture. It is as much as... more Water is a unique resource as it transcends the dichotomy of nature v/s culture. It is as much as cultural as much as it is natural. Its role in the hydrological cycle and other biological processes points towards its significance to the physical environment. But this does not imply that social and cultural connotations of water can be relegated. There is a growing concern to understand water from interdisciplinary perspectives
highlighting its essentiality to social institutions like economic, political, religious, etc., as this natural resource is central to the life and livelihood of the people. Anthropologists are known to conduct long term based
ethnographic studies that can complement the scientific and technical understanding of water crisis. This paper brings forth the emerging themes of water based studies in anthropology. The nuanced, layered and deeper understanding of concepts of water and its usages can provide the better picture of human-environment interrelations.
In other words, by using the lens of anthropology we can visualize the intricacies and complexities inherently water share in the lives of people as a ‘social construct’. This article aims to review the emerging
literature on water issues and tries understand them using anthropological perspective.
Journal of Indian Anthropological Society, 2021
Water has become the central point of discussion behind many controversies pertaining to mining p... more Water has become the central point of discussion behind many controversies pertaining to mining projects at national as well as international levels where issues related to its appropriation, pollution and depletion of natural water resources spring up. All these problems raise important questions for anthropologists to dwell on by analysing the consequences of large-scale mining operations. Fieldwork for the present study was carried out at dual sites-Khetri Nagar, where the Khetri Copper Complex (KCC) mining project is in operation, and Chanwara village, where the Water-Resourcing Unit (WRU) of KCC is located; both the areas fall in the the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan (India). This study tries to deal with the question of gradual transformation of this region from being water abundant to water scarce and follows a longitudinal method to closely look at the changes in water availability in the last fifty years since the inception of KCC mines in 1967. This paper examines the reasons for water shortage and also the underlying politics of water sharing between the villagers and mining company. The data for this study were collected through ethnographic fieldwork employing the standard anthropological tools and techniques of data collection namely participant observation, interview and case studies along with secondary data. Results, however, indicated contradictory viewpoints of miners and farmers regarding water scarcity in the region, one blaming the other. We conclude from this study that a holistic understanding is needed to accommodate the interests of different stakeholders considering the rising tension over water sharing between different communities.
Jharkhand Journal of Development and Management, 2015
Water based conflicts and issues have emerged prominently during the last decade and their number... more Water based conflicts and issues have emerged prominently during the last decade and their numbers are most likely to increase in the coming future. This is due to the growing competing demands for water along different users- e.g. industry versus agriculture, urban versus rural, industry and agriculture versus drinking water etc. Apart from being a part of physical environment, water has cultural relevance across all the societies. The different ways in which people interact with water- situation of its presence as well as absence are culturally conditioned. The universal trend of commodification of this prime natural resource reflects the pervasive global culture of conquest and domination of nature in development pursuits by humans.
Teaching Documents by Dr. Kalyani Sahal
IGNOU, 2022
India exhibits a remarkable range of ethnic, linguistic, religious, regional, economic, caste, an... more India exhibits a remarkable range of ethnic, linguistic, religious, regional,
economic, caste, and class diversities in every facet of its societal life. All
these divisions are sharpened due to the widening gap between traditions and modernity, rural and urban, between gender identities, etc. Traditional Indian society exhibits certain basic features having theological
underpinnings of the Hindu religion. The fabric of traditional social structure in the Indian context is woven around the ideas of rebirth (punarjanam), immortality of the soul (aatma), karma (deed), merit (punya), morality (dharma), and salvation (moksha). Social interdependence is the central theme of Indian society. Right from birth, people belong to certain social groups like jati, gotra, kula or vansha, and varna and feel a sense of belongingness to these groups. Social stratification and hierarchy are another important themes that are evident in the Indian social structure. This unit focuses on understanding the concept of varna and jati/ caste and their inter-relations. In order to comprehend the Indian social structure it is necessary to have a clear understanding of twin concepts that explain hierarchy and ranking in society. In this unit, we will also learn about the scriptural and textual understanding of the fundamental principles of Hinduism – Purushartha, ashrama, karma, and rina that govern and regulate the social structure in the Indian context. It is important to understand these concepts so that one can develop a better understanding of the social fabric of which one is also a very integral part. There is a deep sense of attachment to these basic principles of Hinduism.
IGNOU, 2022
Tribes in India are characterised by significant variations in terms of their ethnicity, residenc... more Tribes in India are characterised by significant variations in terms of their ethnicity, residence, oral history, ecology, religion, economy, and other socio-cultural institutions. As per Census 2011 data, the population of tribes or Adivasis is 10.45 crores out of which women's population is about 5.20 crores while men's population is 5.25 crores. Women constitute almost half of the tribal population yet they are often ignored or
overlooked while discussing the tribal situation in India. Women gaining the
prime focus of inquiry in tribal studies are a recent phenomenon as argued by Xaxa
(2004). This was in concordance with the emergence of general interest in women-related
issues all over the globe.
