National Tribal Literature Festival Highlights Importance of Preserving Oral Traditions

New Delhi, November 14 (Daily Kiran) : The two-day National Tribal Literature Festival, organized by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, concluded in New Delhi, focusing on the need to preserve India’s rich tribal literary traditions. The event also aimed to connect traditional knowledge and oral narratives with contemporary literary expressions.

Held as part of the “Tribal Pride Day” celebrations, the festival provided a platform for tribal writers, poets, researchers, linguists, and scholars from across the country. An official stated that the festival reiterated the ministry’s commitment to including tribal literary voices in national discourse, aligned with the Prime Minister’s vision of inclusive development and inspired by the ideals of “One India, Great India” and “Development as well as Heritage.”

Ranjana Chopra, Secretary of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, emphasized the need to create sustainable platforms to promote tribal literature, support writers in native languages, and connect them with publishers and broader audiences. She mentioned the “Living Roots Originals” initiative, launched in collaboration with the Indian Performing Rights Society (IPRS), which aims to recognize and protect the creative rights of tribal musicians and artists.

Chopra also highlighted a new initiative where a special section for tribal literature will be featured at the upcoming book fair organized by the National Book Trust at Pragati Maidan, providing tribal authors and publishers an opportunity to showcase their work and reach a wider audience.

K. Srinivasa Rao, former Secretary of the Sahitya Akademi, summarized the festival, noting that it represented a total of 27 languages, including 23 tribal languages. He emphasized that tribal literature is an integral part of India’s cultural heritage and called for its greater inclusion in university curricula, translation efforts, and mainstream publishing platforms to enhance its visibility.

The final day of the festival featured discussions on topics such as oral epics, heroic traditions, and the contribution of traditional knowledge to multilingual education. Emerging tribal writers and poets also presented their works, showcasing the vibrant literary landscape of India’s tribal communities.