SHILLONG – The Chief Minister’s Office has clarified that the 75 scholars mentioned at the September 1 launch of “Tracing the Roots” in Tura refers to an indicative research pool and not a fixed number of participants.
The pool includes scholars, academicians and researchers from Meghalaya and outside the state, who will work with universities and research institutions on the initiative.
The CMO also clarified that the figure does not mean all 75 researchers will travel abroad. International fieldwork, where required, will be undertaken by smaller specialised teams based on the nature of the research.
The initiative will remain open to wider participation, with scholars, institutions and community knowledge-holders invited to contribute as the programme expands.“Tracing the Roots” is a State Government initiative being implemented by the Department of Arts and Culture to study and document the origins and historical movements of the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo peoples.
The research will draw on historical studies, oral traditions, linguistics, archaeology, archival material and other scientific methods.
The CMO said oral traditions would be preserved as heritage in their own right, while historical conclusions would be based on evidence examined through established academic methods.
