Utnoor Gondi Standardization Conference – Part 2

Every morning the shrine in the main hall is lit

 One of the most interesting things about this conference series is the building of a pan-Gond community. Under one name or another, the Gond people can be found across most of central India and yet it is not unusual for the participants here to say they have never met Gonds from elsewhere before. One guy from Andhra Pradesh even told me that before he went to the first conference in Delhi he had no idea there were even Gonds outside of his own State. In addition to the standardization work that is occurring here, these conferences also provide an opportunity for Gonds from all over India to meet and build relationships. 

Something that is stressed again and again by almost everyone here is the fear that the Gond people are losing touch with their own customs and community. The usual pattern for educated Gonds seems to be to enter the mainstream of Indian society and leave their societies behind. Here, at least, people who want to keep in touch with their roots can meet and make contacts.

Discussions on the lawn

In the long term, I guess, it will be this kind of networking – even as much as the finished Gondi dictionary itself – that will form the political resources that are required for the push for Gondi language recognition and rights. Alone and geographically isolated, it is difficult for people to act in meaningful way: together, there is much more scope for organisation. After these conferences finish hopefully all these guys will keep in touch and Gondi’s historic marginalization will gain some form of national voice.

Shushila Durve, Sharesingh Achala (Gond cultural activist), Professor Dr. KM Metry (Kannada University), Gedam Nagesh MP (Adilabad), Motiravan Kangale (Gond writer), Gulzar Singh Markam, President - Gondi Union Odisha, Madivi Nehru

In addition to the ongoing work of finalizing the Gondi variations in the dictionary, we also hosted a visit by some more esteemed guests. These included Adilabad MP Gedam Nagesh, who came to share his thoughts on Gond culture, and Professor KM Metry from Kannada University, an expert in Gondi language. He got a chance to sit down with Motiravan Kangale, a chronicler of Gond culture and big part of this standardization series, to discuss recent scholarly advances in the field of the Gondi script.

Professor Metry and Motiravan Kangale discuss the Gondi script

Today also gave us an opportunity to explore the complex we are holding the conference in. The Kumaram Bheem campus covers a vast area and includes a number of educational establishments and employment programmes run by the government. One of these is a silkworm farm. The worms are left to feed outside on special Mulberry trees until they spin a cocoon that is harvested and turned into silk. Wicked, eh?

A silkworm from the Kumaram Bheem complex silkworm farm