Category Archives: Literature – fiction

Adivaani Trust: Kolkata-based publishing house for Adivasi literature – West Bengal

Call for Support: Adivaani—Publishing the Adivasi Voice Adivaani is a new publishing house from Kolkata, which describes itself as a response to the  endangered Adivasi cultural and historical heritage. For long, mainstre am publishing in India has neglected the documentation and publication … Continue reading

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A significant cultural moment among the Bodos: The literary rebirth of a compelling character in Indira Goswami’s novel “The Bronze Sword of Thengphakhri Tehsildar” – Assam

ARUNI KASHYAP, The Hindu, March 2, 2013 Indira Goswami’s novel on the legendary Bodo heroine Thengphakhri was not just about the life of a forgotten heroine, but also an attempt to reignite interest in an under-represented region of Assam’s history. I … Continue reading

Posted in Colonial policies, Cultural heritage, De- and re-tribalisation, History, Literature - fiction, Media portrayal, Misconceptions, Names and communities, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets, Storytelling, Tribal elders, Women | Tagged | Comments Off

On the experience of translating Rabindranath Tagore’s Raktakarabi into Santali: Lecture by Boro Baski – West Bengal

Left to right: Prof. Dhoneswar Majhi, Dr. Boro Baski, Subhas Mukherjee (research scholar Visva-Bharati), his wife, Mrs. Chandni Mukherjee (high school teacher) and Mrs. Didimoni Hansda (high school teacher) 

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Report on JAGWAR Santal Literary Meet 2013 – Jharkhand

JAGWAR Santal Literary Meet 2013: Santal Onolia Helmel 2013 A Report The first Santal Literary Meet – in Santali named “JAGWAR: Santal Onolia Helmel” – was held at the Johar HRD Centre, Dumka, Jharkhand, on 23-24 January 2013. It began … Continue reading

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Slideshow | JAGWAR Santal Literary Meet 2013

Photos: courtesy © Manoj Hembrom 2013 More information >>

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What is my identity…? – Santal story by Sunder Manoj Hembrom

Oprom do cet’ tin…? What is my identity…? Joidhon Soren lies, limp and listless, on a railway hospital bed. It is one of the big hospitals of the industrial town of Mahuapara, so his condition is clearly serious. He is … Continue reading

Posted in Assimilation, Childhood and children, Literature - fiction, Modernity, Names and communities, Quotes, Storytelling, Tribal identity, Women | Tagged | Comments Off

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

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 Literature - fiction, Literature and bibliographies, Names and communities, Networking, Organizations, Performing arts, Poetry, Quotes, Revival of traditions, Seasons and festivals, Storytelling, Women | Tagged | Comments Off

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

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

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Indian forests, rivers and mountains owe their survival to Adivasis: “the most civilised people” – Mahasweta Devi

The Hindu, HYDERABAD, October 2, 2012 Renowned writer and social activist Mahasweta Devi termed Adivasis as “the most civilised people” to whom Indian forests, rivers and mountains owe their survival. She praised their egalitarian social structure where nobody is greater than … Continue reading

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Mahashweta Devi – a writer-activist’s literary tribute to the civilizational graces of the adivasis

Excerpt from “The adivasi Mahashweta” by Ganesh Devy in 540, August 2004 CELEBRATING WOMEN a symposium on women who made a difference DO I know Mahashweta Devi ? Perhaps, I do. Perhaps not. [...] In the mid-90s, I decided to give up academic … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Adivasi, Colonial policies, Democracy, Gandhian social movement, History, Literature - fiction, Modernity, Organizations, Quotes, Rural poverty, Storytelling, Women | Comments Off

Mahasweta Devi’s inaugural speech at the Frankfurt Book Fair

Mahasweta Devi had people in tears at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair. Delivered with passionate heart, her inaugural speech about our freedoms still on hold stirs a kind of moral transformation. Excerpts (read a longer excerpt on thehelka.com)   At 80-plus I move … Continue reading

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An appeal for linguistic diversity as a democratic right – Professor Ganesh Devy at TEDx Mumbai

Professor Ganesh Devy talks about how languages evolve. And how local Indian languages are dying, taking with them a treasure of historical knowledge and wisdom. “Why are you talking to sparrows?” [Prof. Devy narrates the reply of the Bo woman in … Continue reading

Posted in Childhood and children, Democracy, Education and literacy, Figures, census and other statistics, Languages and linguistic heritage, Literature - fiction, Modernity, Names and communities, Quotes, Tribal identity, Video resources - external | Tagged , | Comments Off

Aboriginal Canada Portal

Language, Heritage and Culture >> Claims and Treaties >>

Posted in Accountability, Community facilities, Democracy, Education and literacy, Health and nutrition, Literature - fiction, Media portrayal, Tribal culture worldwide, Tribal identity | Comments Off

Elwin’s ‘tribal’ world – 28 poems in English inspired by tribal India

The Telegraph, Calcutta, Friday , March 2 , 2012 Elwin’s ‘tribal’ world ANANYA S. GUHA Book title: 28 Poems Author: Verrier Elwin Publisher: North East Zonal Cultural Centre Pages: 35 Price: Rs 150 Verrier Elwin, the anthropologist and Indologist who … Continue reading

