The storming debate that erupted just days before the release of Tousif Sheik’s tiatr at Gomant Vidya Niketan in Margao on Saturday, will unfurl light on what I am trying to pinpoint. To begin with there was a debate that staging of tiatrs would not be permitted in a particular hall unless it has passed through the lens of the censors. It was hotly argued that many tiatrs blatantly attack the politicians and people in power which is against the norm of a civilized society but the counter view was to seek protection under the provisions of the Constitution that guarantees freedom of speech and expression to the individual, though it cannot be denied that people are very selective while invoking this clause.
Next, when it came to the release of Tousif’s tiatr, some people, particularly from across the regional borders in Karnataka, contested that it is aimed at attacking Promod Muthalik of Sri Ram Sene (SRS) fame, but the proponents of the play stuck to their view that there is nothing controversial but on the contrary it tries to promote communal harmony, cutting across religious barriers. Let me ask one simple question: When the poster of the tiatr clearly says, ‘Tiatr on Muthalik’ and the title indicates, ‘Akantwadi Goeant Naka’ what does it imply? Does it need an extra-ordinary brain to assimilate that Muthalik is unwanted in Goa, particularly when there is an explicit crusade to disallow his entry in this state? If at all Tousif Sheik is so keen in bringing out tiatrs on terrorism, I would like to suggest something for him. Let his new tiatr be, ‘Akantwadi Saeed Hafiz sounsarant naka’. That will be appreciated everywhere.
Michael Vaz, Merces
