Jal Jungle Zameen In the Age of Science and Technology

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

The phrase jal, Jungle, Zameen', meaning 'Water, Forest, Land', abridges the spirit of Indian tribal struggles. By juxtaposing this phrase with Science and Technology, we attempt to locate science and technology in relation to compelling societal concerns. This book Jal Jungle Zameen in the age of Science and Technology is the culmination, both as an idea and an artistic creation, of the Indian Institute of Science - Undergraduate Programme (UG- IISc) 2018 humanities course 'Mapping India through the Folk Arts'. The humanities curriculum at IISc are conducted by the Centre for Contemporary Studies (CCS). This Centre, in the words of the founding Chairman Professor Raghavendra Gadagkar, grew out of the frustration about 'cross-disciplinary illiteracy within the academia. From its inception, CCS has been striving to decrease this gap and attempting to build meaningful dialogues among Jal Jungle various disciplines. The UG humanities courses are integrate designed to weave a synergy between the humanities and social sciences (or human sciences) and the natural sciences.

Taking forward the interdisciplinary philosophy of CCS, the course 'Mapping India through the Folk Arts' brings together two apparently unrelated domains of knowledge, namely the Indian folks arts and science This course understands India, not by reading the written words but by exploring the vibrant artefacts of folk culture. The experiment has, so far, created novel works of art through painting, music, theatre and dance. The paintings have been collectively archived in a publication by the Institute, named Arting Science. Jal Jungle Zameen in the age of Science and Technology examines the scientific response towards pressing tribal issues of the country. Is science cognizant about tribal struggles? What has science contributed towards fortifying the three most essential elements of tribal life-water, forest and land? Has science considered improving or revitalizing them? The course attempted to answer these questions through folk paintings! This book is a compilation of those paintings.

Jal Jungle Zameen in the age of Science and Technology integrates several areas of inquiry, from tribal concerns and Indian folk art to ecology and avant-garde scientific research. Every year, it has been an attempt to encourage students to think independently and creatively. Not resigning from their identity as practitioners of science, the thrust has been to sensitize them to societal challenges and hone their artistic zeal. This is a creative presentation of the budding scientists of IISc.