Youth and Fashion: Communicating Through Dress

A WINTER SOJOURN PROJECT OF SIKKIM UNIVERSITY
The cold climate of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Gangtok, the influence of Christianity, and the influence of Nepali diaspora are what many view as the main reasons for the changes in the way people dress in these hills. This is one of the key preliminary findings by Sikkim University’s Winter Sojourn team on the theme “Youth and Fashion”. The study was conducted for two weeks in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Gangtok.
“The region is unique in terms of the fashion trends which itself has undergone changes over time. Our broad aim is not only to understand the changing trends in the way youth dress but also in the modes of communication both as a receiver as well as a producer of fashion consciousness.”, says Dr. Teibor, the team leader.
The field work which involves students of various departments undertook extensive in-depth interviews with the young people and the various cross sections of the society. This include, elders, clothes merchants, tailors and dress makers, branded and non branded shops, and local entrepreneur, craftsmen and designers.
According to the team, fashion among the youth is a way of expressing their identity as part of the generation next. The findings also indicate that information about latest trends in fashion among the youth is received through peers, media like movies-particularly Korean movies, music, mobile and internet.
The team also studied the other aspects of fashion that involve perception and adaptability of traditional dress and designs in modern era and also as a way of communicating the rich cultural heritage of the region.
“There has been a decline of interest on traditional dress, arts and design among the youth”, says Sonika Lama, a student of the Department of the Geography and member of the team, According to her, “except for a brief period during the movement for Gorkhaland or during festivals, there has not been much interest among the youth in traditional dress. Many young people opined that modern designs need to be incorporated in the traditional dress and should suit the climate of this region”. Rinki Kesharwani, the theme co-coordinator adds, “Young generations follow these traditional trends of dressing under social pressures only on certain occasions because they don’t want to look different from their community members. They want to identify themselves with their particular communities. On the other hand, in their normal daily lives when they are with friends, in college and other social groupings of their age they prefer to go for so called modern, imported, branded and sometimes local new ways of dressings because they think that it enhances their self esteem and confidence. They feel very good and positive about themselves.”
Chandra Rai, a school teacher, said, “there is a need to develop cottage industry on weaving, and introduction of vocational curriculum in schools if traditional dress are to be popularized and communicated to the outside world”.
“We had a lot of learning in the field, something that we could have never got in the classrooms. This has widened our perspective and we thank our University for giving this exposure”, says Pema Uden Sherpa, a student member of the team.
The Winter Sojourn was introduced last year as an annual fixture at Sikkim University. This winter filed trip is an attempt by the university to orient students and faculty in field-based research on issues that are of great relevance and importance to the region.
On the experience of this winter sojourn, Kiran Chhetri, a BSc student of Floriculture and Horticulture department, said that “I had never ever interacted with strangers, but this field trip taught me how to do that. I am very privileged and lucky to study in such an institution which does not only stress on academics but also give us a chance in other experience as well that help us to attain one of the best experience of our lifetime…I had such a wonderful experience , which I shall cherish lifelong”.
“Fashion as a theme, what I personally felt was very exciting project because as a young research student this project was something unique and exhaustive. The survey has really enhanced and broadened the horizon on the notion of fashion to me. Fashion, initially make us think only of the glamorous stereotype, but when one actually penetrates beneath this, it also involves the perception of a layman or the means how they perceive and carry on their sense of living”, says Kunsang Ongmu, a student of Sociology.
It is also informed that this theme on youth and fashion is also supplemented by the “Oral History Film Project” of Sikkim University. The project documents the rich cultural heritage of this region and is the process of making a series of films on oral history of the Eastern Himalayan Region.
-RINKI KESHARWANI [Convenor, Theme Fashion Winter Soujourn 2012, Sikkim University]

