NewzVille Desk
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, inaugurated the second edition of the two-day National Tribal Literary Festival today at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.
Held on the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas Pakhwada, the festival celebrates tribal literature, languages, and oral traditions. Bringing together tribal writers, poets, researchers and language experts, the festival celebrates the evolution of tribal expression from oral tradition to contemporary literature.
The festival was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Jual Oram, along with theMinister of State for Tribal Affairs, Durgadas Uikey, the Hon’ble Member of NITI Aayog, Dr. Joram Aniya, Padma Shri, Chamu Krishna Shastry, Chairman, Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti, Ranjana Chopra, Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, and Anant Prakash Pandey, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, by lighting the ceremonial lamp. Tribal writers, researchers and language experts from across the country were present.
Jual Oram, said that systematic documentation of the literature, folk songs, folktales and oral traditions of tribal languages is essential for their preservation, and that this effort must include not only writers but also lyricists, musicians, folk artists and digital content creators.
Noting that many tribal languages have no script and some dialects are on the verge of extinction, he said the absence of a script must not become a barrier, and that oral traditions can be preserved through available Indian languages.
He informed that the Ministry will collaborate with the Sahitya Akademi and other organisations working in this field to promote and preserve tribal literature.
