Theatre, riots, and youth of Gujarat

There was screening of two plays at Rang Mandal on 6th July 2013, which was followed by audience artists interaction. During the discussion, one young fellow - seemed in his early twenties - little aggressively gave feedback that 'audience' had enough of plays on riots and artists need to bring something new to them. This led me to my routine bout of introspection and this note is reflection of what I went through. 

One common reflection I hear in Gujarat these days is that why do we need to talk about issues of riots even after a decade . It was the same argument that young boy also made when he irritatingly asked the artists, 'why you people keep doing plays on riots?'. Well, certain events in our lives are historical and needs to be reminded again and again. As George Santayana has indicated, 'those who do not know history's mistakes are doomed to repeat them'. 

One of the common reasons that many youngsters have this view is that there have been systemic efforts to re-write the history after 2002 riots. Probably, the youngsters have not known about riots in general or 2002 riots, in particular. For example, many of my generation may not know details of what Hitler did during early forties; or for that matter riots during partition, or Ahmedabad riots of 1969, or Delhi riots of 1984, or even details of 1992 Bombay riots. However, that does not take away the fact that these were gruesome events, something that was wrong deeds that happened in our past. Even now non-Germans ask, 'what were good Germans doing when Hitler was slaughtering millions of Jews'? I too was asked the same question post 2002 when I was in Delhi in context of what happened here. It is indeed important that history - especially the mistakes of history - is told over and over again so as to enable us to keep reflecting on it. This is extremely important because otherwise we are doomed to repeat it. And, needless to say that there is huge price for certain mistakes. 

Another important point here is about Majoritarianism. This is again something that is being propagated for a long time now, much vigorously in Gujarat. While there are political angles to the theory of majoritarianism, I am extending it to bring home a point that is relevant here. The argument that 'most of us have forgot the riots and its aftermaths, why don't you too move ahead?' is reflection of this ideology as well the systemic propaganda that I am referring to. This propaganda has also inculcated in us the false sense of belief to judge our views as the only truths. That could be the reason that the young man here said, 'આ હુલ્લડોવાળા નાટકો થી અમે ઓડિયન્સ હવે કંટાળી ગયા છીએ' (We audience are now tired of this riot-based plays)'. We have gotten into expressing personal views as societal views, because we have repeatedly been told that we are majority and we are the best. While there can be many supporters of an argument, having majority simply does not mean that there need not be any disagreements or dissents on it. It was this part of the his argument that I took personally, and clarified to the gentleman that this could your individual perception, and that as an audience, I am not tired of watching such plays.

In this zealous environment of subscribing to the majoritarianism, it is the theaterwalas - among others - that have kept the voice of dissent alive. I have huge respect for theater for this single most contribution that it has made in Gujarat. Despite having censor board that clears drama before its public screening, we had some - if not many - plays depicting the pathos of riot victims. There have indeed not been many talking about the politics of riots, in any case. Whatever little that has been brought to public discourse, a big chunk of the credit for it goes to theater in Gujarat as well. This is indeed an execution of constitutional rights of expression; something that can be used to raise voices of dissents. 

This brings me to another angle to the discussion. There can be a counter argument that the young man too had right to disagree. Of course, he has. No two views about that. However, at a young age of his, I would rather expect him to ask the same 'why riot-based plays' not to protest but to explore and understand. I would have appreciated if the question was asked to understand the perspective of artists about the need to pick up issues of riots over and over again. it is important at every age - especially in the youth - to ask questions so as to explore various facets of the truth. The same question can also be asked in the form of sermon and with a note of protest - the way it was asked at Rangmandal then. However, doing so will never take one closer to the truth but one can subscribe to the theory of 'I have made up my mind, don't confuse me with facts'. I feel sad at many Gujarati fellows who have made up their minds without bothering to explore different facets of the same truth that has been bombarded to us all over a decade and more. 

Finally, there can be many facets to riots. There can be tales of loss, trauma, isolation, injustice, or plain saga of variety of human emotions that one goes through. There are innumerable stories behind riots and riot victims, and there can be as many plays on it. Ultimately, these are our stories. And if I put it in Saadat Hasan Manto's words, “If you cannot bear these stories then the society
is unbearable. Who am I to remove the clothes of this society, which
itself is naked. I don't even try to cover it, because it is not my job,
that's the job of dressmakers.” 

These are stories of bitter truths that needs to be told, whether we like it or not; whether we appreciate or not; whether we are party to it or not. My poem in the beginning of this note sums up my reflection around the issue and the discussion we had on July 6, 2013. 

Kudos to RangMandal, Kabir Thakore, Abhishek Shah, Dhrunad Kamle, Abhinay Banker and the unknown young man. It is because of these passionate people, there are fantastic learning from the history and there is still some scope as well as hope of expression of dissent, disagreement and fruitful dialogues.