Understanding Human Trafficking

The ‘Winter Sojourn’ programme is an annual field study organised by Sikkim University on various themes with a view towards documenting and understanding issues of the region. Winter Sojourn 2012, was organized along 17 different themes like Amliso Broom, Earthquake, Women Vendors, Hydel Power Projects, Migrant Labourers and Human Trafficking. The purpose of the field studies approached through an interdisciplinary perspective is to sensitive and supplement classroom learning with the problems of the society through awareness, documentation and advocacy.
The team “Human Trafficking” had a total of 34 teaching staff and students from the University, affiliated colleges as well as schools. The teachers included Dr. Suman Negi, Dr. Satyabrat Sinha and Ms. Samida Vedabala from SU and Ms. Susan Rai and Bindhya Rai from the affiliated Colleges. Diki Bhutia, Abhijit Bajracharya, Romana Lepcha, Yugul Khanal, Shankar Prasad, Rizwan and Makuta were the group leaders amongst the students.  The team chose Siliguri and its adjoining areas, Darjeeling, Mirik and Kurseong as its survey location. The area was selected due to its strategic political setting, porous International borders and state borders that are conduits for trafficking. The main objectives of the study was to identify underlying factors responsible for trafficking of women and children, analyze the geographical, social, cultural, demographic and economic situations of these exploited children and women, measure the vulnerability of porous borders as main transit routes for trafficking and assess the function of the State and Civil Society in curbing Human Trafficking. The field work was scheduled for ten days from the 21st till the 31st of January.
Due to social stigma and the sensitive nature of the issue, Human Trafficking research cannot be conducted without the assistance of agencies already working in the arena. The team sought help of various NGO’s, CINI (Child in Need Institute), CONC’RN (Care of Needy Children Rightfully Nurtured), DMSC (Durbar Mahila Samanaya Committee), ICSRS (Ideal Centre for Social Research and Self Reliance of the Child), Mary Ward Social Centre, World Vision, Mukti Network, Asha Bari, WBVHA (West Bengal Voluntary Health Association), Vaasta, Emmanuel Anath Asram Society, Marg, Lakshay. The team also visited the various shelter/transit homes of organizations like Waasta, Nayee Disha etc. and the Transit home run by Maity Nepal at Kakrivitta. Apart from the NGO’s which provided access to interacting with victims/survivors and professionals who work for these organisations and in order to underscore the reliability of the study, the team also interacted with the Officers of police stations in and around Siliguri. A team of 10 members left Siliguri to visit and survey Mirik, Darjeeling and Kurseong. The team enquired with the Police Officials in Mirik, Sukhia Pokhri, Darjeeling, Jore Bunglow and Kurseong. The team also paid a short visit to Maiti Nepal Shelter Home in Pasupati Nagar, Nepal. The team interacted with various NGO’s in Darjeeling and Kurseong as FOSEP TI, MARG, Lakshya, Nari Aayog, Child Line, Manas Bangla, Edith Wilkins Street Child Trust, etc.
There are a number of NGO’s among and beyond the above listed ones who are working to curb the menace of Human Trafficking in the study area. Most of these NGO’s are about a decade old and they are directly or indirectly associated with the rescue, rehabilitation of trafficked individuals and also involved with raising awareness, advocacy to sensitize the target community, help victims with capacity building and livelihood development for leading mainstream lives, making available shelter homes and facilitating health checkups and contraceptives for sex workers. One of the appreciative aspects of the various NGO’s functioning was that they worked in collaboration with each other. Amongst these NGO’s Kanchenjunga Udhaar Kendra is the prime organisation involved in tracing victims and conducting the rescue work with the assistance of the police force. We were also informed that 70% of the trafficked victims are not rescued.
In our interactions with victims of Human Trafficking mainly women and children we learnt of the difficulties of their respective lives. We also met the West Bengal Voluntary Health Association (WBVHA), which comprised of an association of Flying Sex Workers (FSW) in and around Siliguri town. It is estimated that there are over, 3000 FSW, in the Siliguri region, a huge number especially in contrast to 636 sex workers in the Khalpara Red light area. The team also met and interacted with many of these sex workers some of whom were HIV positive under the treatment of ART (Anti Retro Viral Treatment) being provided by WBVHA.
As per the various NGO’s, the susceptibility of women and children begins at home, in the community or the village, with someone known to the family being the first person in the chain. Many children and girls trafficked are engaged in house hold works, circuses and are exploited physically and sexually. There are many instances of children sold by their own parents and other family members. They are engaged in the various industries like-in the Hotels, Teagarden, Households, factories, Circuses, Begging and Sex industry. The trafficking of human beings also raises substantial moral and ethical issues like, abject poverty, ambition for a better life and escaping the violence of the home, broken homes that increase the vulnerability of individuals in such circumstances.
The team was lucky to have the Vice-chancellor Prof. Mahendra P Lama join the team during a visit to the CINI office and shelter home at Siliguri which currently houses 15 girls below the age of 18. Most of them were orphans who were rescued by different NGO’s.  Prof. Lama interacted with the children and also asked NGO’s like CINI and others to participate in joint collaboration with institutions like Sikkim University to fight against Human Trafficking.
Overall this field study was a learning experience as an outcome of its objective, but it was also an emotional expedition for all of us as each story told by these victims left a distressing imprint that eradicated biasness for those involved in professions looked down upon by society. What we as a team achieved was to look at them at Humans.  
Human Trafficking Team

