Department of Garo (Tura Campus)

About the Department

History

The Department of Garo is one of the first Departments of NEHU, Tura Campus. It is the only Department of its kind in the entire country and came into being in August, 1996 when NEHU, Tura Campus was created. Prof. Caroline R. Marak joined on 19th August, 1996 and functioned as the Prof. and Head of the Department till her retirement on 28th February,2007. Mrs.Jacqueline K. Marak and Mrs.Fameline K. Marak subsequently joined on 1st June, 1996 as Lecturers. Later Mrs.Dokatchi Ch. Marak joined the Department as Lecturer on 12th April, 2002. After the retirement of the HOD on 28th February,2007, Mrs.Jacqueline R.Marak, Lecturer took charge over the Department as Teacher in-charge from 28th February to 12th March,2007 and Mrs.Fameline K.Marak, Lecturer is in charge of the Department from 12th March, 2007 onwards till date.

The Department offers a wide scope and view of ‘Literature’ as a whole, thus empowering the students with options of double M.A. Courses even after the completion of 4 (four) Semesters in the Department. Besides a thorough study of  A chik Literature, the Department offers the inclusion of Folklore, Linguistics and World Literature including Indian Writing in English. This in fact, offers a ground for future Research and helps in the unearthing, preservation and documentation of the precious and rich A chik Literature, prepare to increase and widen the knowledge of the students equipping them with a broadened concept of Literature beyond the boundaries of parochialism. Thus, by producing well informed and responsible citizens for the nation, the Department takes pride in the goals it has been able to achieve in the last ten years since its inception. 

The Department has organized an association called A?chik Mande Students Literary Forum in order to encourage original writings in Garo by the students of the Department. The Department continues in its research activities in the field of the Written and Oral Literature, Culture, Language and Dialects of Garo Hills in general and of the Garos in particular.

Profile

The only one of its kind in the world, the Department of Garo was established by popular demand in 1996 at the inception of North-Eastern Hill University, Tura Campus. The Department, besides the regular load of teaching the syllabus, has widened its activities to include research into the language, literature, culture & folklore of the whole of Garo Hills and beyond. It started Ph.D. Programme in the year 2000 and at present four research scholars are enrolled in it.

Till date, the Department has conducted three UGC sponsored Refresher Courses for the benefit of the Lecturers in Garo in Colleges located over the whole State.

The Department also conducted Garo Traditional Sculptors’ Workshop at the Campus from 20th to 26th September 2000 where local artisans from various parts of Garo Hills participated, learning the latest trends in wood carving. A few members of the staff and students, too, took the opportunity to join the programme. The workshop was sponsored by the Lalit Kala Akademi, Regional Centre, Kolkata.

The Department contributed to the appreciation of fine arts by exhibiting the painting of Garo painters at the Campus on 20th  & 21st September 2000 on the occasion of the Garo Traditional Sculptors’ Workshop.

The greatest achievement of the Department in the field of research lies in holding seminars are from 7th & 8th May,1999, 28th & 29th September, 2000, 18th & 19th May, 2001, 11th & 12th November, 2002, 23rd & 24th May, 2003, 7th & 8th October, 2004.(as above in page no.2,3)

The members of the teaching staff, Mrs. Fameline K. Mark, Mrs. Jacqueline R. Marak and Mrs. Dokatchi Ch. Marak (following the joining of the Department) contributed Seminar papers to all the Seminars conducted by the Department. Following her joining in 2005, Mrs.Twinkle S.R.Marak also made contributions in the form of papers at all the other seminars, including the Poets Meet and represent the Department at other Seminars held in the State.

The year 2004 saw the first publication of the Department . The proceedings of the Seminar on Rivers & Culture of the North-East with particular reference to Garo Hills was published at the NEHU Publication Cell. Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sanghralaya, the National Museum of Mankind at Bhopal which sponsored the seminar, also financed the publication. The book was released by Prof. M.S.Sangma, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Rtd)., NEHU, Tura Campus at a function on 15th September 2004.

The Department collaborated with the Post Graduate Students’ Union & the Department of English in organizing the first Writers’ Workshop at the Campus where the two language Departments and some students of Education Department participated.

The Department has also documented in audio and videotapes parts of A’chik (Garo) epic poetry of Katta Agana,  the legend of Dikki & Bandi, some folktales, folksongs, and major Garo traditional oral poetry like Dani, Ajea, Anchaa, Kabe and Doro. The students and staff of Department took an active part in the environment awareness campaign in June 2004, which involved a comprehensive programme of cleaning the Campus premises and the compound, and planting saplings at the present and the new Campus. The students went on educational tour during the winter vacation of almost every year and will be visiting Delhi and important cities around the Capital in February 2005.

The members of the faculty continue to participate and give support to the academic programmes of other Departments which are at the Tura Campus.

Thrust Areas

Garo Language and its dialects, Garo folklore, traditional oral literature and the art of the minstrels.

Achievements

Prof. Caroline R. Marak was awarded U Tirot Sing Award for Arts & Literature by the Government of Meghalaya at a function on 20th January, 2007 in Shillong.

Course offered

• M.A.  
• Ph.D. Education

Student Intake