The Ministry of Tribal Affairs concluded its two-day National Tribal Literary Festival at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi on 13 November 2026, organized as part of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas celebrations. The festival focused on preserving India's tribal literary traditions and connecting indigenous knowledge with contemporary literary expression under the theme 'From Oral Tradition to Contemporary Tribal Literature'.
The event featured thematic discussions on oral epics including Gond Ramayana, Bhil Mahabharata, Manipur's Wari Leeba storytelling tradition, and the Khamba-Thoibi epic. Sessions emphasized the importance of documenting these traditions through audio-visual recordings and research while recognizing community storytellers as custodians of tribal literary heritage.
Another session examined the role of indigenous languages and community knowledge in strengthening inclusive education, particularly emphasizing incorporation of oral narratives and traditional songs into early childhood education. The discussions highlighted the need for documentation, translation, and technology to support tribal languages.
The festival provided platforms for emerging tribal writers and poets, with story-reading sessions featuring works by Neeta Kusum Bilung, Ramesh Karthik Nayak, and Vasanth Kumar V.P., and poetry readings by K. Vasamalli, Kriri Mog Chowdhury, Babu Sangda, Hirjir Ingti Katharpi, Gopi Krishna Soni, Marina Ekka, Sudha Chauhan, and Anjali Belagal.
During the valedictory session, Secretary Ranjana Chopra emphasized creating sustainable platforms for tribal literature, supporting authors writing in indigenous languages, and connecting them with publishers. She highlighted the Living Roots Originals initiative developed with Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS) to protect creative rights of tribal musicians and performers. The Ministry also announced a dedicated section for tribal literature at the National Book Trust's forthcoming book fair at Pragati Maidan.
Dr. K. Srinivasa Rao noted the festival represented 27 languages including 23 tribal languages and emphasized the need for greater inclusion of tribal literature in university curricula, translation initiatives, and mainstream publishing platforms. Deputy Secretary Ganesh Nagarajan highlighted the expansion of the Ministry's cultural, linguistic, and livelihood initiatives over the past year.
The event was framed within the Prime Minister's vision of inclusive development and the principles of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' and 'Vikas bhi, Virasat bhi', reaffirming the Ministry's commitment to bringing indigenous literary voices into national discourse as part of the Viksit Bharat@2047 journey.