SU Winter Sojourn team studies prevalence of Cancer in rural and urban Sikkim

GANGTOK, 06 Feb: In India over one million new cancer cases are diagnosed every year. It is time for people to come out of the illusion that they can’t be affected with cancer and instead should educate themselves of its risk factors. Keeping in mind the increasing prevalence of this disease Sikkim University conducted its Winter Sojourn programme on the theme of Cancer from 26 January till 05 February 2012. The Sikkim University Winter Sojourn team comprised of three faculty members, two representatives from the Management and fifteen students from diverse disciplines. The team was coordinated by Dr. Deepti Singh and led by Gagan Chettri and Ranjan Kumar Tirwa. The study was to evaluate different risk factors of common cancers prevalent in rural and urban population in East Sikkim. The focal areas of the field study were to observe the prevalence of various types of cancer in Sikkim and to see the relationship of diet and lifestyles with cancer. Along with it psychological implications of people affected with cancer were also studied. The target zones for the study were the rural and urban areas of East Sikkim. Ranka, Lingdum, Luing, Beliman, Samthang, Kholapari, Rai Gaon, Tamang Gaon, Dharjee and Bhutia Gaon were covered among the rural areas while Chandmari, Sichey, Gangtok, Deorali, Tadong, 5th Mile and 6th mile were covered among the urban areas visited for the study. STNM hospital and Sikkim Manipal hospital were also visited for case studies. An insight into the status of cancer in Sikkim in terms of prevention, treatment and cure were obtained from Dr Yogesh Verma and Dr Namgyal Sherpa. During the study the team encountered both mortality cases and incidence of cancer in the areas visited. Overall the rural population had very little awareness about the causes and prevention of cancer. Different types of cancer namely colon cancer, skin cancer, stomach cancer, oral cancer, intestine cancer and uterus cancer were prevalent among the areas visited. [Dr Deepti Singh]

