People's Democracy

Safdar Hashmi Jan Sanskritik Pahal

Tremendous Response From The People

G Arjun

WHEN the idea of organising a ten day cultural programme, in the run up to the 18th Congress of the CPI(M), was first mooted there were doubts in many minds about the feasibility of such an effort in Delhi. But the event itself, held between March 9-18, 2005 disproved all fears.

The Safdar Hashmi Jan Sanskritik Pahal (Peoples’ Cultural Initiative) was flagged off in an enthusiastic ceremony by CPI(M) general secretary, Harkishan Singh Surjeet at AKG Bhavan on March 9. Speaking on the occasion Surjeet stressed the importance of culture in the movement for social and political transformation. The veteran theatre personality Habib Tanvir, who also graced the inaugural event, suggested that the most effective political art forms are ones which base themselves on forms which are vibrant among the people. After this the artists, who had come from across the country took over. A programme which was scheduled for 30 minutes stretched for over an hour. It was the response of the incidental audience and enthusiasts which kept the artists going.

The Safdar Hashmi Jan Sanskritik Pahal witnessed the participation of 16 groups and 200 performers. These included Habib Tanvir and his Naya Theatre team; from Bengal there were the Mass Singers of the IPTA, Hoogly, the Chhau dancers from Purulia, activists of the Bengal Science Network, artists of the Jogesh Dutta Mime Academy and the theatre group of Rangkarmee; the Bidesia group from Gopalganj Bihar brought with them their dramatised songs which had an earthy tenor; a group of singers from the Punjab IPTA, a team of Prahasan performers led by Nisar Ali from Chattisgarh, folk dancers from Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh, Parody singers led by Anil Goel from Bhopal were among the participating groups. A large contingent of actors from the Haryana Gyan Vigyan Manch also performed in the series of programmes. Delhi was represented at the festival by Anant, Act One and the Jana Natya Manch who performed the proscenium play Shambuk Vadh. A special attraction was the contingent of Dappu dancers belonging to the Andhra Praja Natya Mandali. The programmes also included Delhi based poets who responded overwhelmingly to the occasion and recited their poems before the people. In each of the programmes leaders of the CPI(M) and student and youth leaders addressed the audience. The boundless energy and creativity of the Dappu dancers perhaps was an apt icon for the energy which exuded during the ten day programme.

It would perhaps not be an overstatement to suggest that if the Jan Sanskritik Pahal was a People’s Cultural Initiative the real stars of the event were “the people”. The programmes which were held across 16 areas in and around Delhi and consisted of 44 shows in all, received a tremendous response from the people. At each of the performance spaces, which were mostly working class areas strewn across Delhi – Jhanadapur, Nangaon, Loni, Faridabad, Noida, Sagarpur West, Mangolpuri, Khureji, Sonia Vihar, Nandnagri, Wazirpur, Mithapur, Inderpuri, Ajmeri Gate and Regarpura – the audience strength swell with each passing day. Every vantage point was taken. And at some places the programme could continue despite minor disturbances due the tremendous support received from the people.

The overwhelming response of the people is a pointer to the hunger for cultural expression among the people of Delhi, a hunger which cannot to be satisfied by the proliferation of television channels and the unimaginative films produced by the Hindi film industry (i.e. for those who have access to them). Also, it was the variety of the presentations which were a cause for attraction. The people of Delhi got a real glimpse of the cultural diversity of our country, a glimpse which unlike the Republic Day parade was not bridled and sanitised by the State. The diversity was not merely geographical – on one end were the mythical tales dramatised by the Chhau dancers of Purulia and another end were the mime shows from Kolkata. The activists of the Bengal Science Network were particularly successful with their anti-superstition shows. In their shows they exposed the science behind the tricks used by various godmen to hoodwink the people. Skillfully they unveiled the mystery and deception behind the swallowing of fire and swords, piercing the tongue, turning beer to water, drinking of milk by the skull and numerous other items. Not only did they manage to keep the audience enthralled for over an hour, they even managed to get the audience to practice the swallowing of fire!

The folk dance troupe of Kinnauri women won the hearts of many with their coordination and grace. The dramatised songs from Punjab and Bihar were a strong call to the fence sitter to join the army of the revolution, for collective struggle is the only path to freedom from oppression. The Chhau performers were stupendous with their acrobatic dance form. Their rendition of “Mahishasur Vadh” (Killing of Mahishasur) was enjoyed by all, particularly the scores of children who thronged every performance. Their “Chashir Ladai” (Peasant Struggle), which depicted the struggle of the land reform movement of the Operation Barga in Bengal, is a living instance of the attempt to marry a traditional form with a fresh and contemporary content. Each of the plays performed by Rangkarmee, the Haryana Gyan Vigyan Manch, the Jana Natya Manch, Anant and Act One were sharp in their politics while ensuring quality entertainment for the audiences.

As has been already mentioned, Dappu dancers of the Praja Natya Mandali, were breath taking in their performance. Their ability to maintain rhythm even while performing acrobatics and the complete trust with which the dancers could climb one on top of the other in pyramidal formations could only have been possible with absolute mastery of their art and belief in collective art. The ‘Mass Singers’ kept the audience enthralled with their songs.

What made the programme work was a commitment shared by all artists and the organisers. A very special note needs to be taken of the great enthusiasm which was shown by the local committees of each of the areas where the performances took place. They formed the silent force behind the event. From collecting funds for the stage arrangements to ensuring refreshments for the artists, the local committees and the mass organisations worked efficiently – a sign of the importance grassroot activists’ gave towards this cultural event. It is only by a greater frequency of such events that the progressive forces can nullify the attraction of the multifarious jagrans and religious congregations which are regularly organised by right wing groups in Delhi.

Moreover, the tremendous response from the people calls for a continuation of similar interventions and efforts in the future. Also, the readiness of the people to spending long and precious hours in watching relatively complex plays calls for a questioning of the notion that political art to be effective needs to be simplified in its presentation. The oppressed sections of the society, themselves at the receiving end of oppression are capable of a complex understanding as long as the art is aesthetically presented and is devoid of the arrogance of a learned idiom.