A Tale of Traditions

Have you ever noticed how folk tales almost always depict a close relationship between humans and the animal and plant world? Could a revival of interest in folk tales lead to a greater concern for the ecology? MS Muthukumaraswamy,Director of the National Folklore Support Centre (NFSC),is optimistic. This Chennai-based NGO is set to release the Children’s Encyclopedia Indica Kids: Culture and Ecology.

“I am addicted to stories,” he says as he talks about the electronic encyclopedia which is meant for children between seven and 11. “The project began with NFSC researching and collecting folk tales connected to pictorial traditions — folk paintings. When the stories began to flow in,we saw the intrinsic relationship between culture and geography,and what emerged was a format for creating eco-conscious citizens,” explains Muthukumaraswamy,on a visit to Chandigarh for a seminar on folk art and literature.

The encyclopedia will have about 300 elements,from folk tales to paintings and illustrations. “The folk tales will be presented in both the regional language and English,with subtitles. There will also be scientific information,myths and rituals,exercises for classroom presentations and guidelines for teachers,” he adds.

The NGO has been working for three years on the project— collecting and documenting tales,working with folk painters,scholars,writers,many from tribal areas,exploring myths and conducting pilot tests. “There’s a world out there waiting to be explored and who better to begin with than children,our future,” says Muthukumaraswamy,who has rewritten many folk tales for publication.