Jammu Mar 11: Minister for Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmed Rana, convened a meeting of tribal writers, poets and scholars to deliberate on measures for promotion of tribal literature, preservation of cultural heritage and documentation of traditional knowledge systems of tribal communities in the Union Territory.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Director Tribal Affairs, Dr Abdul Khabir, Chief Editor Gojri JKAACL, Dr. Javed Rahi, literary personality Hassan Parwaz, Chairman Gujjar Desh Charitable Trust (GDCT) Arshad Choudhary, besides other writers, poets, artists and cultural activists.
While chairing the meeting, Javed Rana appreciated the role played by tribal writers, poets and scholars in safeguarding the cultural identity of tribal communities. He said that the government remains committed to supporting initiatives aimed at documenting and promoting tribal culture, literature and traditional knowledge systems.
The Minister emphasized that the Tribal Research Institute (TRI) J&K will continue to serve as a key platform for research, documentation and intellectual engagement related to tribal communities and encouraged writers and scholars to actively collaborate with the institute in taking forward cultural and literary initiatives.
Abdul Khabir shared the institutional initiatives being undertaken by the Tribal Affairs Department for documentation, research and promotion of tribal culture and literature.
During the meeting, discussions were held on strengthening literary activities among tribal communities and providing institutional support to writers working in tribal languages. The participants emphasized the importance of preserving the rich cultural and intellectual traditions of tribal communities in Jammu and Kashmir.
Participants further proposed promoting cultural expressions such as theatre, drama, films and documentaries based on tribal themes to bring tribal narratives and lived experiences to a wider audience.
