So, finally someone in Delhi. As of today, you can buy adivaani’s books here:
People Tree
8,Regal Building,
Parliament street,
New Delhi -01
Ph: 011-23744877
People Tree, Delhi
Reply
Booksy.in feature on adivaani
Having launched an ambitious venture, adivaani is grappling with the realities of the industry’s stereotypes and the challenges it poses for the start-up publisher, the chief of which is Distribution.
Read the rest at Booksy.in
A publisher and his genes… Luis and our Indiegogo campaign
Dear all,
I had a great grandmother from Sicily and a grandmother from the Basque country. Someone told me I have Chinanteco blood (a very old indigenous people) from my dad’s side of the family … but it doesn’t count, I was raised by my mom’s loving family. So it must be the Basque genes; and that’s why I’ve always been hooked onto travels and indigenous peoples (Basques ARE one.)
The book part is easier: as a child, I found more fun in their company. I was taken away by them to the North Pole, the Caribbean … the Malaysian sea. Adventures were more interesting than school, classmates. They were more interesting than getting to understand why my dad left, why were we poor … until I found books providing the help to understand and answer my own life, the lives of my classmates (as poor as I was, sad like me sometimes).
Anyway, I’m writing this letter not just to explain to you why I’m here, with Ruby and Joy. Or who I am. This letter aims to explain why we do books, and dream wide awake of re tooling history, culture and even the colonial heritage … but, again, that’s a long way from having a Basque grandma in Mexico–who was a racist and hated indigenous people–to India, the adivasis (literally, the first settlers) and adivaani’s time machine:
A time machine for Adivasis
Guilt? Rage? Love? Maybe a little of all those things, but I’ll tell you more: I was 13 when I realized almost none of my classmates would make it to college … but they were not stupid. So I could not understand it: they were poor as I was, and some even better students. They were just talented sensible kids with not too many choices in life.
Helped mostly by common sense (and my own set of genes) I understood there were some things in life that had to be set right. Ok, later on I learned those things should be set right by them, I mean, the people … no need for superheroes, just hard working guys.
In Bolivia, ‘adopted’ by the Aymara, I also learned they had millenial traditions worth to be preserved, guarded, shared respectfully. Like their ancient techniques to dehydrate food or their amazing way to reach consensus in their own way of politics. Mixe, Yukpa, Kharia and Santal peoples have their own as well. All of them have been colonized and harassed for centuries. Their chances to survive in these times rely on their cultures, re tooled and re furnished (so what?)
Back to adivaani, we don’t have the money to print books. The adivasis need support as anybody else and more: indigenous peoples produced most of the practical knowledge to live than we have as a humankind.
Putting some money here is easy. Just don’t buy that latte or that salmon bagel today. I mean, none of our books price is over 4 US dollars. And they are good. So, please, if you have to use your credit card, can I offer you an alternative to Barista or Num Pang? Can you not purchase the last Murakami and help adivaani print some creation stories?
A time machine for Adivasis
I feel sad we only raised 120 dollars in two months (thanks to some great friends.) And I’m almost sure we will not raise 5,000 in less than 20 days … but please put some chips here, you will be placing it on the right bet … we will thank you with all our genes in the near future. Promise!
In hope,
Luis A. Gómez
Our Indiegogo campaign: Joy’s letter to his daughter
To my loving daughter Khushi,
You are only 4.5 years young and I am writing to you; for you to understand what your Papa does, about why there are cartons of books around the house and why my phone conversations and other interactions with people revolve around adivaani. Papa is building a ‘time machine’; the adivaani time machine for Adivasis; for us and for our people to travel to the past and carry the adivasi legacy we left behind to the present and the future. Beta let me explain: I started this new place of ‘work’ called adivaani in July 2012 partnering with Ruby and Luis (Remember Luis brought you a handmade arawak toy from Mexico and you have added it to your friend’s circle since then).
We are making books; and through them we want to reclaim our identity in our own terms. Super excited we produced our first ever book in Santali in the month of October 2012. With no proper sales guidelines and strategy we set out. We missed out few occasions where we could have sold our books but such are the challenges of a new venture.
