Kadal
Katha Adivasi
& Dalit Literature
Center
With increasing globalization, displacement of Adivasis
and Dalits from existing productive economies has started
to take place. In many parts of India , activities like
shrimp cultivation are displacing Scheduled Caste agrarian
labourers. This means a loss, amongst other things, of
literary outpourings that culturelink today's India with
its past. Hence KADAL, an effort to collect, document
and maybe publish in translation Adivasi and Dalit literatures,
oral traditions and cultures as narratives for reading
pleasure, and as sources of sustainable knowledge.
Dalit and Adivasi literatures, rich treasure houses of knowledge and a kind of knowing that is a quintessential part of our culture, have not been seen, read or celebrated as much as they should be. Dalit scholars trace the origin of Dalit literatures back to the Buddhist period. For some the originator is the saint-poet Chokharnela (14th C). While some others give the credit to Mahatma Phule (1828-90) or to SM Mate (1886-57).
KADAL attempts to be a meeting place for scholars and
researchers, writers, translators who are involved in
the study of Adivasi and Dalit literature in their sociological
framework. Katha's interest in India 's oral traditions
goes back to its inception in 1989. As and
when we have been able to find them, we have translated
and published Adivasi and contemporary Dalit stories.
In 1994, under the aegis of a grant from the Government
of India, Department of Education, Katha conducted a
small survey collecting narratives in Bangla, Hindi
(Bhojpuri, Chattisgarhi and Maithili), Tamil and Telugu.
In 1998, Katha chanced upon a Kunkna Dangi Adivasi story
from Gujarat . This story received the first Katha Award
for Oral Literature, as it had never been recorded before.
And In October 1999 Katha organized a two-day seminar
on, Dalit Writing: Reading , Writing, Re-writing
, coordinated by Dr. Vanamala Vishwanathan, Bangalore
University . OBJECTIVES: To research, record and
bring to a wider audience Dalit and Adivasi oral histories
and folk tradition. To receive and to understand Dalit
literature afresh. And, to enable us to meet the above
objectives, to build a Memory Bank
for oral literatures from Dalit and Adivasi communities.
The centre will include research and resource development
in subjects that will include narratives and ethnomusicology.
In seeking to translate Adivasi and Dalit oral traditions
and regional literature, Katha hopes to have the participation
of Adivasi and Dalit people, in this process of compilation,
documentation of the literary and visual cultures from
India .
THE SCOPE : To document the oral stories/histories/herstories of Dalits and Adivasis; research, collect and where possible translate. Presently, only a few are as well known as Baluta by Daya Pawar, Athvaninche Pakshi by Professor PE Sonkamble and Upara by Laxman Mane. We need to bring to our knowledge other autobiographies that are equally remarkable. We would also like to know more about works by women writers like Shantabai Kamble, Kumud Pawde, Mukta Sarvagod and Babytai Kamble and evolve not only an appropriate English for translating such narratives, but also actively work to foster an appreciation of the literatures of the Dalits and the Adivasis. To do this, inter alia -
- To link with other Dalit and Adivasi literature centres
- To build a space for researchers, scholars and writers to share ideas and work out proactive ways in which the collected materials can be disseminated further - through seminars, discussions, workshops.
- To identify and translate with a view to publication, Dalit and Adivasi literatures, starting with their oral offerings.
We hope to initiate an intellectual and social discourse on Adivasi and Dalit literature and culture through a network of like-minded people.
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