Category Archives: Literature – fiction

“While the danger of extinction looms large over some languages, many other languages have been thriving. For example, Gondi (spoken in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra), Bhili (Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat), Mizo (Mizoram), Garo and Khasi (Meghalaya) and Kokborok (Tripura) are showing an upward trend because educated people in these communities have started using these languages for writing. They publish poems, write plays and perform them. In some of the languages, even films are being made.” – Abhijit Mohanty in “Seven decades after independence, many tribal languages in India face extinction threat” (Down to Earth, 26 August 2020)
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/governance/seven-decades-after-independence-many-tribal-languages-in-india-face-extinction-threat-73071
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=6879

For in-depth information on a specific community, select the “Sitemap – Names of tribal communities” in the “Search” menu or click on a hyperlink seen below (“Tagged”).

Two novels on West Ghat tribal cultural heritage: Changing perceptions of land and its ownership – Kerala & Tamil Nadu

Posted on 27/01/2023 by website administrator

Two novels that capture local history in English translationEach novel is written from a different angle, yet both chronicle the lives of people attached to their land and customs while facing the pressures imposed by mainstream society: one by male … Continue reading →

Posted in Adivasi / Adibasi, Assimilation, Childhood, Colonial policies, Constitution and Supreme Court, Customs, Economy and development, Education and literacy, History, Literature - fiction, Modernity, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Nilgiri Biosphere, Quotes, Rural poverty, Seasons and festivals, Social conventions, Southern region – Southern Zonal Council, Storytelling, Tips, Western Ghats – Tribal heritage and ecology, Women, Worship and rituals | Tagged , | Comments Off on Two novels on West Ghat tribal cultural heritage: Changing perceptions of land and its ownership – Kerala & Tamil Nadu

Mahasweta Devi: Bhasha’s life time mentor remembered at the Adivasi Academy Tejgadh – Gujarat

Posted on 02/01/2023 by website administrator

An indefatigable crusader for tribal rights, eminent litterateur Mahasweta Devi was keen to be laid to rest at Tejgadh, a tribal village in Gujarat and also the site of the Adivasi Academy, says noted literary critic, linguist and tribal rights … Continue reading →

Posted in Adivasi / Adibasi, Colonial policies, Community facilities, Cultural heritage, De- and re-tribalisation, Democracy, Eastern region – Eastern Zonal Council, Education and literacy, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Literature - fiction, Literature and bibliographies, Museum collections - India, Names and communities, Networking, Organizations, Press snippets, Quotes, Revival of traditions, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Rural poverty, Storytelling, Success story, Tagore and rural culture, Western region –  Western Zonal Council, Worship and rituals | Tagged , | Comments Off on Mahasweta Devi: Bhasha’s life time mentor remembered at the Adivasi Academy Tejgadh – Gujarat

Academy of Tribal Learning: Ramachandra Guha on its inauguration by writer-activist Mahasweta Devi – Gujarat

Posted on 04/12/2022 by website administrator

In the first week of February 2002, I got a call from the writer Mahasweta Devi. I had met Mahasweta only once—in a boarding house in Delhi where we both happened to be staying—but knew, of course, a great deal about … Continue reading →

Posted in Adivasi / Adibasi, Community facilities, Cultural heritage, Education and literacy, Languages and linguistic heritage, Literature - fiction, Literature and bibliographies, Museum collections - India, Names and communities, Organizations, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Women | Tagged | Comments Off on Academy of Tribal Learning: Ramachandra Guha on its inauguration by writer-activist Mahasweta Devi – Gujarat

Adivasi poetry that “expresses unwillingness and disagreement”: Probing into the culture of the ex-tea garden labourers – Assam

Posted on 04/12/2022 by website administrator

On second day of TLF, session on “Young Tribal Writers; Their Themes, Issues and Challenges was organized.” The session was chaired by Prof. Sivashish Biswas, Assam University, Assam. During the session, five speakers talked about the emerging young writers from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Adivasi / Adibasi, Adverse inclusion, Assimilation, Colonial policies, Community facilities, De- and re-tribalisation, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Government of India, History, Literature - fiction, Literature and bibliographies, Media portrayal, Misconceptions, Names and communities, Photos and slideshows, Poetry, Press snippets, Revival of traditions, Rural poverty, Seven Sister States & Sikkim – North Eastern Council | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Adivasi poetry that “expresses unwillingness and disagreement”: Probing into the culture of the ex-tea garden labourers – Assam

Telling the story of the Sabars: Mahasweta Devi’s historical novel “The Book of the Hunter” set in 6th-century Bengal

Posted on 27/11/2022 by website administrator

MAHASWETA DEVI’S novel The Book of the Hunter (first published in Bengali as Byadhkhanda in 1994), is the latest in Seagull’s excellent ongoing enterprise to bring the powerful oeuvre of the literary activist to a readership well beyond Bengal. One … Continue reading →

Posted in Colonial policies, Customs, Eastern region – Eastern Zonal Council, History, Literature - fiction, Misconceptions, Modernity, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Press snippets, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Storytelling, Worship and rituals | Tagged | Comments Off on Telling the story of the Sabars: Mahasweta Devi’s historical novel “The Book of the Hunter” set in 6th-century Bengal