Kurukh Writers / Writers from the Oraon or Kurukh Community
Writers from the Oraon or Kurukh community. (The community refers to itself as Kurukh; "Oraon" is an exonym). There are close to four million Kurukh people in India, most heavily concentrated in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, and Odisha. The Kurukh language is a Dravidian languages.
Grace Kujur. A poet and playwright from the Kurukh (exonym: Oraon/Uraon) community who writes in Hindi. A selection of her poems are included in Lokpriya Adivasi Kavitaein. (Read our author profile here)
Abhay Flavian Xaxa (1983-2020) A Kurukh scholar and poet from Chhattisgarh. Xaxa studied at JNU and the University of Sussex. Today he is best known for his poem, "I Am Not Your Data." However, some of his writings are also gathered in the collection Being Adivasi. (English Wikipedia)
Mahadev Toppo (1954- ): A Kurukh (exonym: Oraon/Uraon) writer who has written poetry, novellas, short stories and plays in Hindi. (Read our author profile here) (Our translation of his poem "I am a poet of the forest")
Ujjwala Jyoti Tigga (1960- ): A poet and blogger from the Kurukh (exonym: Oraon/Uraon) community who writes in Hindi and English. Her family is from Jharkhand, but relocated to Delhi, and she earned her Master's degree in Political Science from JNU. (Read our author profile here) (Our translation of her poem "Earth's Unnamed Warriors" originally published in the Kavi Man Jani Man anthology edited by Vandana Tete)
Jacinta Kerketta (1983-): A poet and journalist from the Kurukh (exonym: Uraon/Oraon) community who has been active in advocating for Adivasi communities in Jharkhand. She writes mainly in Hindi. (Read our author profile here) (Our translations of her poems "Care", "Can You Return?", and "Jamuni, Stop Yourself from Being Sold")
Dr. Francisca Kujur (1959- ): Kurukh/Oraon writer, poet and translator from the Gumla district in Jharkhand, who writes in Kurukh and Hindi. She has taught as a senior lecturer in the History Department at Vinoba Bhave University. She has published several books in these two languages, including Barcha Onta Ranph and Jharkhand Ond Najir, Udhiya Ra Pinjara Ta Maina (a Kurukh short story collection), as well as Musal (a Hindi short story collection).(Our translation of her poems "Just Think, Hira" and "Only Questions") (Hindi profile)
Jyoti Lakra (1976- ): Kurukh/Oraon writer and poet writing in Hindi from the Garhwa district in Jharkhand. Her work deals with themes of Adivasiyat, feminism, and resistance. She is also an artist currently pursuing an MFA at the University of East London. (Our translation of her poem "The Sal Tree has Fallen" and short story "Korain Duba" here) (LinkedIn profile)
Peter Paul Ekka (unknown- 2018): A Hindi writer from the Kurukh community in Jharkhand. He was trained as s chemist in Channai and Pune, and joined the Society of Jesis in 1973. He also studied at Marquette University in the USA before completing his Ph.D. at Ranchi University. (English obituary here) (Read his short story "Ve Chaar Varsh" or "Those Four Years" in Hindi here)
Shanti Khalkho (1963- ) is an Oraon/Kurukh writer from Jharkhand. In 1993, she completed a Ph.D. from Ranchi University on "The Direction of Cultural Change Among the Oraon Tribes." She publishes in both Hindi and Kurukh, and her writings have been broadcast on All-India Radio. She is the author of four books. A selection of her poems appeared in the anthology Kavi Man Jani Man. Our translation of her poem, "Green Jharkhand" is here.
Sikra Das Tirkey. (dates unknown) A Kurukh writer from the Khunti district in Jharkhand whose mother tongue is Mundari (since he was raised in a Mundari speaking region). He writes in both Mundari and Hindi. His published books include Bachandua An To Au, Jharkhand ke Adivasi aur Unke Gotra (The Adivasis of Jharkhand and Their Clans), Van Adhiniyam 2006 (Forest Act 2006 – translation), Mundari Lok Sahitya Mein Itihas (History in Mundari Folklore), and Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda (translated play). His short story "Baghjogni on a New Moon Night" appears in the Lokpriya Adivasi Kahaniya anthology.
Arun Kumar Oraon. (dates unknown) An Oraon / Kuruskh journalist who has written articles in Hindi and English for magazines such as Indian Currents and Countercurrents. He has written about the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill (2023) ("Grey Areas in Greenery") and the Citizenship Amendmant Act's impact on Adivasi communities (2020). Oraon has been associated with the Indian Social Institute, New Delhi as a research institute. He has also helped launch the "Baba Kartik Oraon Ratri Pathshala" night school network in Jharkhand.
Julius Tigga (1903-1971). An educator, writer-editor, politician, and organizer from the Oraon / Kurukh community. He was closely involved in early Adivasi activism in India, serving as the General Secretary of the Adivasi Mahasabha between 1939-1948. He was also the editor of the Adivasi journal in Hindi; he was imrpisoned for his activism. He also opened a Dhumkuriya school where children were educated using traditional methods. (brief bio here)