https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Jacinta_KerkettaJacinta Kerketta - Revision history2026-07-30T20:56:24ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Jacinta_Kerketta&diff=504999&oldid=prevLibbyAlba221 at 11:53, 14 March 20262026-03-14T11:53:45Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Indian journalist and poet (born 1983)}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2025}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}<br />
{{Infobox person<br />
| name = Jacinta Kerketta<!-- defaults to article title when left blank --><br />
| image = Jacinta Kerketta.jpg<!-- filename only, no "File:" or "Image:" prefix, and no enclosing [[brackets]] --><br />
| alt = Jacinta Kerketta<!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --><br />
| caption = Jacinta Kerketta<br />
| birth_name = Jacinta Kerketta<!-- only use if different from name --><br />
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1983|08|03|df=y}}<br />
| birth_place = [[Khudaposh]], [[West Singhbhum district|West Singhbhum District]], [[Jharkhand]]<br />
| death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (DEATH date then BIRTH date) --><br />
| death_place = <br />
| other_names = <br />
| occupation = journalist, writer<br />
| years_active = <br />
| known_for = <br />
| notable_works = <br />
* ''Angor''<br />
* ''Jodon Ki Jameen''<br />
}}<br />
'''Jacinta Kerketta''' (born 3 August 1983) is an Indian [[Hindi|Hindi-language]] journalist, poet and activist.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Banerjee |first=Jasodhara |date=9 December 2022 |title=Jacinta Kerketta: Becoming The Voice Of Indigenous Communities |url=https://www.forbesindia.com/article/leadership/jacinta-kerketta-becoming-the-voice-of-indigenous-communities/81795/1 |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Forbes India |language=en}}</ref> Her poetry and journalism discusses the [[Adivasi]] identity of youth, protests against the systemic oppression of Adivasis in India, gender-based violence, especially against women, displacement and questions the state apathy of governance.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Raj |first=Mrinalini |date=2025-02-03 |title=Jacinta Kerketta: The Voice Of The Adivasi Vision |url=https://feminisminindia.com/2025/02/03/jacinta-kerketta-the-voice-of-the-adivasi-vision/ |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Feminism in India |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[Forbes India]] named her one of India's top 20 Self-Made Women list. Her first Hindi-English bilingual poetry collection ''Angor'' was translated into German, Italian and French. Her second Hindi-English bilingual poetry collection ''Jadon ki Zameen'' was translated into English and German. ''Ishwar aur Bazaar'' is her third poetry collection.<br />
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== Life ==<br />
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=== Childhood ===<br />
Kerketta was born on 3 August 1983, to Pushpa Anima Kerketta and Jay Prakash Kerketta in [[Khudaposh]], a village in the [[West Singhbhum district|West Singhbhum District]] of the Indian state of [[Jharkhand]] located on the surroundings of the [[Saranda forest]] near the Jharkhand-[[Odisha]] border. She and her family are from the [[Oraon people|Oraon tribe]]. Her father was a marathon athlete who worked as a security guard at a local school run by a church and then temporarily worked in the police force.<ref>Interview mit Jacinta Kerketta zum Jahr der indigenen Sprachen. In: [https://www.adivasi-koordination.de/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/AKD_rundbrief67-1.pdf ''Adivasi-Rundbrief 67,''] April 2019</ref><br />
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=== Education ===<br />
Kerketta mostly studied in different schools in the [[Santhal Pargana division]] in Jharkhand and also in [[Betiya, Biha|Betiya]] of [[West Champaran district]] of [[Bihar]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2020-08-09 |title=Know about Jacinta Kerketta (An Adivasi Young Poet and Journalist) |url=https://kavishala.in/@kavishala-labs/know-about-jacinta-kerketta-an-adivasi-young-poet-and-journalist |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=kavishala.in |publisher=GroundXero, Kavishala Labs |language=en}}</ref> She went to a missionary boarding school in [[Manoharpur railway station|Manoharpur]] at the age of 13.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yadav |first=Anumeha |title=The anger of Adivasis turns to poetry of anguish and hope in a young woman's hands |url=http://scroll.in/article/808591/the-anger-of-adivasis-turns-to-poetry-of-anguish-and-hope-in-a-young-womans-hands |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=Scroll.in |date=5 June 2016 |language=en-US}}</ref> graduated with a degree in [[mass communication]] and [[video production]] from [[St. Xavier's College, Ranchi]] in 2006. In 2016 she completed her master's degree in mass communication at the [[Ranchi University]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pioneer |first=The |title=In Brief |url=https://www.dailypioneer.com/2015/state-editions/2015-04-19-90502.html |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=The Pioneer |language=en}}</ref><br />
