Indian Folk in the Post-Modern Era

Jean Francois Lyotard's The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge (1979) defines post-modern as “Incredulity towards meta-narratives” and “any grand theory” by preferring “small narratives” as they are full of many layered stories. Accordingly, the folk of country, state or area is/are small narrative(s) which need attention and contains several new stories. Daniel Heath Justice's Why Indigenous Literature Matters (2018) adds that indigenous literary works are important because they change people's lives. The folk of country, state or area is small narratives which need attention and contains several new stories. Folk of a country is one of the oldest recognition of its culture, tradition, norms and social life. It has its own type of literature which is not promoted to its fullest as compared to the contemporary literature of other states in English and Hindi. However, it does not apply to all states of India as the folk culture of states having their language in the 8th Schedule enjoyed reputation but some like Haryanvi and Bhojpuri folk are struggling to make a name and fame. Despite being vivid and rich folk literature of Haryana, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Goa, Pondicherry, and North East, it is not given due representation in the academic world due to lack of publication and translation. Still, there is a ray of hope. Some fifty years ago, the academic world was unknown of Sangam Literature but then came AK Ramanujan who changed the scenario by introducing its English translation to the larger readership. Folk writers of regional languages, like Sangam literature, too deserve a translator to expose them to the realm of world writings. About the Editor Kashyap Deepak serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari, Bihar. Deepak holds MPhil and PhD degrees from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India.