Living with Oil and Coal: Land, Community, and Storytelling

This masterclass began with vivid accounts from villagers living amidst hydrocarbon landscapes—regions where coal mines, oil rigs, and rural life intersect in a complex dance of everyday existence and intense environmental impact. Anthropologist Dolly Kikon then delved into the multifaceted dynamics of these areas, discussing themes of extraction and nurturing, the spectrum of emotions from rage to hopelessness, and the intricate web of broken and intact connections with the land and its communities.

After engaging with these concepts, participants collectively explored the zines they had created, which encapsulated personal reflections and stories about the influence of hydrocarbons on social, cultural, and political relationships. The programme concluded with an interactive session where Kikon and the participants discussed the creative process and shared insights, wrapping up with a final narrative from one of the villagers.

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About the Anthropologist

Dolly Kikon is a Naga anthropologist. Her work focuses on the political economy of extractive resources, militarisation, migration, development initiatives, gender relations, food cultures, and human rights in India. Currently, Kikon is heading a multi-country research project funded by the Swedish Research Council Grant (2021–2023) titled "Practicing Food Sovereignty: Indigenous Peoples and Agroecological Relationships in the Eastern Himalayas".

Her current writing projects include an ongoing book manuscript on fermenting cultures, and a report on the impact of the 2020 Baghjan oil spill in Assam. Her documentary film, Seasons of Life: Foraging and Fermenting Bambooshoot during Ceasefire, was screened at the Druk International Film Festival, Bhutan (2020), the Canberra Short Film Festival, Australia (2020), the 2021 Yucatan Congress, Mexico organised by the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences, and the South Asia Film Festival (2022).