Noted writer N.S. Madhavan said here on Friday that theatre remained one of the most powerful art forms to oppose forces trying to re-define citizenship in the country.
“People working in theatre should not stay away from registering their protest. They can utilise the power of theatre through either guerilla tactics or by facing those forces directly,” he said after inaugurating the State meet of Network of Artistic Theatre Activists Kerala (NATAK) at Maharaja’s College here.
‘Accessible to all’
Stating that the contemporary society required the support of theatre activists, Mr. Madhavan said that theatre continued to remain the only art form that was accessible to all, irrespective of their class, caste or creed. “Theatre is a weapon feared by those in power. They will try to appropriate it. But it has the power to speak for the marginalised and the oppressed”, he said.
Referring to the historical importance of the KPAC’s play Ningalenne Communistakki , Mr. Madhavan said that it had spread like wildfire among the people in Kerala and helped in the formation of the first Communist government in the world. “The play had faced a ban and opposition. But the artistes resisted all such attempts and staged performances overcoming all hurdles. That’s the power of theatre”, he said.
Theatre activists staged a performance in protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill after the inauguration.
