KOZHIKODE: A full-fledged team of Calicut University will visit Lakshadweep for preparing comprehensive research documents on the islands from April 16. The team includes 60 students from the three centres of the university in Lakshadweep along with teachers and technical staff. They would visit seven islands, namely Kavaratti, Kadmat, Androth, Kalpeni, Minicoy, Amini and Agatti during the 15-day voyage. The members will identify different subjects from the islands for further research, collect data regarding the history, culture, language, society and media on the islands and also prepare a documentary.
Leader of the team and Calicut University Lakshadweep centres’ dean Dr P.P. Mohammed said that the research voyage was the first of its kind conducted by the university. “Calicut University has centres in Lakshadweep for the last 20 years in three places namely Kavaratti, Kadmat and Androth with more than 60 students,” he added. University Mass Communication department head Dr N. Muhammed Ali said that the trip will help in the in-depth research on various subjects. “No proper research about the islands has been conducted so far. We need to teach the students from the islands how to research about their own habitat and its peculiarities,” he said.
The university is also planning to publish a hand book on the culture and society of Lakshadweep using the research reports and authentic documents collected during the trip. A visual documentary of the island will be produced by the Mass Communication department students as part of the research. Lakshadweep administration is supporting the voyage by providing a chartered ship and an amount of Rs 5 lakh. The team will spend two days each on an island. “Though we have requested to visit 10 islands, permission was given only for seven because of the lack of accommodation facilities,” Dr Muhammed Ali added.