By this time I had already shifted to Pakur, our home: you will not realize this as you see me far too often than when I was in Ranchi. Your mom used to scare me saying that one day you’d fail to recognize me because of my being away from home most of the times. Thank you for proving her wrong.
The start of 2013 was exciting for adivaani as we were busy producing two books together. One is Gladson’s (Remember we went for his wedding and you had a good time playing around). The other you love to look at and make me tell you the story of the geese again and again. Come February the 7th 2013 and we had a terrific launch of the two books at the New Delhi World Book Fair.
Way back in September 2009, when you were only 11 months young, I was in Edinburgh, Scotland on an official visit. Rev. Andrew Anderson, the then presiding Priest of the Greenside Church had invited me to speak on a Sunday morning service about the situation of our people in India. In his introductory remarks, he introduced me as the first person he has known in his lifetime that has his daughter named after him. Khushi (Joy in Hindi); your mom loves me for this, what about you?
‘If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door’…I’ve just re-tweeted this a few days ago copied from an online friend, who by the way also happens to like our posts on adivaani’s website. That’s why the time machine is important.Beta, I am building a time machine and I feel I’m running out of time and resources. Our passion alone cannot drive this time machine, we need fuel, and we need the support of everyone. I am worried and often wonder how we will make it. Then I look at you and when you play and make me laugh, I feel alive again. You inspire me. It’s for you and adivasi children like you that the adivaani time machine wants to preserve this cultural legacy. I do believe and hope that this ‘work’ of ours will fulfill the potential it has.
Your grandpa has donated a part of our house in Pakur to be used as the adivaani bookstore. I am so overwhelmed with his gesture and support. He extended his support without us even asking, and that humbles me. But we need to reach out to everyone and tell everyone who we are what we want to do and how we need their backing.
So we started an online fundraising campaign called ‘A time machine for Adivasis: documenting and tooling our history’on indiegogo in March 2013 to have them support our venture:
A time machine for Adivasis
We’ve been blessed with the response we got; a few people donated money, some want to write about us and some want to keep our books in their library. That’s wonderful! We sincerely hope our campaign succeeds.
March 2013 also had adivaani written about for the first time in Tehelka.
I feel extremely honored to be in the company of such wonderful people who believe in adivaani and us. adivaani and the promise of what it can do is the inheritance I proudly leave for you and adivasi children everywhere.
This is the first ever letter written to you; the first letter of your life. From now on, you have a confirmed seat in our ‘time machine’, just beside me.
With everlasting love and best wishes,
Papa
adivaani on FB and Twitter
Tehelka feature on adivaani!
In their own words
by Ajachi Chakrabarty
Time machine. That’s how Hembrom looks at her nascent attempt at creating a publishing house for India’s indigenous population: a time machine that documents Adivasi history and culture, fundamentally an oral tradition, before they are forgotten in the wake of modernity.
Read the rest in this week’s Tehelka and in their website as well…
Our Indiegogo campaign: The adivaani time machine needs your help
Dear All,
So the adivaani ideator is in trouble. The idea behind making books for and by Adivasis was to challenge every misconstrued notion about us. Also, and more importantly, adivaani is a response to the indigenous peoples of India’s identity being threatened, ignored, misrepresented and supressed. The problem is we can’t do it alone.
We’re 3 books old now and we’ve got a lot of attention, expectations and responsibility. Along with the accolades, came requests and suggestions for our books. ‘We love your books.’ ‘We haven’t seen this quality in Santali publishing before.’ ‘Your books are priced well.’ ‘Your books are telling our story.’ ‘Can you do our creation stories too?’ ‘Can we have the Santal Creation story in Hindi?’
I’m elated with the response and thrilled with the promise of what we can do. With the first sale and surge in book sales and the first bookstores willing to source our books in Ranchi and Kolkata, the excitement just grew.
The second book of the Santal Creation Stories for children is ready for print and the third is in the pipeline, the Santali folklore book is also ready, and Gladson is finishing his second book in English. That is certainly to be celebrated. However they are all on hold now–waiting to be printed and I can’t actually take them to the press. What a pity!
