Symposium held on Gujarat tribal literature,culture

Discussing Gujarati novels on tribal culture,Jitendra Vasava,a lecturer at Adivasi Academy,Tejgadh said,“The adivasi has always been described as a figure of pity by mainstream writers. But there is a group of tribal writers,who,through their literature,are giving an answer to the questions raised on their identity. This is a phase of revolt for tribal writers,who are trying to showcase the tribes in the same light. It is only after this that the tribal writers can write about the beauty of their world.”

The symposium had writers,researchers and academicians from north Gujarat,Saurashtra,Charotar,Panchmahals,Dangs and various other tribal areas.

With the lack of proper documentation of tribal culture and literature,Vasava added,“In the present phase of Gujarati literature,the question is not how the modern people look at members of tribal community but what the latter think of the former. The tribals’ life is a clean slate in the face of globalisation and it is interesting to see how they are adapting to modernisation,which is changing their life and culture.”