Category Archives: Poetry

“The mountain child—a fragment of the mountain—plays in the lap of the mountain / Toddling up the mountain / he plants his feet in the mountain soil / to rise like a mountain / in the land of mountains” – Excerpt from “Mountain Child”, a Santali poem by Nirmala Putul who questions ‘development’ and ‘progress’ in modern civilization
https://www.poetrytranslation.org/poems/18/Mountain_Child
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=11376

“My poetry is firmly rooted in Kerala. It talks about trees unique to our landscape, fish that can only be found in our ponds, and tribes that carry ancient memories of Malayalam. There are many amidst us who are despised, humiliated and oppressed by human conditions such as caste, colour and gender. They shouldn’t be apologetic but assert themselves. My poems celebrate the beauty of blackness and ugliness. Such poetry cannot be performed, or composed. It lacks music, it has to be read.” – S. Joseph, who introduced Malayalam poetry to hitherto unexpressed human conditions in “Joseph and his brothers” (blog by John Cheeran, Times of India, 23 January 2016)
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/Arrackistan/joseph-and-his-brothers
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=4413

“You tell me, screaming / That this nurtured plot of land / this pond, this farmhouse / you tell me, these are not mine? […] The land of thick jungles / a desolate land of trees and vines / We worked hard to clean it up / to make it liveable / and lived happily / I must reach for my bow and arrow.” – Excerpt from a Santali poem by Parimal Hembram who recites poems in both Bengali and Santali (The Little Magazine, Vol. VII, Issue 3 & 4., Translation into English by Antara Dev Sen)
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=23529

“My voice is for freedom, for people, against injustice, against colonialism and neo-colonialism. […] I disagree with the naming of our community as “Tea-tribe”. Is there any community in this world named after a commodity?” – Kamal Kumar Tanti in (Ashley Tellis, The Hindu, 31 July 2010)
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=4667

Slideshow | Santali Literary Meet: “Santal Onolia Helmel” (Dumka, 20-21 October 2017) – Jharkhand

Posted on 03/11/2017 by website administrator

JAGWAR-IIISANTAL LITERARY MEET: SANTAL ONOLIA HELMEL 2017“Santali Literature & Society in the Changing World”Johar HRD Centre, Dumka, Jharkhand, India20 – 21 October, 2017   Source: Courtesy text and photos: Dr. Ivy Hansdak, Assistant Professor, Department of English, Jamia Millia Islamia … Continue reading →

Posted in Eastern region, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Film, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Literature - fiction, Literature and bibliographies, Media portrayal, Modernity, Names and communities, Networking, Organizations, Performing arts, Poetry, Revival of traditions, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Rural poverty, Santali language and literature, Storytelling, Women | Tagged | Comments Off on Slideshow | Santali Literary Meet: “Santal Onolia Helmel” (Dumka, 20-21 October 2017) – Jharkhand

“Take up the Green cause”: Kalakshetra has demonstrated the scope for creating an artificial forest with a wide variety of flora and fauna – Tamil Nadu

Posted on 22/03/2015 by website administrator

A Tamil couplet from Kannappar Kuravanji of Thozuvoor Markanda Naavalar I meditate on the divine forces of the wilderness, to whom the forest rituals are offered. O Mannaru Saami, O Mother Maari, Chamundi, Irulan, Sangile Karuppan – Your though delights me. Quoted … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Cultural heritage, Customs, Ecology and environment, Education and literacy, History, Literature and bibliographies, Misconceptions, Modernity, Names and communities, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Poetry, Press snippets, Quotes, Revival of traditions, Southern region, Storytelling, Success story, Tagore and rural culture, Trees, Women, Worship and rituals | Tagged | Comments Off on “Take up the Green cause”: Kalakshetra has demonstrated the scope for creating an artificial forest with a wide variety of flora and fauna – Tamil Nadu

Vibrant contemporary writing from the north-eastern region: Overcoming marginalisation of culture and literature

Posted on 27/09/2013 by website administrator

K. Satchidanandan Print edition : June 14, 2013 , Frontline Magazine, Columns, Print edition : June 14, 2013Read the full article and view more photos here >>  The poets from the north-eastern region have to meet the double challenge of truth and liberty, … Continue reading →

Posted in Colonial policies, Commentary, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Literature - fiction, Literature and bibliographies, Media portrayal, Modernity, Names and communities, Photos and slideshows, Poetry, Press snippets, Quotes, Seven Sister States, Storytelling, Worship and rituals | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Vibrant contemporary writing from the north-eastern region: Overcoming marginalisation of culture and literature

JAGWAR Santal Literary Meet 2013 (23-24 January): Johar HRD Centre, Dumka – Jharkhand

Posted on 12/01/2013 by website administrator

View a slideshow Press coverage Report SANTAL ONOLIA HELMEL 2013 Introduction: For centuries, a large proportion of India’s rich literary heritage was conserved in oral form in the tribal/ indigenous/ adivasi languages of India. After these tribal languages were reduced … Continue reading →

Posted in Constitution and Supreme Court, Literature - fiction, Literature and bibliographies, Names and communities, Networking, Organizations, Performing arts, Poetry, Quotes, Revival of traditions, Santali language and literature, Seasons and festivals, Seven Sister States, Storytelling, Women | Tagged | Comments Off on JAGWAR Santal Literary Meet 2013 (23-24 January): Johar HRD Centre, Dumka – Jharkhand

Video | Setu “bridge” on Adivasi poet and publisher Jeetendra Vasava belonging to the Narmada region – Gujarat

Posted on 09/12/2012 by website administrator

The clip is called Setu, meaning bridge and features Jeetendra Vasava, a young writer belonging to the Narmada region in south Gujarat. Jeetendra speaks Dehwali, a tribal language spoken in regions of south Gujarat and northern Maharashtra. Jeetendra is a faculty … Continue reading →

Posted in Adivasi / Adibasi, Childhood and children, Languages and linguistic heritage, Literature - fiction, Literature and bibliographies, Modernity, Narmada, Organizations, Poetry, Quotes, Revival of traditions, Storytelling, Video contents | Comments Off on Video | Setu “bridge” on Adivasi poet and publisher Jeetendra Vasava belonging to the Narmada region – Gujarat