Hyderabad: Amid controversy over screenings of a documentary on Umar Khalid, former Communist Party of India (Maoist) state committee member Ravi Narla is translating Khalid’s PhD thesis, Fractured Communities: Adivasi Histories and the Politics of Power, into Telugu.The screening of the documentary, Prisoner No 626710 is Present, was cancelled at IIIT-Hyderabad and NLSIU Bengaluru, while students at NALSAR University of Law screened it last week.Khalid’s 2018 thesis, a study of tribal communities in Singhbhum, Jharkhand, during the British era, was published as a book in June 2026. Ravi said his long association with Jharkhand, including his time there as an underground (UG) cadre and later as a remand prisoner, drew him to Khalid’s work after he read reviews of the book.“Keeping in view my previous experience in translating five books from English to Telugu or vice versa, a publishing house approached me to translate Umar Khalid’s thesis into Telugu. I am aiming to get the translated version of Fractured Communities (Vichina Samuhalu, the tentative title of the Telugu version) out before December and make it available at the Hyderabad book fair,” Ravi told TOI.This is the first time that the book is being translated into another language.Among the various responsibilities he undertook while associated with the Maoist party, Ravi was also involved in translation work. During his judicial remand in a Jharkhand jail from 2009 to 2016 following his arrest, he translated two books.“We have a large tribal population in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and they would like to know about Adivasi issues in other states, considering that one can draw parallels between revolutionary activities in Telangana and states like Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Maharashtra,” said Ravi, a former state committee member of the Bihar-Jharkhand unit.He also said that he did not foresee any resistance to his work from security agencies or political groups. “Going by the peaceful launch of the book in Delhi a few months ago, I don’t think there will be any trouble,” he said.A former JNU student, Khalid’s academic work has drawn attention against the backdrop of the criminal proceedings he faces. He has been in custody since 2020 in connection with the Delhi riots case and has been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). He has denied the allegations against him.