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=== Career ===<br />
According to her own account, Kerketta decided to become a journalist after witnessing intense violence that went unnoticed by local reporters.<ref>Il Manifesto, Rom, 5. Mai 2018 (Übertragung aus dem Italienischen)</ref> From 2010 to 2013 she was employed as a reporter by the [[Ranchi]] edition of the Hindi daily [[Dainik Jagran]]. In 2014 she received an award from [[UNDP]] and conducted a study titled "Adivasi And Mining In Five Districts Of Jharkhand".<ref>Jacinta Kerketta, Glut, Gedichte Hindi-Deutsch, Heidelberg 2016, S. 159</ref> Since 2019 she has been a consulting for the Hindi edition of the Indian online news portal [[The Wire (India)|The Wire]] and for the Ranchi edition of the daily newspaper [[Prabhat Khabar]]. In addition to her journalistic work, Kerketta is also a social worker. Since 2015 she has been working in girls' education in Adivasi villages in the [[Simdega district|Simdega]] and [[Khunti district]]s in Jharkhand,<ref>Adivasi-Rundbrief 60, Juni 2017, Die Verzweiflung der Armen: Bericht über die Tätigkeit von Jacinta Kerketta in der Bildungsarbeit für Adivasi-Mädchen, https://www.adivasi-koordination.de/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2017-06-akd-rundbrief-60.pdf</ref> with support from the Kutchina Foundation, [[Kolkata]], among others.<br />
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== Views ==<br />
Kerketta's work focuses on her home state Jharkhand which was separated in 2000 from Bihar with over 26 percent Adivasi population.<ref>''Neuer Bundesstaat Jharkhand: Werden die Träume der Adivasi wahr?'' In: [https://www.adivasi-koordination.de/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2000-11-akd-rundbrief-14.pdf ''Adivasi-Rundbrief 14''] November 2000</ref> The industrialisation that followed the state's formation and its endangering impact on the livelihood of the Adivasi are illustrated in her writing.<ref>Gladson Dungdung, Whose country is it anyway? Untold Stories of the Indigenous Peoples of India, adivaani, Kalkutta 2013</ref> She has also criticized the violent state response to conflicts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jacinta Kerketta: Becoming The Voice Of Indigenous Communities |url=https://www.forbesindia.com/article/leadership/jacinta-kerketta-becoming-the-voice-of-indigenous-communities/81795/1 |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=Forbes India |language=en}}</ref><br />
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== Awards and recognition ==<br />
In 2014 she was awarded by the Asia Indigenous People's Pact (AIPP) in [[Bangkok]] for her journalistic work ''Indigenous Voice of Asia''. That year she also received an award for her poems from the civil society organization Jharkhand Indigenous Peoples Forum and the Prerana Samman award from the Chota Nagpur Cultural Association. The Ravishankar Upadhyay Memorial Institute in Varanasi awarded her the Ravishankar Upadhyay Memorial Youth Poetry Award.<ref>Jacinta Kerketta, Glut, Gedichte Hindi-Deutsch, Heidelberg 2016, S. 159</ref> In 2017 the daily Prabhat Khabar awarded her the Aparajita Award. In 2019 she received the Foundation of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Women Exemplar Recognition Award.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 October 2020 |title=Ad Meliora Catalyzing Transformation: Activity Report 2019-2020 |url=https://ciifoundation.in/document/NewsLetter/CII-Foundation-Activity-Report-2019-20.pdf |access-date=13 April 2023 |website=CII Foundation}}</ref> She was named one of India's top 20 Self-Made Women in 2022 by [[Forbes India]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=W-Power List 2022 {{!}} Meet India's Top Self-Made Women in 2022 |url=https://www.forbesindia.com/lists/w-power-2022/ |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=Forbes India |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=India's Self-Made Women 2022: Making Of The List |url=https://www.forbesindia.com/article/leadership/indias-selfmade-women-2022-making-of-the-list/81671/1 |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=Forbes India |language=en}}</ref><br />