And with that come sleepless nights, worries and utter helplessness. It’s not easy to build a time machine, which does more than time travel. It actually documents and tools adivasi history. Not only will we go back in time to rescue what we forgot to bring into the present, we’ll ensure everything preserved move with every generation of adivasis into the future.
So the idea churner is churning out idea after idea after idea–quite exhilarating but I’m beginning to think, have I bitten off more than I can chew? I’m just a regular working-class Adivasi girl, trying to make ends meet, with a treasure of an idea.
Sometimes I think of giving up. But the enormity of what adivaani and its time machine could do keeps the passion alive. I not only realize what we can and must do, but that it has to be done now. We are in a hurry. We refuse to be a forgotten peoples.
I really want our books to go from being on hold to being available for your reading pleasure and our time machine to take off. So I really am in trouble and want you to bail us out.
Will you?
Please donate at:
A time machine for Adivasis
Indiegogo (Click)
It’s a simple 3 step process. You can use your debit, credit or paypal account to donate from wherever you are. It doesn’t matter how much you contribute, we will be grateful for it.
Please spread the word of our online fundraising campaign by forwarding this message, liking our campaign on Facebook and Tweeting about it.
We need to get 5,000 USD in 60 days … we only have 30 days before the campaign closes and we’re only at 25 USD. That’s disheartening! The countdown has begun.
In hope,
Ruby Hembrom
Where to buy our books
Order our books online at:
http://www.earthcarebooks.com/
Or walk into these very special bookstores in Kolkata, Ranchi, Delhi and Odisha and find us there.
················
Kolkata: West Bengal
Earthcare Books
10 Middleton Street
Kolkata-700071
West Bengal
Phone: 33 22296551 / 22276190
Email: earthcarebooks@gmail.com
Website : www.earthcarebooks.com
………….
Ranchi: Jharkhand
Adivasi Concerns Trust
B.I.R.S.A. Mines Monitoring Centre
Abilasha Apartments, 11 A Purulea Road
Ranchi 834001
················
New Delhi
People Tree
8, Regal Building
Parliament Street New Delhi-01.
Phone:011 23744877
……………
Odisha
Walking BookFairs
Khandagiri, Housing Board Colony, Phase I, HIG -34.
AMRI Hospital Road.
Bhubaneswar
Odisha 751030
We’re still working on some more deals for you to have easy access to our books… so stay around, we’ll announce more places soon.
Books Released at the Delhi World Book Fair
Gallery
This gallery contains 9 photos.
Press coverage: Amitav Ghosh ‘Tweets’ adivaani release
Writer Amitav Ghosh had posted a tweet on Gladson Dungdung’s new book.
Press coverage: ‘It’s time Adivasis wrote, spoke about their anguish’
In 1980, one-year-old Gladson Dungdung and his family were displaced from their agricultural land for the construction of Kelaghat dam in Jharkhand and pushed into the forests of Simdega, where Dungdung’s father was arrested on allegations of felling trees. Ten years later, Dungdung’s parents, during another land struggle, were murdered.
In his book, ‘Whose country is it anyway?’ Dungdung writes, “The Kelaghat dam was constructed with the aim of irrigating land in Simdega block. Three villages, Bernibera, Bara Barpani, and Budhratoli, were submerged and it affected 3,500 people. Currently, the water reaches only one village — Meromdega.”
The book published by Adivaani and launched on Thursday at the Delhi World Book Fair by Himanshu Kumar, Swami Agnivesh and Felix Padel, is Gladson Dungdung’s attempt to tell the story of his people and their struggle.
Press coverage: Tribal ministers have become slaves of their seniors
Ministers who need to raise issues of tribals in Parliament “become slaves” of senior ministers and forget about the “rights of Adivasis”, Swami Agnivesh on Thursday claimed.
“All those who are elected as ministers to represent tribals in the Parliament to fight for their rights and atrocities committed upon them, themselves become slaves of big ministers and forget about the rights of Adivasis,” he said after releasing a book titled ‘Whose Country is it Anyway?’ written by Gladson Dungdung, a human rights activist of Jharkhand, at the World Book Fair here.
