“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
S Joseph, who introduced Malayalam poetry to hitherto unexpressed human conditions (Meenkaran, Mesthri, Kotta, Identity Card, Chila Irunda Idangal, Aana, Maruku, Pengalude Bible) with very ordinary, pared down words, has wandered through life’s mean streets to reach where he is today. Indeed, he has come a long way as a man and a poet. His grubby backyard … Read more
Parimal Hembram reads “Ak’ sar sap tege huyuk’ tena” Translation into English by Antara Dev Sen, published in The Little Magazine, Vol. VII, Issue 3 & 4.: Source: Courtesy Dr. Ivy Hansdak (email 15 November 2017)
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 from Pidhana – The Canopy of Life (Chennai, 2014, ISBN: 978-81-921627-3-7). This richly illustrated publication tells the story of the … Read more
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 to script form in the nineteenth century, their oral traditions were documented and preserved as folklore. But as these communities were … Read more