Two-day festival to bring together tribal writers, poets, scholars and cultural practitioners; focus on preserving tribal languages, oral traditions and indigenous literary heritage
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY & KEY DEVELOPMENTS
- Two-day festival to bring together tribal writers, poets, scholars and cultural practitioners; focus on preserving tribal languages, oral traditions and indigenous literary heritage
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs will organise a two-day National Tribal Literary Festival on 12 – 13 November 2026 at Silver Oak, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, as part of the celebrations commemorating Janjatiya Gaurav Divas 2026. The festival aims to provide a national platform for celebrating India's rich and diverse tribal literary traditions, promoting indigenous languages and oral narratives, and recognising the contributions of tribal writers, poets, storytellers and knowledge holders. The inaugural session will be attended by Shri Jual Oram, Hon'ble Union Minister of Tribal Affairs; Shri Durgadas Uikey, Hon'ble Minister of State for Tribal Affairs; Dr. Joram Aniya, Hon'ble Member, NITI Aayog; Shri Chamu Krishna Shastri, Chairman, Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti; and Smt. Ranjana Chopra, Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, along with other senior officials and distinguished guests.
The Festival aligns with the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat@2047 by recognising the knowledge, languages and cultural contributions of tribal communities as vital to India’s inclusive, knowledge-driven and culturally rooted development, and by ensuring that their voices and heritage remain an integral part of the nation’s journey towards a developed India. It will bring together tribal writers, poets, authors, researchers, linguists, academicians and cultural practitioners from across the country to celebrate the diversity of tribal literary heritage.
Tribal literature represents an important repository of India's civilisational and cultural heritage. Rooted in community histories, lived experiences, relationships with nature, traditional ecological knowledge and collective memory, these literary traditions have been transmitted across generations through oral narratives, songs, folklore, storytelling and indigenous forms of expression. However, several tribal languages and their associated literary traditions continue to face challenges relating to documentation, intergenerational transmission and wider dissemination.
Strategic Significance & Context
Recognising the importance of safeguarding this invaluable heritage, the Festival will explore the rich and diverse literary traditions of tribal communities, tracing the continuum from oral traditions and community memory to contemporary literary expression. The deliberations will cover the significance of tribal folklore, including, ritual songs, myths, folktales, riddles, proverbs, children’s traditions, seasonal narratives and women's oral traditions, as well as the role of oral epics and heroic traditions in preserving community histories and cultural memory.
The festival will feature thematic sessions on tribal literature, poetry, folklore and storytelling, bringing together writers, poets, scholars and practitioners representing diverse tribal languages. Discussions will examine the contribution of oral traditions to multilingual education, language and literacy, including their role in transmitting ecological knowledge, social and ethical values, and cultural identity across generations. Dedicated poetry and story-reading sessions will showcase literary works and creative expressions in different tribal languages, providing an opportunity for tribal authors and poets to share their narratives with a wider audience.
Through these literary sessions, the festival seeks to strengthen the recognition of tribal literary heritage, encourage the preservation and intergenerational transmission of indigenous narratives, and bring greater visibility to tribal languages and literary expressions in India's cultural and academic discourse.
Operational Milestones & Policy Directives
Organised as part of the celebrations of Janjatiya Gaurav Divas, commemorating the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, the National Tribal Literary Festival seeks to honour the rich cultural legacy and contributions of India's tribal communities. It reaffirms the importance of preserving and celebrating their literary and linguistic heritage as an integral part of India's cultural identity and collective heritage.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs will organise a two-day National Tribal Literary Festival on 12 – 13 November 2026 at Silver Oak, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, as part of the celebrations commemorating Janjatiya Gaurav Divas 2026. The festival aims to provide a national platform for celebrating India's rich and diverse tribal literary traditions, promoting indigenous languages and oral narratives, and recognising the contributions of tribal writers, poets, storytellers and knowledge holders. The inaugural session will be attended by Shri Jual Oram, Hon'ble Union Minister of Tribal Affairs; Shri Durgadas Uikey, Hon'ble Minister of State for Tribal Affairs; Dr. Joram Aniya, Hon'ble Member, NITI Aayog; Shri Chamu Krishna Shastri, Chairman, Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti; and Smt. Ranjana Chopra, Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, along with other senior officials and distinguished guests.
The Festival aligns with the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat@2047 by recognising the knowledge, languages and cultural contributions of tribal communities as vital to India’s inclusive, knowledge-driven and culturally rooted development, and by ensuring that their voices and heritage remain an integral part of the nation’s journey towards a developed India. It will bring together tribal writers, poets, authors, researchers, linguists, academicians and cultural practitioners from across the country to celebrate the diversity of tribal literary heritage.
Implementation Framework & Field Oversight
Tribal literature represents an important repository of India's civilisational and cultural heritage. Rooted in community histories, lived experiences, relationships with nature, traditional ecological knowledge and collective memory, these literary traditions have been transmitted across generations through oral narratives, songs, folklore, storytelling and indigenous forms of expression. However, several tribal languages and their associated literary traditions continue to face challenges relating to documentation, intergenerational transmission and wider dissemination.
Recognising the importance of safeguarding this invaluable heritage, the Festival will explore the rich and diverse literary traditions of tribal communities, tracing the continuum from oral traditions and community memory to contemporary literary expression. The deliberations will cover the significance of tribal folklore, including, ritual songs, myths, folktales, riddles, proverbs, children’s traditions, seasonal narratives and women's oral traditions, as well as the role of oral epics and heroic traditions in preserving community histories and cultural memory.
The festival will feature thematic sessions on tribal literature, poetry, folklore and storytelling, bringing together writers, poets, scholars and practitioners representing diverse tribal languages. Discussions will examine the contribution of oral traditions to multilingual education, language and literacy, including their role in transmitting ecological knowledge, social and ethical values, and cultural identity across generations. Dedicated poetry and story-reading sessions will showcase literary works and creative expressions in different tribal languages, providing an opportunity for tribal authors and poets to share their narratives with a wider audience.
Long-Term Impact on National Growth
Through these literary sessions, the festival seeks to strengthen the recognition of tribal literary heritage, encourage the preservation and intergenerational transmission of indigenous narratives, and bring greater visibility to tribal languages and literary expressions in India's cultural and academic discourse.
Organised as part of the celebrations of Janjatiya Gaurav Divas, commemorating the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, the National Tribal Literary Festival seeks to honour the rich cultural legacy and contributions of India's tribal communities. It reaffirms the importance of preserving and celebrating their literary and linguistic heritage as an integral part of India's cultural identity and collective heritage.
