A six year pilgrimage … a late post!

Pilgrimage is bearing witness—to an intangible presence in places or objects we call sacred. It is an interaction with that which is marked as hallowed. The goal of pilgrimage is to establish a connection, a union with that presence.

With these words I opened a presentation in Nicosia, Cyprus, in December, 2016. They are in many ways a reflection of the pilgrimage I’m on with adivaani, bearing witness to a presence I experience everyday, with every interaction, every creation, with my brethren and collaborators, borne out of a collective memory and history and shared heritage.

A pilgrimage for us is then a celebration of life and all that sustains it; and most of it may not even require arduous travel or movement outside of our immediate surroundings.

Our work at adivaani is manifested from this aura emanating from the love of my people and forms the bedrock of what we do and believe in.

Mid 2017 marked 5 years of our being and despite still being the same small operation when we started off, working from the same space—home, not being able to scale up, we’re in no way discouraged or disheartened; if anything we’re just as resolute when we first began, if not more to keep doing, exploring and blaze the trail.

We thank you for your kindness and continued support thus far and hope the relationship we’ve formed will grow in strength.

Highlights from the time gone by:

• 5 March 2017–Keynote address and panelist on Marginalised Publishing at Dalit and Tribal Studies and Action Academic Seminar On Social Business Innovators &
the Empowerment of Dalits and Tribes Organised by Centre for Social Justice and Governance, School of Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
• 7–8 March 2017: Conducted Dalit and Tribal Studies and Action Academic Writing Workshop for Scholars Engaging on Adivasi/Tribal Issues Organised by Centre for Social Justice and Governance School of Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
• 16 December: 2017, Keynote Speaker, Tribal Literature Festival, The Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS), Bhopal.
• 18 January 2018, Publishing Roundtable hosted by the Australian High Commission to meet Australian Publisher’s Delegation.
• 23 – 26 February 2018 at the Literaturhaus Zurich, Literaturhaus Zurich – Days of Indian Literature. Readings and discussions with Rahman Abbas, Urvashi Butalia, Ruby Hembrom, Meena Kandasamy, Namita Khare, Pankaj Mishra, Urmila Pawar, Sharad Sharma, Preti Taneja, Christian Weiss, Heinz Werner Wessler.