Interview with Bandana Tulachan
Indigenous voices have been suppressed all over the world

How did you find out about your story’s protagonist?

The first time I met with Shanti Chaudhary and came to know about her was when I illustrated a children’s book she wrote. We were both part of a project to create picture books in the Tharu Indigenous language and I was really surprised that I had not heard about her before that.

What gives you the most pleasure while working on the project?

One of the best things about working on this project has been to get to know Shanti Chaudhary and finding out more about her journey. I feel happy and honored to have this opportunity, knowing that many people will get to know about her through this project.

What did you learn from the workshops, mentorships, and other participants?

During the workshops it was fascinating and inspiring to hear about the other participants and listen to so many wonderful stories from all around the world. The mentorship was especially helpful for me to streamline the story and include more authentic content rather than trying to fit too many details into the story.

What aspect have you found most challenging during the process so far?

The most challenging part was definitely right after the research. I had a lot of information. Because my protagonist has lived an undeniably colorful life with many trials and tribulations, it was a challenge to leave out many instances and events and yet bring the essence of her person into the story. Another challenge was the lack of information and opportunity for research due to the pandemic.

What should ideally happen after the project’s publication?

At the start of this project, and during and after the research, one of the constant discoveries has been how Indigenous voices and stories have been suppressed all over the world. I am happy this project has created a due space for an Indigenous story here in Nepal, and I hope this will be an opportunity to open up more dialogue about Indigenous women and their contribution to our society.

What are your plans for the future?

I’d like to write more stories and create more books in the future. This project has inspired me to explore more unknown stories that need to be told to the world.