A review by Felix Padel On Gladson’s new book
The book’s documentation of the many forms of violence and prejudice ranged against Adivasis fills a vital gap in literature. The detail is often sickening and will make any sane person extremely angry. It is shown how Adivasis are being displaced by dams, by industrial/mining projects, by continuing tricks of non-Adivasis
Tehelka Interview with Gladson Dungdung
Video
Debate on adivasis, politics and Gladson’s new book
Our Author: A brief interview with Gladson Dungdung
Gladson Dungdung is a noted human rights activist, writer and motivator. He is not far removed from the realities of exploitation and struggles that he writes, talks and fights against. He too is a victim of displacement, who’s suffered since his childhood. His family’s agriculture land was submerged in a dam and his parents were assassinated in 1990 while dealing with the conflict of their land. He started his studies under a tree in the government run primary schools and also completed high school at Simdega, but was not able to get admission in college as he didn’t have Rs. 250. Finally, between working as a daily wage labourer and finding other means to sustain himself, he migrated, joined the land rights movement and also managed to complete his postgraduate in human rights.
Gladson Dundung’s new book
He also underwent an internship in Public Advocacy from the National Centre for Advocacy Studies, Pune, where he also learnt English and did a research on the ‘Impact of forest policies on the Adivasis of Orissa’.
Though Whose country is it anyway? is his first book in English he has authored the Hindi book Ulgulan Ka Sauda, co-edited another one–Nagri Ka Nagara–and edited the Jharkhand Human Rights Report 2001-2011. He has written more than 200 articles on the issues of Indigenous People’s rights, displacement, land alienation, human rights and social change. He is pioneer in the human rights movement in Jharkhand, undertaken the fact findings of 500 cases of human rights violations. He has also trained more than 3,000 professionals on human rights including police officers, lawyers, journalists, teachers, doctors, psychiatrists, elected representatives and social activists.
He is presently working as the General Secretary of the Jharkhand Human Rights Movement and is also a member of the Assessment and Monitoring Authority in Planning Commission (Government of India).
We had this little chat with him on writing and politics, adivasis and new projects…
In your book, you thank your wife partially because she always reminds you that you have to write… why do you have to write? What’s the core function of writing in your life?
My wife is also a freelance journalist thus she not only reads my articles (Hindi) as a reader but as someone who writes. She is aware about my capacity to write, my understanding of the subject and my passion to work for and with my community. She believes that I can create impact and bring about change in the society through my writings. The writing has facilitated the exposing of discrimination, exploitation, killings, rapes, police atrocities and what not. Though writing is my passion but it has also established my name in the public domain especially because every one of my writings is based on hardcore experiences. In fact writing has changed my life.
Whose country is it anyway? is a book about abuse and resistance, but it is mostly a book depicting a historic conflict between Adivasi peoples and the upper castes and ruler classes of this country called India. Tell us, how do you envision the end of this conflict if at all?
Since, the Adivasis are the Indigenous Peoples of India therefore, they should be recognized as India’s first citizens and a special law should be enforced to that effect. The Indian State should enforce the Constitutional provisions for Adivasis, protective laws and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. If these are enforced on the ground as provisions have been made then things will definitely change.
Looking at how some groups of leftist rebels become rogues, and how the impunity of the Police and the military persists, how can one stand politically in India today? Is the Left-Right paradigm still useful as a scheme of the political scenario?
I believe that in the fight of the Left-Right the Adivasis are the losers. They have been losing their lands, forests, water, minerals and people as well (so many Adivasis are being killed in either sides of the guns and so many are behind bars). Therefore, we should resist to ending the conflict by enforcing the Indian Constitution, Laws and Policies.
If you please can write a little about your next book projects.
I have been working on two more books – one on the war for minerals and another on the how the Adivasis are being betrayed in the name of growth and development. These two books would expose the ground realities of growth, development, displacement, mining and India’s war against its own people.
Our Artist: A brief interview with Boski Jain
According to her Blogspot profile, Boski Jain is a ‘graphic designer by degree’ but she also likes ‘to illustrate too.’ Hailing from Bhopal, Boski’s career is actually more than that, and her talents go far beyond her modest declaration of craft and proficiency.
