TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Reacting to the government’s draft rules to control, monitor and censor tiatr productions, Goa’s tiatr community has reacted strongly by condemning the move and threatening to retaliate if such rules are implemented.
Terming it an attack on the freedom of expression, tiatrists have opposed the government’s move to what they called as an attempt to curtail the freedom traditionally enjoyed by Goa’s unique art form, through the proposed enactment of “Goa Licensing and Controlling Places Of Public Amusement (Other Than Cinema) and Performances for Public Amusement, Rules 2015.”
Tiatrist Francis de Tuem, who has in the past faced the wrath for speaking his mind through his songs, said, that he along with a group of 600 other tiatrists would draft a memorandum rejecting the setting up of the tiatr censor board.
“This proposal put up by the government does not augur well. It is against our fundamental right to freedom of speech. Is it only that the newspapers and other media are allowed to freely express their views and opinions and not us? This is not fair,” he remarked.
Benaulim based Roseferns while defending the freedom of expression denounced the government’s decision and has signed the memorandum that will be submitted to the office of the Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, Deputy CM Francis D’Souza and other concerned authorities.
“The tiatr is not like Marathi theatre or play. There are times where songs are written two days before the show. In such a situation it makes no sense having a censor board,” said Roseferns.
Tiatr producer and former chairman of Tiatr Academy of Goa Tomazinho Cardozo, questioned why the government was afraid of tiatrs, calling it “suppressing creative thoughts”. Though the need for a censor board was unnecessary, he said the need for criticizing people and places directly should be avoided.
“On one hand the censor board is not necessary, but there is also a need for tiatrs and their writers to keep the names of people and places they are criticizing out of the script. It shouldn’t be obvious,” said Tomazinho suggesting that if the government goes ahead with the move, the future may not be good.
He added that a censor board imposed on tiatrs during the Portuguese era was understandable as it was a dictatorship. “We are in a democracy and this sort of behavior will not be tolerated,” he said.
What tiatrists around the State find puzzling is the government’s decision to take a U-turn in supporting the tiatr that brought them to power.
“It was because of us criticizing the previous government over issues of mining and pointing out their wrong doings through our art form that the incumbent BJP government has come to power. The support we offered them has backfired on us,” Roseferns said.
As to how the community would react to a censor board, Roseferns summed it up saying, “Just let the censor board come and then you will see the anger of the community.”
President of Tiatr Academy of Goa, Prince Jacob pointed out that songs in tiatrs are mostly based on newspaper reports, demanding to know whether the government would also bring the press under the censor board.
“Will the government ask the media to show the contents before the page goes for printing,” Prince Jacob demanded to know.
Prince Jacob said the government should point out a single incident to show that tiatr is responsible for a law and order problem. “In the case of Mickky-Francis de Tuem episode, FIR was registered against Francis. Let the court decide on the matter. In respect of Akantwadi Goent Naka, let anyone who feels defamed go to the court and get relief,” he added.
Jacob favoured a self regulatory mechanism instead of government censorship on tiatr. “Let us sit and discuss the issue across the table. Self regulation can come when the director hears and clear the songs before the artists take the platform,” Jacob said.
Meanwhile, GPCC President Luizinho Faleiro joined the tiatr fraternity in slamming the ruling dispensation for trying to the gag tiatrs.
Asserting that an attempt to gag the popular tiatr will be an assault on Goan art and culture, Faleiro has warned that the Congress workers will take to the streets if the government does not roll back the decision to censor tiatr.
Luizinho said that the attempt to censor tiatr and natak (Marathi drama) in Goa is highly condemnable and will be opposed by Goans with all their might.
