Beneath the mask of taking everyone along, the BJP government in Goa has been constantly engaged in a series of pin pricks on the tiatr community, to try and curtail its free flow of creativity.
The latest, and probably the most serious move in that direction, is the one to form a censor board to screen all tiatr scripts before being allowed to be staged. Based on a similar legislation in Maharashtra, and on the demand of the Hindu Janajagruti Manch, the government has actually drafted rules for such a censor board to be set up.
While it is natural for the tiatr community to be outraged at this deliberate stifling, the government’s actions will set a dangerous precedent which will go beyond the scope of this current issue. It is evident that the decision to set up a censor board is a culmination of an intolerant environment reminiscent of the time when no word could be said against the king. The “off with your heads” syndrome has moved from fable to fact in the Parrikar era when he first initiated a move where Ravindra Bhavan Margao mysteriously drafted an undertaking that tiatr directors would have to sign while booking the hall. The broad contours of the undertaking were that their plays would not be critical of the government and its functionaries and ruling party politicians.
When the media got wind of this and reported the outrage, the government wriggled out of it by saying it was a draft exercise and a lowly clerk had issued those drafts by mistake.
This time there is no lowly clerk and unlike the last time, specific draft rules, towards making an act have been framed and the file to the effect sent from the Information Department to the Art and Culture Department, for setting up a censor board to decide if a tiatr production (and other plays) is fit to be staged.
It is extremely shocking that the decision was initiated due to a letter sent by the Hindu Janajagruti Manch, a turf partner of the Pramod Muthalik-led Sri Ram Sene, in the aftermath of demanding a ban on ‘Akantvadi Goent Naka’, a tiatr by Tousif de Navelim, where references to Muthalik, as a terrorist were believed to be made. The tiatr which ran to packed audiences was made in the aftermath of Muthalik wanting to enter Goa to stop bars and pubs from functioning.
As Prince Jacob of the Tiatr Academy of Goa, has rightly said, that tiatr is the most popular form of live entertainment and will be affected the most by this board. Moreover basic sensibilities of the tiatr community were not considered before embarking on this fool hardy exercise. Importantly tiatrs, especially songs, don’t follow a watertight script but have many impromptu sequences depending on the very latest happenings. It cannot practically hand over scripts and expect the censor board to send its approval in a couple of days.
But above all, the reason why this shouldn’t happen is because it goes against the spirit of goenkarpon. Tiatrs are self effacing works which reflect emotions and sentiments of society. They are a creative release against built up frustrations against the government or power centres not delivering. They are also harbingers of social change. Tiatrists are also cultural activists whose presence makes democracy healthy. Like poets, musicians and writers, playwrights are the most powerful voices against the might of governments.
When the BJP was in opposition, they loved them. But when they are in power, tiatrists have become bad news.
The glorious tradition of tiatr cannot be stifled with a censor board just because the current government feels uncomfortable. Herald stands with the community and will speak for them if the government goes ahead with the decision to constitute a censor board.
Let Mr Paresekar ask himself, if he wants to alienate people in traditional occupations like shack owners, fishermen and now tiatrists, through insensitive actions. It’s his choice, a choice for which he will have to pay dearly in the next elections.