Now 24, this young artist had already published work in a collective book by Katha and has two more fully illustrated by her over the last two years (The Mistery of Blue by Tullika Books and Ek Do Dus by Eklavya.) We come from the Geese is her first of (hopefully) many works with adivaani, where she already designed our logo and was part of the process that brought us to life last year …
All the animals you create look like wonderful baroque pieces. Instead of fur, feathers, shells or scales, you come with lines, (fabric like) patterns and dots… tell us why? Is there a way to represent not only diversity but movement too?
My inspiration and ideas come from the variety of tribal arts and crafts in India, particularly the ones present in Madhya Pradesh as I have been living here and have been exposed to these more. Fabric like and block print like patterns come from them. They are bold and the perspective of the figures is simplified, hence the style can be beautifully adopted for a story for children.
Is creating illustrations with somebody else’s script difficult for you? Do you feel constrained as an artist?
I am not a writer (not so far). In my 2 years old career as an illustrator, I have only worked on scripts written by others and I have enjoyed doing so thoroughly. Picture books are picture driven hence I enjoy a certain degree of freedom.
What did you find most challenging to illustrate in the Santal Creation Stories? Why?
For me the worst and the best part about Santal creation stories is that I had never heard them before. It was the best because I got the chance to work on something unusual and hence I could use all of my imagination to visualize how the frames would look. The best part also includes working with editors who have placed their trust in me and have given me a lot of freedom. The most challenging part was to visualize and pictorially translate presence of certain supreme beings that are ‘shapeless, formless and inexplicable’, and yet make them comprehensible for children.
These stories have been carried through from generation to generation and maybe are being published as illustrated books for the first time. Hence there was also a question constantly at the back of my head about meeting the expectations of the ones who ‘own’ these and who have been narrating them for a long time.
By the way, you worked on We come from the Geese mixing digital with drawings and tint … is there a particular method to your work or is it just an intuitive way?
The method for working really depends upon each frame. Usually each element is individually worked upon by hand and then they are arranged digitally to make a composition.
Any new project coming soon?
I’m planning to work on more books for children. Also, I’d like to work on those books which do not begin with a story but begin with a piece of art that sets the stage for the story to follow.
adivaani goes to Delhi 2
Image
adivaani goes to Delhi
Gladson Dungdung’s Book Release on February 7
Santal: Announcing the launch of our first book
The art of book making is a lot like baking. The ingredients and batter for cup cakes and cakes remain the same; it’s only the mould that differs. And once the moulds have been put into the oven, it’s a matter of experience and practice that decides the outcome of the bakes. “It smells divine, but has it risen, has it cooked through?” There’s only so much one can do, the rest has to be taken in faith and hope like hell it turns out alright.
That’s how it was with our first book. First time bakers were trying their hand at catering for a wedding for 1000 invitees. The recipe we were using was of a Mexican patisserie chef. After carefully obtaining the ingredients, the process of preparing the batter started. A portion of manuscript, three parts of typing it out in a unique font, three portions of editing and proofreading, and a pinch of author intervention and we were almost ready. Choosing the mould was easy, we decided on paperback, 8 x 5 inches. While giving the batter a good mix, I started thinking of the icing, a gloss finish laminate covering maybe perfect. We were able to contact the Mexican patisserie chef for last minute advise; he said, “Don’t forget to add love, your personal touch”.
Once the mixture for the batter had been transferred to the moulds we headed to the bakery. At the bakery the baker had his apprehensions with the distinctive batter; he tasted the batter and commented on never having used our font before and he also looked strangely at the icing. Once we were able to deconstruct the font and icing for him, he seemed comfortable. But we were tense; could we do this together, in time?
Everything was ready; one didn’t want the baker not letting us load the cupcakes on the baking tray at this stage. The guests at the wedding had to be fed after all. Taking the greatest leap of faith we watched our cup cakes slide into the oven. They smelt lovely, but would they rise, would they cook through, would they burn, would they overcook, were questions running through our minds. But I guess the love we put in should more than make up for any unwarranted miscalculations. We are ready to plate up and serve. Are you ready to taste, to savor and to relish? Bon Appétit!
