The need for a Forum came up in the context of a call to the Anthropology Fraternity in India for upholding the spirit and tenets of Anthropology, responding to the crisis of sorts concerning the organisation of the World Anthropology Congress 2023 in India. The different Anthropology Associations and Organisations in India had also joined to lend their support in a unison voice to come out of the crisis.
In the process, two distinct groups of Anthropologists namely the Senior and the Young Anthropologists emerged only to be joined with a third group of anthropologists by name Practising Anthropologists, all becoming active in the social media WhatsApp group. The interactions among the members of the group led to the idea of the formation of a United India Anthropology Forum. This was followed by a process of inviting all anthropologists for online registration to the Forum. Thus, the crisis that gave the idea of the Forum was a blessing in disguise to unite the Indian Anthropologists across specialisations, regions and age groups for a just cause which, in the course of a short span of time, has evolved into a formidable force to become determined to promote the interests of Anthropology beyond the 2023 World Anthropology Congress.
The UIAF is cognisance of the existing anthropological bodies at various levels and looks for unification of ideas, suggestions, and collective efforts from all those bodies to achieve the set goals in revitalising Anthropology discipline to realise its true potentiality. All these organisations could continue to play their fundamental and constructive role in upholding the anthropological identity and popularising the subject at their respective levels.
The members of the Forum are to become more connected through online and social media for quick actions. While it could maintain its autonomy as a legitimate anthropological identity at the national level, it is expected that the role of UIAF has to be in partnership with Indian National Confederation and Academy of Anthropologists (INCAA) in several areas of common interest, and at the same time work in complementarity with the other associated organisations as well, with the sole aim to rejuvenate and revamp Anthropology in India and work towards consolidation of Anthropological interests.