Urdu writers urged to give greater voice to tribal life
Chandra Bhan, representing the Delhi-based Sahitya Academy, said tribals were an integral part of the Indian cultural ethos. "Without tribals, the Indian national mosaic would not look the way it should be depicted," he said, adding that whatever little had been written "lacked originality as it was mostly second-hand." He expressed hope that a new generation of Urdu writers would address the gap by depicting the many dimensions of tribal life — from folk tales, music and paintings to qualities such as simplicity, love for nature and contentment despite limited opportunities.
Masoom Aziz Kazmi, a critic and historian of Urdu literature, concurred that both Urdu prose and poetry had failed to give due space to tribal themes. "Whatever little has been done in this respect has not been properly appreciated, propagated and documented," he said. Kazmi, a retired IG-rank police officer, cited the novel 'Hasrat-e-Tamir' by the late Akhtar Orainvi, praising its depiction of "different shades of tribal life including its simplicity, honesty, commitment, love for nature" and its portrayal of tribals as aspirational without being consumed by jealousy or greed.
Humayun Ashraf, former head of the Urdu department at Vinoba Bhave University, Hazaribag, said writings on tribal issues had not received due acknowledgement. He highlighted works by Sohail Azimabadi, Akhtar Orainvi, Iliyas Ahmad Gaddi, Zakia Mashhadi, Zaki Anwar, Perwez Hayat and Ahmad Saghir, and pointed out that gender parity and women's empowerment were often stronger among tribals than in other communities.
The seminar, titled "The reflection of tribal life and culture in Urdu literature, particularly Urdu fiction writing," was jointly organised by the Sahitya Academy — the apex body of Indian literature under the Union Ministry of Culture — and the postgraduate department of Urdu, Gaya College.
Abdul Hai, head of the postgraduate department of Urdu, delivered the vote of thanks while Gaya College vice-principal Bibha Singh presided over the inaugural session.
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