About Santal
This book walks us through the entity of the Santals as an indigenous people, their being, their lifestyle and their belief system.
An exegetical study of the creation narratives has been made and shows that the Santals are a non-idol worshipping theist people. This book explores how their ancient belief system has stood the test of time; where it struggles to retain its authenticity, where it has had to transform and how people who have embraced a mainstream religion strive to maintain a balance between the two.
Our author
Rev. Dr. Timotheas Hembrom has over 40 years of Theological teaching experience and is an ordained Priest of the Church of North India. He has taught at Chera Theological College, Cherrapunji, Bishop’s College, Kolkata, Gossner Theological College, Ranchi and The Santal Theological College, Benagaria. He’s a second generation Christian and educated Santal, and wears many hats. He’s a writer, editor, singer-musician, and songwriter. He’s been the editor of the Santali monthly magazine Jug Sirijol published by the Santali Cultural and Literary Society, Kolkata, for over 30 years, and continues writing for them. He’s had the accomplishment of recording Santali Christmas songs and Santali Christmas messages for the All India Radio for about 10 years.
This book is a reflection of his love for words and language, and what he is at the core, a Santal and a Theologian.
***
Book specs:
Language: Santali
Script: Roman Santali
ISBN 978-81-925541-0-5
Size: 8”x 5”, Paperback.
Pages: 168
Price: Rs. 160 · 5 USD (plus shipping expenses)
***
Place your requests for copies at:
Phone: 9831520400
Address:
adivaani
Tulip Apartments
29 A, Ismail Street
4th Floor
Kolkata-14
West Bengal
India
The Story Behind Our Logo
A note from February, 2014:
One of the geese looks to the past and one to the future and that’s what adivaani stands for in the present—we are trying to preserve ourselves and the deep and ancient roots that link us to our earth and our ancestors for generations to come.
Ruby Hembrom
I believe not everyone is meant to do just one thing in life, I certainly am not. My 8 years of work experience in the Legal field, the Service Industry, the Social Development Sector and the Learning, Research, Development and Instructional Designing field bears testimony to this fact.
My education, training, skills and career define only part of who I am; my identity as a tribal, a Santal, is fundamental to my being and that completes who I am.
But is that enough? Life for me is about fulfilling one’s potential. In the many ways I’ve redefined who I am; the adivaani dream has made me come alive all over again. So what is the adivaani story?
2nd of April, 2012 found me trading four months of my life to learning a new skill. I attended a course on publishing to explore the possibilities of what I could do with my love for Language, the written word and stories. The course would just be an extension of what I was already doing.
In the first month there I met many fascinating storytellers in batch mates and resource persons from the publishing world and heard lots of stories firsthand. And two stories I heard planted an idea in my head that finally made me see why I was at the course.
Listening to Urvashi Butalia and S. Anand’s stories of what their publishing houses embodied got me thinking. While their story unfolded bit by bit I was bothered by a thought: both of them were sharing specific issue related stories through books that were important to be told, but there were some stories that still needed to be told–the Adivasi stories. Even the list of publishing experts we were to meet; had no Adivasi representation and that got me more concerned. Were we not important enough to be included or were we non-existent in the publishing world (this was not true as we do publish in our native regional languages).
I was consumed by the burning desire for ‘our’ stories to be out there. Who would tell them? Soon enough I saw I wanted to tell them. But I didn’t know how. I didn’t write and I had no plan, but all I knew was that the tribal voice had to be heard; the authentic Adivasi story had to be told.
That idea and the possibilities of what could happen through it filled my waking and sleeping hours. The more I thought and talked about it, it became clear how I had been living a half-life until then.
Next to come is the christening story. We need a name I thought; I don’t want to keep calling it an idea anymore.