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In November 2023, Kerketta declined to accept the ''Aaj Tak Sahitya Jagriti Udyman Pratibha Samman,'' a literary award given by the [[India Today Group]], for her collection of Hindi-language poems ''Ishwar aur Bazaar.'' Explaining her decision, she posted on X, saying: “At a time when there’s loss of respect for the lives of tribals in the country, tribals of central India and Manipur have no dignity of life and the lives of people and children of other communities are under continuous attack, how can any honor thrill a poet or writer?”<ref>{{Cite web |author=Scroll Staff |date=2023-11-25 |title=Adivasi poet Jacinta Kerketta turns down literary prize from India Today Group |url=https://scroll.in/latest/1059628/adivasi-poet-jacinta-kerketta-turns-down-literary-prize-from-india-today-group |access-date=2023-11-29 |website=Scroll.in |language=en-US}}</ref> Additionally, she called out mainstream media's lack of coverage of incidents in Manipur.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sodhi |first=Tanishka |date=2023-11-24 |title='Mainstream media silent on tribal issues': Adivasi writer Jacinta Kerketta refuses press award |url=https://www.newslaundry.com/2023/11/24/mainstream-media-silent-on-tribal-issues-adivasi-writer-jacinta-kerketta-refuses-press-award |access-date=2023-11-29 |website=Newslaundry}}</ref><br />
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In September 2024, Kerketta rejected the ''Room to Read Young Author Award'', issued in recognition of her children's poetry collection ''Jirhul''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Muzaffar |first=Maroosha |date=2024-10-01 |title=Indian poet rejects US-backed arts award 'in solidarity with Palestine' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/jacinta-kerketta-usaid-room-to-read-india-author-award-b2621234.html |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> Kerketta rejected on the award in protest of awarding entities [[US AID]] and [[Room to Read]] India Trust complicity in [[Gaza war|Israel's genocide on Gaza]], and particularly Room to Read India Trust's ties to [[Boeing]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-30 |title=Adivasi poet Jacinta Kerketta rejects US AID-supported award in solidarity with Palestine |url=https://maktoobmedia.com/india/adivasi-poet-jacinta-kerketta-rejects-us-aid-supported-award-in-solidarity-with-palestine/ |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=Maktoob Media |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title='For Children of Palestine': Writer Jacinta Kerketta Turns Down Award Co-Sponsored by USAID |url=https://thewire.in/books/jacinta-kerketta-award-usaid-palestine |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=The Wire |language=en}}</ref><br />
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=== Books ===<br />
* ''Angor''<br />
* ''Land of The Roots''<br />
* ''Ishwar Aur Bazar''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kerketta |first=Jacinta |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qCVpEAAAQBAJ |title=Ishwar Aur Bazar |date=1 April 2022 |publisher=Rajkamal Prakashan |isbn=978-93-92757-83-9 |language=en}}</ref><br />
* ''Jacinta Ki Diary''<br />
* ''Prem Me Ped Hona''<ref>{{Cite web |last=कोठारी |first=डॉ शुभ्रा पंत |date=20 April 2025 |title=प्रेम में पेड़ होना: प्रकृति और मानवीय प्रेम का मिलन |url=https://thewirehindi.com/299561/book-review-jacinta-kerketta-prem-mein-ped-hona/ |access-date=8 June 2025 |website=The Wire - Hindi |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ayushman |date=26 April 2024 |title=प्रेम में पेड़ होनाः जसिंता केरकेट्टा |url=https://hindi.feminisminindia.com/2024/04/26/prem-me-ped-hona-by-jacinta-kerketta-book-review-hindi/ |access-date=8 June 2025 |website=Feminism in India |language=en-GB}}</ref><br />
* ''Jirhul''<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{Reflist|30em}}<br />
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{{Authority control}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kerketta, Jacinta}}<br />
[[Category:1983 births]]<br />
[[Category:Indian poets]]<br />
[[Category:Indian journalists]]<br />
[[Category:Indian activists]]<br />
[[Category:Hindi-language poets]]<br />
[[Category:Hindi-language Indian writers]]<br />
[[Category:Living people]]</div>LibbyAlba221