Indian Tribal Literature: An Overview

The ‘Adivasis’ or the tribals in India constitute one of the largest indigenous groups across the globe. Subjected to multiple oppressions including forced displacement, violence, denial of basic facilities, erosion of culture and threat to their very existence on account of widescale damage and destruction of their natural resource base, they have remained a deprived lot relegated to the periphery of the mainstream society and culture. Struggling with grit and surviving against heavy odds, they have, however, preserved their languages and continue to contribute to the linguistic diversity and the rich literary tradition of India. Tribal literature is traditionally oral, transmitted through generations in the form of folklores, stories, folksongs, proverbs, aphorisms etc. mainly by the word of mouth. Despite several challenges, including lack of their own scripts on the part of majority of tribal communities in India, a growing body of written tribal literature is also emerging. This literature is mainly in indigenous languages and lacks wider readership and recognition. Tribal literature, like tribals themselves, has remained neglected, ignored and marginalized. Efforts are, however, being made to document the oral tribal literature to save it from extinction and to translate the written tribal literature into several scheduled languages of India as well as in English to provide it wider platform, acknowledgement and readership. This paper attempts to provide an overview of Indian tribal literature which, in its richness and variety, is reflective not only of the rich cultural ethos and values of these indigenous communities but also of our collective literary and cultural heritage that needs to be valued, preserved and saved from being lost to oblivion.