SU Winter Sojourn team completes study on women vendors, shares findings

Women vendors near Melli

Vendor at Lall Bazaar

GANGTOK, 30 Jan: Sikkim University’s Winter Sojourn team on the theme ‘Women Vendors’ completed their 10-day study tour on different issues related to women vendors on Sunday. Sikkim’s women vendors are more empowered and the state has better basic amenities for women vendors than the neighbouring hills according to the team’s findings.
The team started its programme from Lall Bazaar on 21 January and covered women vendors sitting along the National Highway 31A upto Teesta Bazaar. The 23-member team was led by Dr Swati Sachdeva and also had three other faculty members of SU, Dr Pallavi Kulkarni, Dr Shanker Thapa and Dr Sangmu Thendup and 19 students from different fields.
The main objective of the programme was to study the socio-economic profile of the women vendors and to know various problems faced by the women, challenges present in the market and how they cope with modernization and globalization.
The team spoke to around 800 women vendors at more than 10 locations in Sikkim and West Bengal. The team interacted with women vendors at Lall Bazaar, Ranipool, Pakyong, Singtam, Rangpo, Melli and other places in Sikkim and also at Kirney, Tarkhola, Melli, Teesta and Kalimpong in West Bengal.
Speaking to media persons today, the students and faculty members shared some of their findings. The team found that most women vendors are in the age group of 35 to 40 years although they also came across a 90-year-old lady in the profession at Melli Bazaar. It was mentioned that Melli has 90% women vendors and even the first hotel in Melli, on the West Bengal side was started by a lady.
In the case of Sikkim it was found that women vendors come from different places to one haat bazaar, while in West Bengal the vendors were moving to different haats at different places. In Kalimpong many women vendors find it difficult to earn Rs 500 in a day but in Lall Bazaar a woman vendor was making more than Rs 500 every day, the team shared. The team has also found that many women vendors are living a hand-to-mouth existence, not being able to spare money from their earnings for savings.
SU students belonging to other states informed that in the plains this line of work is usually taken up only by the lower castes but in Sikkim no such caste division was found. The team further informed that from uneducated to graduates, women with different backgrounds are in this profession.
“We came to know that every woman is working to support their family, to provide good education to their children and looking towards social elevation as an outcome,” shared the team members.
Prajwal Chettri, one of the students said that interacting with vendors at Lall Bazaar was a good experience, as they were more open to share their stories compared to vendors of West Bengal who were hesitant to speak out. Another student, Maria Lepcha shared that Sikkim’s women vendors are more vibrant, cheerful and outspoken. She added that the team found that in Sikkim the women vendors were not in this profession due to economic deprivation but either continuing their family business or simply enjoying this profession.
The team also informed that vendors of West Bengal were found to be more aggressive, competitive and enterprising when it came to selling. A student from Bihar, Sashi Bhusal Sharma added that competition is thick in his hometown as well but here in Sikkim, the vendors are more relaxed and just enjoy their job.
On the demands and needs of the women vendors, the team shared that proper space, cold storage facilities, separate women markets and basic amenities were some of the demands placed by the vendors.
The team further mentioned that analysis of the findings is yet to be carried out which will reveal more information on women vendors. It was also informed that the field observation will be documented which can be used by anyone in future.

SU research team begins migrant labour study at Pakyong

GANGTOK, 29 Jan: Sikkim University’s Winter Sojourn Programme team on ‘Migrant Labour’ began its work on 25 January [and will continue till 04 February] with Pakyong, studying the issues related to migrant workers at the airport construction site and will proceed to Darjeeling on 30 Jan to complete the study, informs a press release.
These two sites have been selected after discussions within the university to ascertain the efficacy of the theme as well as the sites and people to be studied. The process started with presentations, whereby the team had to make public the issues which they would be exploring followed by rigorous discussion in which the Vice Chancellor also participated and gave suggestions and inputs, the release mentions.
This year to help the teams get proper information and also to make the winter sojourn more effective in collecting information, SU organised a three-day workshop and invited Prof. Sucharita Sen from Jawaharlal Nehru University to conduct the workshop, in which the methods of field study was discussed in detail.
In Pakyong, the team is studying the migrant labourers who have come to work from various states like West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Orissa. In Darjeeling the team would be engaged in observing the porters who are mostly migrant labourers from Nepal.
The major objective of this theme is to study the socio economic condition of the labour migrants, the release informs. The study also focuses on the issues of social security, health, wage system, hygiene, their recruitment process and support systems and also to analyse the difficulties faced by labourers of India and those coming from Nepal.
The students are working under the guidance of three faculty members Dr. Binu Sundas (Team Leader), Dr. Sebastian and Dr. Mita Poddar. The team is also analysing the perspective of locals in this regard.
Till now the team has found many issues which need attention, of which the presence of labour contractors is a major issue. The team will publish a research paper on the basis of its findings and also submit a report to the University, the release further mentions. The team has also extended its gratitude towards AAI for their support.

