Between India and Bharat

Remembering Gursharan Singh, the people’s artist, through razor-sharp theatre.

October 22, 2015 08:37 pm | Updated 08:37 pm IST

A group song performance in progress.

A group song performance in progress.

At a time when the rights of creative people to dissent and country's glorious legacy of composite culture are under threat, some theatre groups and cultural activists organised an evening in remembrance of Gursharan Singh, the people’s artist. On this occasion plays were staged and patriotic songs were sung at the Godavari Dhaba Lawn, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

An innovator of street theatre, Gursharan Singh was held in great esteem by the oppressed whose voice he raised through his plays seen by thousands of common people both in rural Punjab and urban areas. His works are not restricted to India but also staged abroad, especially by Indian diaspora. Bridging the gap between the rural theatre and the urban theatre, exposing the state violence and the inhuman face and divisive acts of militants. His name was on the hit list of the Khalistan militants. Unafraid, his fight continued against oppressive state apparatus. During the Emergency (1975-77) he was put behind bars and lost his job as a cement technologist in Bhakra where he worked to unite workers to struggle for better wages and humane working conditions. He has authored 132 short plays and six full-length plays. He was a rare artist in the country who has identified himself with the oppressed.

The political theatre he has evolved is further enriched with revolutionary fervour by Safdar Hasmi, Shamsul Islam and Arvind Gaur. Delhi University theatre scene is vibrating with street theatre movement but this theatre mostly deals with social issues.

The evening organized in memory of Gursharan Singh captured the revolutionary fervour and optimism he stood for with the rendition of patriotic songs by the artists of Nishant Natya Manch and Epic Dastani. It was followed by the presentation of the play “Majdoor Hain Hum Majboor Hahin” written by Manali Chakrabarti and presented by Jan Chetana Kala Manch, Kanpur. Inspired by the political philosophy of Gursharan Singh and his artistic credo, the play depicts the antagonistic conflict between the workers and capitalist mode of production. The main characters are two brothers – Ram Mohan and Beni Prashad. After doing MA, Ram Mohan gets the job of guard in a factory where his brother Beni Prashad is working as a contractual labourer. Ram Mohan is happy that he has a regular job. Proving to be loyal to his employer, he carries out anti-worker orders of his employer and behaves with them in a rude and highhanded manner. Beni Prashad does his best to explain to him not to forget his class interests. One day while working on the façade of a high-rise building with no security facilities, Beni Prashad falls down on the ground and dies. The management tries to dispose of the body in a hush-hush manner as if Beni Prashad were an animal. This angers the workers and opens the eyes of Ram Mohan and joins the agitation of workers against the management demanding adequate compensation to be paid to the family of the deceased and legal proceeding against the management for its criminal negligence in its in ability to provide safety measures for the workers. The message is loud and clear.

Nishant Natya Manch presented “Gaddha” which is an adaptation of Krishan Chander’s short story by Gursharan Singh and later Safdar Hasmi and Shamsul Islam sharpened its satirical edge. This is a highly popular play which has been staged in different parts of the country. Not long ago, a group from Pakistan brought this play to India which was remarkable for its comic vein. In Nishant’s production the element of satire is dominant, exposing various organs of the State, the insensitivity of officials and the public to human suffering?

It all begins with an old woman’s fall into a ditch in the centre of a road which is in a bad shape. A lot many people walk on this road. The old woman keeps on crying, requesting passers-by getting her out of the ditch. Some stay for a while as a matter of curiosity, some watch her plight and do not bother to help her out. Here comes a policeman who pays scant attention to the old woman. Comes Uncle Sam, exhibiting his snobbery. To inspect the road, a group of officials come to the spot to ensure a safe movement of a politician in power. They hear the cries of the woman, considering her nuisance, they cover the ditch with planks. Later, the planks are removed but nobody comes in the rescue of the woman.

In a variety of roles Shamsul’s characterizations are marked by a range from caricature to comic, from satirical to light heartedness. Neelima Sharma, a former actor of the repertory company of National School of Drama, who has left her promising career to join Nishant Natya Manch, plays the role of the old woman in the ditch. Through variations in her dialogue delivery, she gives expression to the fear of a woman desperately seeking the help for her bail out of the ditch. Earlier, as a member of chorus Neelima sings with heart-felt intensity patriotic songs.

A group of tribals from Bastar staged a play about their initiative to start a channel to project the slice of life of the tribal people capturing it in an objective manner. Using the device of puppets to give colour to the production, the play opens with the interactions between a tourist and tribals. The interactions open the eye of the tourist who has come here for adventure. He is shocked to find the miserable life of the people with no water to drink and the pathetic conditions in which schools function.

The evening came to a close with the rendition of patriotic songs in which the members of the audience also joined, saluting the memory of Gursharan Singh who transformed the theatre into a weapon to resist repression and to protest.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.