In this unit, we are going to learn about the various problems and issues faced by tribal women in the Indian context. The main issues of education, health, nutrition, employment, and participation in agriculture pertaining to tribal women are discussed in
this unit.
IGNOU, 2022
Broadly, anthropology can be divided into academic anthropology and practicing anthropology consi... more Broadly, anthropology can be divided into academic anthropology and practicing anthropology considering the career choices pursued by the trained anthropologists. We will be discussing these two domains at length in this unit. The term ‘applied’ or ‘practicing’ anthropologists are used inter-changeably in this unit to keep it simple for the purpose of understanding. However, there are scholars (Baba 2009; Nolan 2003) who make a distinction between ‘applied’ and ‘practicing’ anthropologists too. Applied anthropologists generally oscillate between academic and non-academic settings. Both practicing and applied anthropology have their focal point of policy formulation rather than contributing to pure theoretical knowledge.
Journal of Indian Anthropological Society, 2021
Water has become the central point of discussion behind many controversies pertaining to mining p... more Water has become the central point of discussion behind many controversies pertaining to mining projects at national as well as international levels where issues related to its appropriation, pollution and depletion of natural water resources spring up. All these problems raise important questions for anthropologists to dwell on by analysing the consequences of large-scale mining operations. Fieldwork for the present study was carried out at dual sites-Khetri Nagar, where the Khetri Copper Complex (KCC) mining project is in operation, and Chanwara village, where the Water-Resourcing Unit (WRU) of KCC is located; both the areas fall in the the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan (India). This study tries to deal with the question of gradual transformation of this region from being water abundant to water scarce and follows a longitudinal method to closely look at the changes in water availability in the last fifty years since the inception of KCC mines in 1967. This paper examines the reasons for water shortage and also the underlying politics of water sharing between the villagers and mining company. The data for this study were collected through ethnographic fieldwork employing the standard anthropological tools and techniques of data collection namely participant observation, interview and case studies along with secondary data. Results, however, indicated contradictory viewpoints of miners and farmers regarding water scarcity in the region, one blaming the other. We conclude from this study that a holistic understanding is needed to accommodate the interests of different stakeholders considering the rising tension over water sharing between different communities.
International Journal of Research Culture Society, 2018
Water is a unique resource as it transcends the dichotomy of nature v/s culture. It is as much as... more Water is a unique resource as it transcends the dichotomy of nature v/s culture. It is as much as cultural as much as it is natural. Its role in the hydrological cycle and other biological processes points towards its significance to the physical environment. But this does not imply that social and cultural connotations of water can be relegated. There is a growing concern to understand water from interdisciplinary perspectives highlighting its essentiality to social institutions like economic, political, religious, etc., as this natural resource is central to the life and livelihood of the people. Anthropologists are known to conduct long term based ethnographic studies that can complement the scientific and technical understanding of water crisis. This paper brings forth the emerging themes of water based studies in anthropology. The nuanced, layered and deeper understanding of concepts of water and its usages can provide the better picture of human-environment interrelations. In other words, by using the lens of anthropology we can visualize the intricacies and complexities inherently water share in the lives of people as a ‘social construct’. This article aims to review the emerging literature on water issues and tries understand them using anthropological perspective.
Water is a unique resource as it transcends the dichotomy of nature v/s culture. It is as much as... more Water is a unique resource as it transcends the dichotomy of nature v/s culture. It is as much as cultural as much as it is natural. Its role in the hydrological cycle and other biological processes points towards its significance to the physical environment. But this does not imply that social and cultural connotations of water can be relegated. There is a growing concern to understand water from interdisciplinary perspectives highlighting its essentiality to social institutions like economic, political, religious, etc. Long term based ethnographic studies can complement the scientific and technical understanding of water. This paper brings forth the emerging themes of water based studies in anthropology. The nuanced understanding of concepts of water and its usages can provide the better picture of human-environment inter-relations. By using anthropological lens, we can visualize the intricacies and complexities inherently water share in the lives of people as a ‘social construct’.
International Journal of Research Culture Society, 2018
Water is a unique resource as it transcends the dichotomy of nature v/s culture. It is as much as... more Water is a unique resource as it transcends the dichotomy of nature v/s culture. It is as much as cultural as much as it is natural. Its role in the hydrological cycle and other biological processes points towards its significance to the physical environment. But this does not imply that social and cultural connotations of water can be relegated. There is a growing concern to understand water from interdisciplinary perspectives
highlighting its essentiality to social institutions like economic, political, religious, etc., as this natural resource is central to the life and livelihood of the people. Anthropologists are known to conduct long term based
ethnographic studies that can complement the scientific and technical understanding of water crisis. This paper brings forth the emerging themes of water based studies in anthropology. The nuanced, layered and deeper understanding of concepts of water and its usages can provide the better picture of human-environment interrelations.
In other words, by using the lens of anthropology we can visualize the intricacies and complexities inherently water share in the lives of people as a ‘social construct’. This article aims to review the emerging
literature on water issues and tries understand them using anthropological perspective.
