Q1 of 15 Page 173

Discuss the following in pairs or in groups of four

‘It is time to realise that unless we modify the established notion of literature as something written, we will silently witness the decline of various Indian oral traditions.’

Literature should no longer be considered as something written. It is necessary that we remind ourselves that any depiction with a meaning, whether written or not, should constitute as literature. A failure to do so, as G.N. Devy said, will lead to a silent decline of Indian oral traditions. The numerous tribes and their oral compositions will be lost in our stubborn attempt to limit literature to something written.


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4

List the distinctive features of the tribal arts.

 5

‘New literature’ is a misnomer for the wealth of the Indian literary tradition. How does G.N. Devy explain this?

 2

Discuss the following in pairs or in groups of four

‘Tribal arts are not specifically meant for sale.’ Does this help or hamper their growth and preservation?

 3

Discuss the following in pairs or in groups of four

Because India’s tribal communities are basically bilingual there is a danger of dismissing their languages as dialects of India’s major tongues.