Team Herald
MARGAO: A group of Zomnivele Khell directors have expressed great concern over the ramifications caused to them and their ability to host their shows properly due to the 10 pm noise ban.
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In this regard, they have sent a memorandum to the Art and Culture Department and handed a copy over to the Tiatr Academy of Goa (TAG).
It is to be noted that the police have already stopped a tiatr that was being staged in Salcete for exceeding the time limit and this has caused great anxiety amongst the tiatr fraternity that prompted the directors to reach out to the government.
President of Non-Stop Konkan Khell Tiatr Association Arnaldo Costa is hoping that the government provides them with some relaxation or else they would have to suffer greatly along with the audience as the new rule means they will not be able to stage their plays as they used to for the last many decades. Given that their plays are staged publicly as opposed to indoor venues, they are running from pillar to post to see that their demands are addressed.
In their memorandum, the directors of Zomnivele Khell have asked for relaxation of time and sound permission to perform folk plays during the Carnival festivities.
They explained that the folk plays usually start by 9 am and end beyond 10 pm and so the directors have called for giving time relaxation during Carnival days, considering it as the local cultural tradition.
The memorandum submitted to Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude also states about how the condition imposed by the authorities to obtain a NOC and permission from the owner where the khell will be staged will come in the way of staging of the khells.
“It is possible to get the owner’s permission to perform khell in all areas well in advance, as the demand or request for folk plays comes at the last moment. We hope that the government will consider the request to keep the Goan Carnival tradition of zomnivele khell alive,” stated Costa in the memorandum.
“We have information that the police have started stopping tiatrs going on beyond 10 pm. In this situation, we have decided to submit the memorandum to the government to grant relaxation to stage the zomnivele khell during the Carnival festivities. These folk plays are staged in the villages and towns well beyond the 10 pm sound permission and any attempt made to strictly implement the sound norms vis-à-vis the khells will deal a blow to the traditional folk plays,” Costa added.
On a related note, tiatrists are also concerned that this new 10 pm sound ban will pose a problem for tiatrs that are held at night near churches as part of the feast celebrations.
