Category Archives: Literature – fiction

“It’s high time we recognise the contributions of tribal women in Indian literature.” – Devendra Kumar Devesh of Sahitya Akademi (“Tribes In Transition” conference 2017)
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=22856

“Some educated tribal writers from the North Eastern states have recently managed to enter the national discourse (such as Temsula Ao who writes in English and used to teach at NEHU Shillong) but most tribals from eastern, central and southern India […] use languages that are inaccessible to the mainstream. The well-known Santal poet from Jharkhand, Nirmala Putul, started writing in Santali and remained unknown until she was translated into Hindi by Ashok Singh.” – Scholar-publicist Ivy Hansdak (The Johar Journal), email 20 October 2020
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=11376

“[T]here is a group of tribal writers, who, through their literature, are giving an answer to the questions raised on their identity. This is a phase of revolt for tribal writers, who are trying to showcase the tribes in the same light. It is only after this that the tribal writers can write about the beauty of their world.” – Jitendra Vasava (a lecturer at Adivasi Academy, Tejgadh) in “Symposium held on Gujarat tribal literature, culture” (Indian Express, 28 February 2010)
http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/symposium-held-on-gujarat-tribal-literature/585310
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=6304

“Tribal literature, be it songs, arts or crafts, do not have written scripts, when any literature, in order to stand the tests of time, needs to be preserved in print.” – Tribal scholar-writer from Nadurbar district of Maharashtra, Vaharoo Sonvane, in a conference paper titled “Future of tribal literature” (quoted by The Telegraph Ranchi, 29 April 2005)

“Memory plays a significant role in unfolding and revealing the tribal literature [being] collectively owned by the community and every member has the right and authority to interpret and translate as per one’s ability and genius to the best to make it accurate and appropriate. [I]nterpreting and translating from memory that has been handed down from generation to another [is] the only way to obtain accuracy as there is no written text.” – Abstract by  Athikho Kaisii (“Tribes In Transition” conference 2017)
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=25096