Union Minister Jual Oram inaugurates National Tribal Literary Festival

New Delhi: Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Jual Oram inaugurated the second edition of the two-day National Tribal Literary Festival here on Thursday as part of the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas Pakhwada, an official said.

The festival celebrates tribal literature, languages, and oral traditions under the inspiring guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the official said in a statement.

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

Bringing together tribal writers, poets, researchers and language experts, the festival celebrates the evolution of tribal expression from oral tradition to contemporary literature, the statement said.

In line with PM Modi’s mantra of “Virasat bhi, Vikas bhi,” the event reaffirms the vision of a Viksit Bharat@2047 that draws strength from its heritage and ensures that tribal languages and knowledge systems are preserved, promoted and woven into the national mainstream.

Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Ranjana Chopra, said that the festival gives tribal writers and publishers a platform and creates an opportunity for dialogue between senior and young writers.

She stressed the importance of preserving the languages and cultural traditions of tribal communities in the country and said that oral traditions must be documented before they disappear.

She said the festival aims to give tribal heritage national recognition and secure it for future generations. Noting that this is the second edition of the National Tribal Literary Festival, she said that this will continue as an annual feature in all the Pakhwada periods to come.

Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Anant Prakash Pandey, said that the knowledge and traditions of tribal communities must be given national recognition, and that new and young tribal writers have to act as a bridge in translating the rich oral traditions of their communities into written literature, carrying the wisdom of their ancestors to future generations and to the wider nation.

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