Source: TH
Context:
The Union government’s new translation initiative for tribal languages has enabled the publication of Anuvad, a Hindi collection of Bhil folk tales from Madhya Pradesh. The e-booklet will be made available on the Tribal Affairs Ministry’s Adi Vaani website and app.
Bhil Tribe:
- One of India’s oldest tribal communities, name derived from Dravidian word billu/villu (bow).
- The largest tribes in India, according to the 2011 Census, are the Bhil tribe, followed by the Gond tribe and the Santhal tribe.
- Habitats: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar; smaller populations in Tripura, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand.
- Culture: Patriarchal yet community-centric, rich oral traditions, folk tales, music, theatre, and worship of local/natural deities.
Adi Vaani Platform:
- Launched by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs for translation between Adivasi languages and Hindi/English.
- Currently supports Gondi, Bhili, Mundari, and Santali; support for Kui and Garo planned.
- Available on Android and iOS with a feedback mechanism for improving accuracy.
- Developed as a cost-effective, frugal innovation using linguistic data from State Tribal Research Institutes.
