An Unanswered People Edited by Kanji Patel

An Unanswered People

An Anthology of Contemporary Adivasi Poetry from India : Editor Kanji Patel

This is a collection of poems by citizens of Earth. These are people who consider themselves citizens of Earth much before being citizens of cities, states or nations. They live their lives and compose poetry in the same way. These poems are expressions of love for nature and cries and warnings against those who try to destroy it. It is as if citizens of Earth are calling for saving their Earth. Apart from the voices of prayer and love in these poems, if there is also a voice of resistance, then at its root also is compassion. They are not engaged in the endeavor of creating a new world, they are endeavoring to save the Earth, trees, plants, animals, birds, human relations in their beauty. In these poems, the plant of beauty has grown and is flourishing on the land of compassion.
-Udayan Vajpeyi

Humans came much later. They saw an endless flow in nature. Due to this intermingling, primitive poetry germinated in the mind. This is ‘tribal poetry’. Its first blossom was perhaps a melodious song, presented with a group with dance and music, a fundamental part of tribal life in the company of trees, rivers, the earth and the sky… The voices against oppressions get mixed in this poetry. Tribals call it the literature of ancestors or Purkhauti. The voice of resistance heard in a Baiga Karma song:
The four pegs are roaming around for eighty-four,
In honor of the vultures,
Where the royal family is sitting;
Saw the mountains of horses, the attic of camels.
Saw the paw of the elephant,
They are fighting.
The royal family is sitting on the throne.
There are piles of dead bodies. On top of them the king is sitting on his throne. There are mountains of dead horses and camels. Severed legs of elephants are lying there. The king is sitting on the throne. This voice of the Baiga tribals telling the horrifying story that the Baigas have not forgotten even today in this 150 year old song. Will anyone listen to the heartbreaking pains of the deprived, helpless tribals?
-Vasant Nirgune