Journal of Indian Anthropological Society, 2021
Water has become the central point of discussion behind many controversies pertaining to mining p... more Water has become the central point of discussion behind many controversies pertaining to mining projects at national as well as international levels where issues related to its appropriation, pollution and depletion of natural water resources spring up. All these problems raise important questions for anthropologists to dwell on by analysing the consequences of large-scale mining operations. Fieldwork for the present study was carried out at dual sites-Khetri Nagar, where the Khetri Copper Complex (KCC) mining project is in operation, and Chanwara village, where the Water-Resourcing Unit (WRU) of KCC is located; both the areas fall in the the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan (India). This study tries to deal with the question of gradual transformation of this region from being water abundant to water scarce and follows a longitudinal method to closely look at the changes in water availability in the last fifty years since the inception of KCC mines in 1967. This paper examines the reasons for water shortage and also the underlying politics of water sharing between the villagers and mining company. The data for this study were collected through ethnographic fieldwork employing the standard anthropological tools and techniques of data collection namely participant observation, interview and case studies along with secondary data. Results, however, indicated contradictory viewpoints of miners and farmers regarding water scarcity in the region, one blaming the other. We conclude from this study that a holistic understanding is needed to accommodate the interests of different stakeholders considering the rising tension over water sharing between different communities.
Jharkhand Journal of Development and Management, 2015
Water based conflicts and issues have emerged prominently during the last decade and their number... more Water based conflicts and issues have emerged prominently during the last decade and their numbers are most likely to increase in the coming future. This is due to the growing competing demands for water along different users- e.g. industry versus agriculture, urban versus rural, industry and agriculture versus drinking water etc. Apart from being a part of physical environment, water has cultural relevance across all the societies. The different ways in which people interact with water- situation of its presence as well as absence are culturally conditioned. The universal trend of commodification of this prime natural resource reflects the pervasive global culture of conquest and domination of nature in development pursuits by humans.
IGNOU, 2022
India exhibits a remarkable range of ethnic, linguistic, religious, regional, economic, caste, an... more India exhibits a remarkable range of ethnic, linguistic, religious, regional,
economic, caste, and class diversities in every facet of its societal life. All
these divisions are sharpened due to the widening gap between traditions and modernity, rural and urban, between gender identities, etc. Traditional Indian society exhibits certain basic features having theological
underpinnings of the Hindu religion. The fabric of traditional social structure in the Indian context is woven around the ideas of rebirth (punarjanam), immortality of the soul (aatma), karma (deed), merit (punya), morality (dharma), and salvation (moksha). Social interdependence is the central theme of Indian society. Right from birth, people belong to certain social groups like jati, gotra, kula or vansha, and varna and feel a sense of belongingness to these groups. Social stratification and hierarchy are another important themes that are evident in the Indian social structure. This unit focuses on understanding the concept of varna and jati/ caste and their inter-relations. In order to comprehend the Indian social structure it is necessary to have a clear understanding of twin concepts that explain hierarchy and ranking in society. In this unit, we will also learn about the scriptural and textual understanding of the fundamental principles of Hinduism – Purushartha, ashrama, karma, and rina that govern and regulate the social structure in the Indian context. It is important to understand these concepts so that one can develop a better understanding of the social fabric of which one is also a very integral part. There is a deep sense of attachment to these basic principles of Hinduism.
IGNOU, 2022
Tribes in India are characterised by significant variations in terms of their ethnicity, residenc... more Tribes in India are characterised by significant variations in terms of their ethnicity, residence, oral history, ecology, religion, economy, and other socio-cultural institutions. As per Census 2011 data, the population of tribes or Adivasis is 10.45 crores out of which women's population is about 5.20 crores while men's population is 5.25 crores. Women constitute almost half of the tribal population yet they are often ignored or
overlooked while discussing the tribal situation in India. Women gaining the
prime focus of inquiry in tribal studies are a recent phenomenon as argued by Xaxa
(2004). This was in concordance with the emergence of general interest in women-related
issues all over the globe.
In this unit, we are going to learn about the various problems and issues faced by tribal women in the Indian context. The main issues of education, health, nutrition, employment, and participation in agriculture pertaining to tribal women are discussed in
this unit.
IGNOU, 2022
Broadly, anthropology can be divided into academic anthropology and practicing anthropology consi... more Broadly, anthropology can be divided into academic anthropology and practicing anthropology considering the career choices pursued by the trained anthropologists. We will be discussing these two domains at length in this unit. The term ‘applied’ or ‘practicing’ anthropologists are used inter-changeably in this unit to keep it simple for the purpose of understanding. However, there are scholars (Baba 2009; Nolan 2003) who make a distinction between ‘applied’ and ‘practicing’ anthropologists too. Applied anthropologists generally oscillate between academic and non-academic settings. Both practicing and applied anthropology have their focal point of policy formulation rather than contributing to pure theoretical knowledge.