4-Day Tribal Writers’ Meet Takes Off In Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: The commenced the four-day state-level “Tribal Writers’ Meet” took off in Bhubaneswar on Monday with participation of writers from diverse tribal communities.

Organised by the Academy of Tribal Languages and Culture (ATLC) under the patronage of the ST & SC Development, M&BCW department, the event was attended by accomplished writers representing Santal, Bhumij, Munda and Binjhal communities.

Attending the inauguration ceremony, Roopa Roshan Sahoo, secretary, ST&SC Development, M&BCW Department, spoke on the objectives of the Writers Meet. The event aims at fostering direct interactions with tribal communities to understand their culture, art, science, languages, and sociocultural values, as expressed in the manuscripts created by tribal writers, she said.

Indramani Tripathy, Director, ST, and Member Secretary, ATLC, highlighted the government’s commitment to preservation and promotion of tribal languages and culture. Samarendra Bhutia, Assistant Director of ATLC, said the Academy has meticulously identified a substantial number of tribal writers with manuscripts in their respective languages.

The selection process is rigorous, guided by criteria such as cultural significance, linguistic importance, and the extent to which these works embody tribal knowledge. Manuscripts that meet these standards will have printed publications, while select pieces will be digitally preserved.

Damayanti Besra, a well-known personality in the field of education and writing, commended the government’s initiative for promotion of tribal cultures. Eminent writer Chaitanya Prasad Majhi also spoke. Sanjukta Moharana, Panchali Sahu and Bhagyarathi Panda coordinated the event while Paramananda Patel, coordinator, SAMHATI, extended a warm welcome to the tribal writers.