Mumbai, May 1, 2011
Play on Khairlanji atrocity poses discomfiting questions
Rahi Gaikwad
When will Dalits get justice in this country, asks protagonist
The story of Khairlanji as a story of the plight of the Scheduled
Castes in scores of villages has joined the pantheon of protest
literature of the Dalit movement with the staging of Marathi play
Tanta Mukta Gaon (Dispute-Free Village).
The Maharashtra government in 2010 declared the village of Khairlanji,
infamous for the brutal killings of four members of the Bhotmange
family, a "Tanta Mukta Gaon" under a government programme which seeks
to resolve disputes at the village level through community
intervention.
The play, written by young Sandesh Gaikwad, opened this week here. It
invokes the extreme brutality of the incident that has left an
indelible mark on the Dalit consciousness. Depicting the events that
led to the killings, the play offers a glimpse into the mechanics of
caste oppression at the village level.
It reveals how the jealousy of the dominant castes over the awakening
of the Dalits and their subsequent assertion of rights was the true
reason behind the atrocity. One full Act is used to show the
impoverished yet progressive life of the Bhotmange family. The play
dwells on the aspirations of the family, which is striving to rise up
through education, and their refusal to be cowed down by the upper
castes.
In a rare sympathetic advice, the village police inspector tells the
family to leave the village. "Your crime is that you are a Dalit," he
says.
The play asks some very direct and pertinent questions to which
perhaps no one has an answer even after 60 years of Constitutional
freedom. Bansi, a young student who returns to Khairlanji with the
dream of reforming it, is thwarted by the local administration. His
bagful of books of renowned thinkers is seen to be more dangerous than
weapons of mass destruction. Driven to despair, he asks: "When will
Dalits ever get justice in this country?"
The play does have some shortcomings. For instance, its departure from
factual events for the ending, endorses a violent revenge, which
perhaps may not find resonance in certain sections of the community.
Use of the stereotype of the bumbling havildar seems irrelevant to the
narrative, although like Shakespeare's Fool, he is chosen to utter the
uncomfortable truth about injustice and discrimination to his
superior.
Infused with a quintessential Ambedkarite perspective, this real-life
depiction offers a sweeping critique of caste oppression and the
political establishment. It does not leave out Dalit leaders either.
"Our politicians are like me, blind," says the visually impaired
Roshan Bhotmange.
In the backdrop of the protests that mark the killings, the government
is shown to play a crucial role in stifling the subaltern voice and
maintaining the structures of oppression.
------------------------------------
----
INFORMATION OVERLOAD?
Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to ZESTMedia-digest@yahoogroups.com, OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/
PARTICIPATE:-
On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to zestcaste@yahoogroups.com
TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP:-
If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a blank mail to ZESTCaste-subscribe@yahoogroups.com OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join/
Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
ZESTCaste-digest@yahoogroups.com
ZESTCaste-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
ZESTCaste-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
No comments:
Post a Comment