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Chotro: Adivasi Voices and Stories – Moving Worlds

Issue 9.1 of Volume 10 of ‘Moving Worlds: A Journal of Transcultural Wiriting’ edited by Shirley Chew http://www.movingworlds.net This issue draws from one segment of the paper presented at the international conference. Chotro (meaning ‘coming together’ in the language of … Continue reading

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Adivasi Academy & Museum of Adivasi Voice at Tejgadh – Gujarat

The Adivasi Academy & Museum of Adivasi Voice Mandaar At and Post. Tejgadh Taluka: Chhota Udepur Vadodara 391 156 India Executive Director Mr. Atul Garg Email: atulgarg.bhasha@gmail.com The Adivasi Academy is established to create a unique educational environment for the study of tribal … Continue reading

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Tiruvalluvar revered as ancient king among the Kaani of Kanyakumari district – Tamil Nadu

S. PADMANABHAN, The Hindu, 29 April 2005 It is interesting to learn that a hill in Kanyakumari district is named after Tiruvalluvar. [...] The Kanyakumari Historical and Cultural Research Centre recently brought to light the existence of Valluvan Kal Potrai in … Continue reading

Posted in Archaeology, Cultural heritage, Customs, History, Literature - fiction, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Organizations, Press snippets, Seasons and festivals, Western Ghats - tribal heritage & ecology, Worship and rituals | Tagged | Comments Off

Books & Magazines – Wesanthals e-group

The following are the brief profiles of some of the outstanding Santal writers, poets and storytellers. As Songs and dances are part and parcel of Santal life, naturally, Santals inherited the poetry writing skills as the way they learn to … Continue reading

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Adivasi poetry – probing into the culture of the ex-tea garden labourers (Assam)

The Hindu, July 31, 2010 Ashley Tellis A close, felt observation of the world defines the poetry of Kamal Kumar Tanti, which probes into the culture of the Adivasi ex-tea garden labourers in Assam. He speaks to Ashley Tellis on … Continue reading

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Nandalal Bose painting “Village Huts” – National Gallery of Modern Art (New Delhi)

Nandalal Bose “Village Huts,” 1928. Watercolor and wash on paper. National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi. Source: An Indian Modernist – The New York Times > Art & Design > Slide Show > Slide 4 of 12 nytimes.com. Date Visited: Wed … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Crafts and visual arts, Cultural heritage, History, Homes and utensils, Literature - fiction, Media portrayal, Modernity, Museum collections - India, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Revival of traditions, Social conventions, Tagore and rural culture, Women | Tagged | Comments Off

Find a resource on archive.org – The Internet Archive

Find a resource in the Search-window seen here: http://www.archive.org Tip: search for a specific community like “Santal” (or Santhal); or a region like Nilgiri (Toda and Kota communities) >>

Posted in Accountability, Adivasi, Anthropology, Audio resources - external, Colonial policies, Democracy, eBook download sites, Ecology and environment, Education and literacy, Figures, census and other statistics, Globalization, History, Internet, Languages and linguistic heritage, Libraries, Literature - fiction, Literature and bibliographies, Media portrayal, Misconceptions, Modernity, Music and dance, Musicology, Networking, Organizations, Performing arts, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Resources, Revival of traditions, Suggest a resource, Tips, Topics and issues, Tourism, Tribal culture worldwide, Tribal identity, Video resources - external, Websites by tribal communities, Worship and rituals | Tagged | Comments Off

Media and literacy support programme

Objective The Tribal Cultural Heritage in India Foundation assists educational institutions and cultural organizations in their efforts to provide learners, volunteers, teachers and  members of rural communities with publications from reputed publishers. The following categories will be considered: expertise in strengthening … Continue reading

Posted in Activities, Education and literacy, Games and leisure time, Government of India, Health and nutrition, Languages and linguistic heritage, Libraries, Literature - fiction, Literature and bibliographies, Networking, Storytelling, Suggest a resource | Comments Off

Publications Division

[...] Publications Division (PD) is one of the leading publishing houses of the country and the largest in public sector. It is a repository of books and journals for highlighting matters of national importance and India’s rich and diverse cultural … Continue reading

Posted in Education and literacy, Gandhian social movement, Government of India, Health and nutrition, Literature - fiction, Literature and bibliographies, Nature and wildlife, Organizations, Poetry, Tagore and rural culture, Tribal identity | Comments Off

Santali writer Somai Kisku honoured with prestigious Tagore awards

Purba Dutt May 10, 2011, 12.30pm IST Santali writer Somai Kisku was recently honoured with the prestigious Tagore Literature Awards 2010, instituted by Samsung in collaboration with Sahitya Akademi. He was awarded for his work Namalia, first published in the … Continue reading

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Tribal literature is as rich as any other literature in the world

Treasure trove of golden words- three-day conference comes to an end OUR CORRESPONDENT Ranchi, April 28: Mizo writer Darchhawna, who was awarded the Padmashree recently, praised tribal literature at a conference here today. He spoke on the concluding day of … Continue reading

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