National Tribal Literary Festival: 27 Languages Represented, Focus on Oral Heritage and Education

The news

The two-day National Tribal Literary Festival, organised by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, concluded on 13 November 2026 with a focus on preserving India’s tribal oral traditions and promoting contemporary tribal literature. The festival, part of the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas celebrations, brought together tribal writers, poets, researchers, linguists and scholars under the theme ‘From Oral Tradition to Contemporary Tribal Literature’.

The concluding day featured discussions on oral epics and heroic traditions, the role of indigenous knowledge in multilingual education, and readings by emerging tribal writers and poets. Speakers explored the oral literary heritage of the Bhil and Gond communities, including the Gond Ramayana and Bhil Mahabharata, as well as Manipur’s Wari Leeba storytelling tradition and the Khamba-Thoibi epic. The sessions highlighted how stories, songs, epics and poetry preserve the collective memory and cultural identity of tribal communities. Dr. K. Srinivasa Rao, former Secretary of Sahitya Akademi, noted that 27 languages, including 23 tribal languages, were represented at the festival.

What is Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas and when did it begin?

Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas is observed annually on 15 November to honour the contributions of tribal communities to India's history and culture. The Union Cabinet approved the day in 2021, choosing the birth anniversary of the revered tribal leader Birsa Munda. The celebration is part of a broader government effort to highlight tribal heritage, with the first Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas being observed in 2021. The day often features events like the National Tribal Literary Festival to showcase tribal art, literature, and traditions.

How can oral traditions be preserved?

Discussions at the festival emphasised the importance of documenting oral epics and heroic traditions through audio-visual recordings and research. Speakers also stressed recognising community storytellers and knowledge holders as custodians of tribal literary heritage. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs highlighted the Living Roots Originals initiative, developed in collaboration with the Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS), to recognise and protect the creative rights of tribal musicians and performers.

What role do indigenous languages play in education?

A session moderated by Dr. K. Srinivasa Rao examined how oral narratives, traditional songs and community stories can enrich learning experiences and strengthen children’s connections with their mother tongues and cultural identities. Speakers emphasised incorporating indigenous knowledge and oral traditions into educational processes, particularly in early childhood education, and discussed the role of documentation, translation and technology in supporting tribal languages.

What steps are planned to expand the reach of tribal literature?

Smt. Ranjana Chopra, Secretary of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, emphasised the need to create sustainable platforms for promoting tribal literature, supporting authors writing in indigenous languages and connecting them with publishers and wider readerships. She announced that the Ministry is facilitating a dedicated section for tribal literature at the National Book Trust’s forthcoming book fair at Pragati Maidan. Dr. K. Srinivasa Rao underscored the need for greater inclusion of tribal literature in university curricula, translation initiatives and mainstream publishing platforms.