In a mock exercise at the school we were to draw up publishing house ideas and I absolutely loved the name ‘Inkdia’ and the logo that one team came up with. So I walk up to the leader of the team, Shyamal, and ask him if the name is copy right, ‘yes’, he says. Shyamal directs me to Luis, who coined ‘Inkdia’ and designed the logo, with whom until then I had not had a real conversation. I shared my idea with him and won over a collaborator. He said he’d help with the logo, and that was just the start of his additions to my big idea. Soon we has Boski on board to work with the logo and our first few illustrated books. I was fortunate to have found my best collaborators in the course.
But I still didn’t have a name.
A little dejected I sit through the session, toying with ideas for names. I try playing around with letters around the word tribal and Adivasi and Voilá! the name as if by magic appears: adivaani, the Adivasi voice.
That’s how an idea became adivaani and adivaani became the fuel that keeps the dreamer and storyteller in me alive.
Who is adivaani
Ruby Hembrom
I believe not everyone is meant to do just one thing in life, I certainly am not. My 8 years of work experience in the Legal field, the Service Industry, the Social Development Sector and the Learning, Research, Development and Instructional Designing field bears testimony to this fact.
My education, training, skills and career define only part of who I am; my identity as a tribal, a Santal, is fundamental to my being and that completes who I am.
But is that enough? Life for me is about fulfilling one’s potential. In the many ways I’ve redefined who I am; the adivaani dream has made me come alive all over again. So what is the adivaani story?
2nd of April, 2012 found me trading four months of my life to learning a new skill. I attended a course on publishing to explore the possibilities of what I could do with my love for Language, the written word and stories. The course would just be an extension of what I was already doing.
In the first month there I met many fascinating storytellers in batch mates, school officials and resource persons from the publishing world and heard lots of stories firsthand. And two stories I heard planted an idea in my head that finally made me see why I was at the school.
Listening to Urvashi Butalia and S. Anand’s stories of what their publishing houses embodied got me thinking. While their story unfolded bit by bit I was bothered by a thought: both of them were sharing specific issue related stories through books that were important to be told, but there were some stories that still needed to be told–the Adivasi stories–and nobody was telling them. I was consumed by the burning desire for ‘our’ stories to be out there. Who would tell them? Soon enough I saw I wanted to tell them. But I didn’t know how. I didn’t write and I had no plan, but all I knew was that the tribal voice had to be heard; the authentic Adivasi story had to be told.
Two days of living with that idea, and going over the possibilities of what could happen all alone drove me crazy; I couldn’t contain the excitement any longer. 5th April, 2012, Good Friday, while getting dressed for Church, I make a phone call to Joy, my sounding board; and started the conversation in a way he was all too familiar with, “I have an idea”. That was it. No ‘not again’ reactions from him.
The more I thought about it and Joy and I talked about it, it became clear how we had been living halve-lives until then.
Next to come is the christening story. We need a name I thought; I don’t want to keep calling it an idea anymore.
In a mock exercise at the school we were to draw up publishing house ideas and I absolutely loved the name ‘Inkdia’ and the logo that one team came up with. So I walk up to the leader of the team, Shyamal, and ask him if the name is copy right, ‘yes’, he says. Shyamal directs me to Luis, who coined ‘Inkdia’ and designed the logo, with whom until then I had not had a real conversation. I shared my idea with him and won over a collaborator. He said he’d help with the logo, and that was just the start of his additions to my big idea.
But I still didn’t have a name.
A little dejected I sit through the session, toying with ideas for names. I try playing around with letters around the word tribal and Adivasi and Voilá! the name as if by magic appears: adivaani, the Adivasi voice.
That’s how an idea became adivaani and adivaani became the fuel that keeps the dreamer and storyteller in me alive.
Luis A. Gómez
I write, I design and sometimes I publish books. I’ve been a journalist for the last 25 years, and during my career I’ve had the privilege to work for/by/within the peoples in Latin America; particularly in Mexico–my motherland–and Bolivia, where I lived for 13 years. There, adopted by the Aymara people, I wrote a book about their community traditions and how they deployed them in warfare to win an insurrection in October 2003: It’s been the joy of my life to love hope, emancipation, and some other tender words, like solidarity and reciprocity.