Students supplement classroom learning with field experience

UPDATE ON SIKKIM UNIVERSITY’S WINTER SOJOURN
INTRO: The Winter Sojourn Programme of Sikkim University was introduced in 2010-11 under the initiative of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mahendra P. Lama. One of the major objectives in introducing this programme was to ensure that classroom teaching is supplemented by field experience of the students. At the same time, it was also envisaged as a means of obtaining data relating to the problem under consideration with a view to devising appropriate solutions.
The Winter Sojourn Programme of Sikkim University is organised in such a way as to cover a variety of topics in diverse areas. This year the programme includes topics like Cancer, Tuberculosis, Migrant Labourers, Tibetan Settlements, Fashion, Amliso Broom, Past Time Games, Hydroelectric Projects, Earthquake, Musical Instruments, Human Trafficking, Forests, Medicinal Plants, Oranges, Women Vendors, Monuments and Cultural Heritage, Telephone, etc.
Serialised below are field reports from some the Winter Sojourn teams:

Study on School Dropouts
The team on ‘School Dropouts’ includes three faculty members – Dr Ruma Kundu from the Department of Economic Studies and Planning, who is also the team leader; Dr Shailendra Mishra from the Department of Ethno-Botany & Social Medicine Studies; and Mr Indraneel Mandal from the Department of Management and Commerce. It also has fifteen students from various departments of the university.
As a part of its research methodology the team had planned to carry out surveys in two areas, viz., - West Sikkim and Gangtok during the course of the allotted ten days. Accordingly it first visited Sombarey in West Sikkim on the 16th of January, 2012 to conduct surveys in Sombarey and adjoining villages like Churchgaon, Daramdin, Lungchok, Ambatte, etc. Before starting work members of the team visited the panchayat pradhan and police officials who welcomed this initiative of the university. During the survey the team members were spontaneously received by various households in these villages. After a successful five days in West Sikkim the team returned to Gangtok on the 20th for the second phase of the survey. While there was a noticeable change in the attitude of the urban respondents, the team has nevertheless enjoyed a successful run during the survey, which wrapped up on the 25th. Apart from covering households in different parts of the city and its suburbs the team members also visited institutions like different livelihood schools, the Institute of Tibetology and monasteries, besides undertaking studies of ‘special’ groups like the taxi drivers and vendors.
It has been an enjoyable and fruitful experience for all members of the team, including both students and faculty members, who have learnt a lot during these past ten days.
[from Dr. RUMA KUNDU, Assistant Professor, Department of Economic Studies and Planning, Sikkim University]

