பின்காலனியத் தமிழறிவுருவாக்கத்தில் நாட்டுப்புற மரபுகளின் முதன்மையும் சவால்களும்

The Importance and Challenges of Folk traditions in the Formation of Postcolonial Tamil Epistemology

Abstract

In postcolonial studies, decolonization, the construction of identity, and the establishment of cultural distinctiveness are crucial processes. Within these, foregrounding a language’s artistic and epistemological traditions is significant. However, when such traditions are presented, written or manuscript-based traditions are often given primary status, while folk or oral traditions are relegated to a secondary position. In this context, it is necessary to emphasize the primacy of folk traditions in the formation of Tamil epistemology. At the same time, it is equally important to identify and critically examine the challenges inherent in these traditions.