Northeastern India is largely ignored in the cultural discourse of North India. To fill this lacuna, Forward Press has begun publication of material on this part of the country. FP believes that it is necessary to establish a dialogue with other marginalized communities in order to spread the Phule-Ambedkarite philosophy. In pursuance of this objective, FP managing editor Pramod Ranjan will be undertaking a trip to the northeastern parts of India by road, starting on 22 May 2019.
Forward Press is a bilingual (English-Hindi) website of North India known for publication of quality content on issued related to SCs, STs, OBCs, DNTs and converted minorities.
Under the “FP on the Road” programme, which is a part of Bahujan journalism, members of the Forward Press editorial team have been undertaking journeys to different parts of the country to bring the unknown aspects of Bahujan India to light. The first such trip was undertaken in 2016. FP team has so far travelled to 13 states, including Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The journey to the Northeast, which is part of this endeavour, will continue till the end of June 2019.
Read travelogues of FP team’s India tour here: FP on the Road
The main objectives of the visit are to understand the movements of the deprived communities of the Northeast and to connect with local writers and journalists. During this journey, Ranjan will be meeting pro-people writers, thinkers, cultural activists and discerning readers.
According to Ranjan, “Most of the readers of FP are Hindi speakers of north India. But for spreading the Phule-Ambedkarite ideology, it is necessary to develop a deep understanding of the movements of the deprived classes under way in different parts of the world so that we can jointly work for building a compassionate and egalitarian world. We are working in this direction at the pan-India level. Over the past few years, we have travelled to different states with the same objective. During these travels, we established contacts with many new and old writers of different languages and published their writings.”
Ranjan says that the book Mahishasur: Mithak aur Paramparayen was the outcome of one such journeys: “During our travels through Maharashtra, we met J.V. Pawar, a co-founder of the Dalit Panther movement, which was at the forefront of the social and cultural struggle of the Dalitbahujans, and agreed to publish the English translation of a Marathi book written by Pawar under the title Dalit Panthers: An Authoritative History. Similarly, during our visit to Tamil Nadu, we established contact with the youngsters leading the non-Brahmin movement in the state and as a result a book titled Hindi Mein Periyar Ke Pratinidhi Vichar is being published soon. We are trying to bring to the fore the history and the contemporary discourse on the socio-ideological movements under way in different non-Hindi states. This journey to the Northeast is part of an endeavour to make Phule-Ambedkarism multidimensional.”
Ranjan will travel to the Northeast via Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. He will first proceed to Bhutan from Siliguri, where he will study Buddhist traditions, literature and lifestyle. Next, he will visit many remote villages and towns of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Manipur.
Suggestions invited
You can give your suggestions regarding this trip to the Northeast on the following phone numbers or email IDs:
Pramod Ranjan
Mobile: +919811884495, 9811994495
Email: managing.editor@forwardpress.in
If you wish to join the Forward Press WhatsApp Group, please send a WhatsApp message to the following number: 7827427311
Forward Press also publishes books on Bahujan issues. Forward Press Books sheds light on the widespread problems as well as the finer aspects of Bahujan (Dalit, OBC, Adivasi, Nomadic, Pasmanda) society, culture, literature and politics. Contact us for a list of FP Books’ titles and to order. Mobile: +917827427311, Email: info@forwardmagazine.in)
The titles from Forward Press Books are also available on Kindle and these e-books cost less than their print versions. Browse and buy:
The Case for Bahujan Literature
Dalit Panthers: An Authoritative History
Mahishasur: Mithak wa Paramparayen
The Case for Bahujan Literature
Dalit Panthers: An Authoritative History