MONUMENTS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE
After last year’s grand success of the Winter Sojourn Programme, this year too, Sikkim University is conducting field research on various themes. The team working on the theme ‘Monuments & Cultural Heritage’ is doing an extensive research work on four endangered heritage sites: Sidrapong Hydel Power Project at Darjeeling, MacFarlen Church at Kalimpong, Damsong Gari at Pedong and Dalim Fort at Gorubathan. The team is headed by four faculty members: Dr. Sanjay Singh (Dept. of Music), the team coordinator, Mr Samar Sinha (Dept. of Asian Languages – Nepali), Mr Arnab Datta (Dept. of Asian Languages – Chinese), Ms Chunnu Khawas (Computer Science), and accompanied by 21 students from various disciplines.
The team started with their work at Sidrapong Hydel Power Project, Darjeeling on 21 January, 2012 and did an extensive study on this heritage power project, Asia’s first hydel power project, which is now defunct. The team collected valuable information from the local residents like Mr Jivan Bhandari, Mr Sanu Bhai and Mr Kamal Bhandari. The prime objective was to promote the heritage and create awareness among people and find ways for its preservation and restoration.
The second site was MacFarlen Church at Kalimpong, East India’s very first church. This antique monument is in a very dilapidated state after the 18/9 earthquake last year. The church was established by Scottish missionaries in 1891. The team is now collecting data from reliable sources like senior pastors, evangelists and reverends. They are also receiving perceptions of the local residents about the restoration of the church. Considering its antiquity and the fact that it was instrumental in the socio-economic development of the hilly communities, this church definitely deserves to get attention at national and international level.
The team would be heading for Damsong Gari, Pedong on 27 Jan.
Endangered heritage places like this are not only important for one’s culture but in fact invaluable. They might be scattered around and neglected, just like a wild flowering plant by the roadside; but nonetheless worth to be given a close look for a while. Sikkim University is surely on this track. The research work will definitely reveal many such hidden treasures. They must be preserved because they are integral to our culture.
[from Arnab Datta, Assistant Professor, Department of Asian Languages (Chinese), School of Languages & Linguists, Sikkim University]

UNDERSTANDING THE PREVALENCE OF CANCER IN SIKKIM
Fifteen students from Sikkim University along with three faculty members and two Junior Executives will commence on 27 January 2012 on the winter sojourn programme on the theme ‘Cancer in Sikkim’ to evaluate different risk factors of common cancer prevalent in urban and rural population in east Sikkim (India). The theme would be based on 10 days field study by interacting cancer patients and their family along with the interactions in hospital and PHCs.
The study would be an effort to gain an insight into the prevalence and possible causes of cancer in Sikkim and to study the psychological implications of people affected with cancer. Along with this an effort would be made to explore the risk factors of cancer in Sikkim. Faculty and students would visit hospitals, pathology labs and all the source of registration to collect cancer causes and would visit their places, survey the cause and risk factors of cancer incidence.
This study is taken in Sikkim to provide a base study on cancer etiology and control and to overview the cancer problems in Sikkim. This field study is designed in such a manner which is extensively interdisciplinary, incorporating all major issues related to border for a close study through direct interaction with cancer patients. This field study can bring many important issues into mainstream academic and policy discussions which are yet to get attention from mainstream academics, policy establishments and media.
The team is led by Mr Gagan Chettri, the team coordinator is Dr. Deepti Singh while other members are Dr. Bimala Singh, Dr. Satyananda Panda and Mr Binu Dorjee.
[from DEEPTI SINGH]

SU begins its Winter Sojourn prog on ‘Women Vendors’

GANGTOK, 22 Jan: Sikkim University’s Winter Sojourn programme for this year is on the theme ‘Women Vendors’ wherein a 20-member team will cover different issues related to women vendors sitting along the NH 31A upto Teesta Bazaar.
The team led by Dr Swati Sachdeva and three other faculty members of SU, Dr Pallavi Kulkarni, Dr Shanker Thapa and Dr Sangmu Thendup and 20 students from different fields began the programme from Lall Bazaar on Saturday.
Speaking on the programme, Dr Sachdeva mentioned that the main objective is to study the socio-economic profile of the women vendors. She further stated that the team will study the various problems faced by the women, challenges present in the market and how they cope with modernization and globalization.
“Through our work we are trying to suggest solutions to some of the problems being faced by the women vendors, which will be a good help to the government and policy makers,” she adds.
Dr Sachdeva informed that apart from the oral history programme of the University, the team will also make films on some of the women vendors.
Mentioning that the winter sojourn programme was started by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Mahendra P Lama last year she added that various themes were selected for this year’s programme to provide field exposure to the students from different fields, which makes the programme inter-disciplinary in nature.