Some day in March, 2012, I landed in Kolkata. Here, when Ruby asked me to help her in developing this idea she had and had shared with her friend Joy, my heart throbbed again. And I jumped into it: how electrifying was the prospect of using my hands and voice to create an independent press 100 percent Santali (yes, I would be grateful if along the way you call me one of you as well.) You know, I write and make books, mostly, because I love to chase dreams…
Come join us…
Boski Jain
A graphic designer by education—but that’s just one way of pegging her creative talent which is extraordinary and limitless; never ceasing to amaze. Her contribution to adivaani goes beyond the beautiful logo, the very artistic illustrated Santal Creation Stories series and every special project she undertakes for us. She’s adivaani’s pillar of innovation and ingenuity.
(A note by Ruby Hembrom from March, 2014)
About adivaani
Johar.
India is home to more than 84 million ‘Indigenous’ Peoples. Now, that’s an impressive figure and many a tribal would be overwhelmed by that number. But what else is known about us? An entry on the internet or a read in a book would throw up a stereotypical romanticized tribal lifestyle. More often than not we wonder if that is who we really are, is all that’s written about us really true.
Adivasis have a distinct socio-political and cultural identity that makes them unique as a self-sufficient community. Adivasi music, songs and dances have only been limited to the opening and closing ceremonies of government and civil society functions in schools, hospitals, colleges etc.
The history of Adivasi struggles and culture has always been written by others, i.e. by the mainstream historians. They have largely manipulated, ignored and even neglected the contributions of the Adivasi heroes in the freedom struggle of India.
The Adivasis hold on to their cultural and historical heritage with great pride, however no documentation of this rich legacy has been made by themselves.
In view of the current ‘modernisation’ and industrialisation in India, it is feared that in the near future many folk, ceremonial and other ritual art forms of the Adivasis will disappear, and it won’t be incorrect to state that the traditional oral forms of storytelling is an endangered intangible culture.
adivaani is a response to this situation.
Are we content with what’s been written about us by others? What can we turn to when we want to read, know and study about authentic Adivasi culture, history, folklores, heroes and literature?
We want to create a database of Adivasi writing for and by Adivasis. We want to document the oral forms of storytelling and folklores and tell our stories of struggles, exploitation and displacement in our words.
We seek the participation of Adivasi contemporary writers, poets and researchers and anyone who feels for the Adivasi cause to help, preserve and amplify the Adivasi voice, the adivaani.
Our books are available at the following bookstores, with some of them having online sales channels as well. Happy Reading!
Bengaluru, Karnataka
Champaca Bookstore, Library & Cafe,
7/1 Edward Road,
Off Queens Road,
Bengaluru 560051
https://champaca.in/
Bhubaneshwar, Odisha
Walking BookFairs
751030 HIG -34, AMRI Hosp Road, Phase I, Kolathia, Khandagiri.
Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751030
Gangtok, Sikkim
Rachna Books
Opposite Manan Bhawan
Development Area
Gangtok 737101
Sikkim, INDIA
Goa
Margao
The Dogears Bookshop
Ground Floor, Adolfo Mansion
Rua Bernardo da Costa, Margao. Goa 403601
https://www.thedogearsbookshop.com/shop/
Panjim
Bookworm
Library House No. 127, Mala, Fontainhas, Panjim, Goa – 403001
Kolkata, West Bengal
Earthcare Books.
Earthcare bookstore, 10, Middleton St, near Maidan, Park Street area, Kolkata, West Bengal 700071
https://earthcarebooks.com/
New Delhi
May Day Bookstore and Café
2254/2A Shadi Khampur, New Ranjit Nagar, New Delhi 110008
https://mayday.leftword.com/catalogsearch/result/index/?q=adivaani&product_list_limit=36
Maharashtra
Mumbai
Kahani Tree
Industry Manor, Second Floor, A, Appasaheb Marathe Marg, above J. K. Banquet Hall, Prabhadevi, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400025
http://www.kahanitree.com/
Pune
Pagdandi Bookstore
CafeShop No.6 & 9, Regent PlazaBaner Pashan Link Road, BanerPune, Maharashtra 411045
adivaani 