VIJAYAWADA: Kumara Lingu, an octogenarian from Chunchu village of Adilabad district in Telangana, is the last person from the Gond community to professionally play the instrument ‘Mettela Kinnera’. He says he does not want his sons and grandsons to continue with the tradition because the art form has lost its sheen.
Speaking to TNIE, Kumara Lingu said, “Mettela Kinnera has three ‘boras’ (trumpets) and it varies from the ‘Pannendu Mettela Kinnera’, because the latter has only two ‘boras’. At times, I feel sad that the art is ending with me, but in reality, it has no life as nobody seems to be bothered about it. I cannot expect my son or grandson to earn a decent living if they take it up as their profession.”
Just like Kumara Lingu, many tribals are keeping their children away from the traditional art forms that were discussed on the first day of the two-day seminar on tribal literatures in the Telugu-speaking states, organised by Sahitya Akademi in Vijayawada on Saturday.
Artists from the Telugu-speaking states discussed the problems in continuing to have professional association with dying art forms. On the first day, expressions of tribal women, tribal mythologies and tribal songs were discussed. Groups of tribal people from Adilabad and Srikakulam came to the seminar to perform their traditional art forms. A dance group from Srikakulam performed Savara Thongseng Dance, a tribal gyration of the region.
Speaking at the seminar, Sahitya Akademi Secretary K Sreenivasa Rao said that the State governments should ensure that ‘girijan’ literature and customs are safeguarded. “Adivasi literature can be considered an ancestor to the present day literature,” he said.
He said that each tribal society had a rich literary heritage. “Several unrecognised languages are facing the threat of extinction. In fact, there are numerous languages that the tribals speak, which have no script at all. Modern day youth are not even aware of them. As many as 30 tribal sects are present in both the Telugu-speaking states, and it is the responsibility of the state governments to safeguard their literature, language, and dialects.”
Renowned writer and Sahitya Academy awardee for the year 2018, K Enoch, said that the tribals and tribal literature world over could even be treated as historical research materials.
“The tribals in Telugu-speaking states are originally from the Dravidian sect and they taught us many things which we are following till date. The rangoli that we put in front of our houses, the Ayurvedic medicine, the kalamkari art, and many other things have been taken from tribal traditions. However, we never acknowledge them. Instead, we are destroying their tradition in the name of civilization and development.” As even established languages are facing extinction today, it is high time state governments come up with concrete plans to protect all literature, he added.
Deputy Speaker of Andhra Pradesh, Mandali Buddha Prasad, was the chief guest of the seminar. Department of Language and Culture Director D Vizia Bhaskar, eminent folklore artist Bhakthavatsala Reddy, veteran tribal leader R S Dora and renowned Telugu writer Enoch also attended the seminar.