By C. Adhikesavan
The grand old organization of Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) concluded its three- day 15th national conference successfully in Daltonganj in Jharkhand deciding to preserve communal harmony, unity in diversity and peace throughout the country. The conference also highlighted that it is the need of the hour to speak out the truth so that the nation’s composite social fabrics and constitutional values would remain intact through intensifying art and cultural activities of IPTA at district, state and national levels.
All credit goes to the local people and IPTA activists for making the 15th national conference a grand success. The conference took the pledge that they would march ahead without fear and carry forward the struggle to protect the indigenous art and culture. IPTA activities will be taken to new heights. In fact, the conference boosted the morale of the IPTA artists and activists.
Another notable feature of the conference was that more young people, both male and female artists took part with all enthusiasm which 15th National Conference of IPTA Challenge is to Save Our Composite Culture has consequently led to the accommodation of more young people in the national leadership.
The conference appealed to the artists and cultural activists to work for spreading the messages of unity, equality, peace and comradeship to fight hatred in the current scenario, which has been polluted by the communal elements in the country. The city witnessed cultural festivals for all three-days in the evening in which the ordinary people thronged from nook and corner of the city and witnessed the performing artists.
Among the 600 delegates, alternate delegates, guests and invitees, more than hundred of them took part in the debates, discussion and deliberations during the delegate sessions at the Mrigendra Hall. On the inaugural day on March17, artists and cultural activists from across the country assembled near Shivaji Maidan, took out a cultural procession marching on the roads of Daltonganj. The march culminated at the same maidan for an open assembly, where the stage was set and named as Nilambar and Pitambar Lok Mahotsav. The conglomeration of artists and cultural activists dressed in traditional outfits drew the attention of curious onlookers.
The open meeting was conducted by a presidium consisting of Srimal Banerjee, Guahar Raza, Dr Arun Shukla, Sukh Dev Singh Sirsa, T Balan, Amitav Chakravorty, Prem Basin and well-known theatre personality and film maker Dr Prasanna. Dr Prasanna said: “Political leaders are now teaching culture when cultural workers should actually make people aware of the exact crises of the country and the ways to come out of the present situation.”
“Voice must be raised against rising communalism through art forms,” said well-known writer and director of Tribal Research Institute Ranendra while addressing the gathering and added “Ghana andhera rahena nahi hai aur roshniek din aana hi hai” meaning that “darkness will not prolong and light has to come”.
IPTA leader Mithilesh said that it is the land of Nilambar and Pitambar. “When politics troubles, action brings it to the level of confidence.” Dr Samik Bandyopadhyay, scholar, a critic of Indian art, theatre and film was present all the three days and guided and gave directions to the conference.
According to Gauhar Raza, “Ideas propagating scientific temperament should be encouraged through art and culture, which would counter the unscientific rumours.”While Nasiruddin asked for highlighting the state of domestic violence and gender issues through cultural activities, Meenakshi Pahwa stressed on making people aware about issues concerning environment and climate change. Till now we have been speaking about pollution only, she said.
Renowned Indian scientist and Urdu poet Gauhar Raza, Meenakshi Pahwa, Vineet Tiwari, Dr Jaya Mehta, Nasiruddin, Deepak Kabir, Ishwar Singh Dost, Nimisha Raju and scores of others conducted workshops and exhibition at Gandhi Memorial Hall. The mode of the workshop was presentation, theme-based one-piece performances, documentary narration and discussion.
Various papers were prepared by incorporating the opinions and suggestions derived from discussions and were presented in the conference by the leaders present at the workshops. Through these, the conference suggested that there should be art forms of IPTA to create awareness among the people of the issues faced by them.
The IPTA organised its cultural festival at Shivaji Park all the three days in the evening in which songs, dance and plays were watched and witnessed by thousands of people of the Daltonganj city with all enthusiasm and appreciation. The cultural evening featured dances from Bihar, from Bengal and folk art forms and songs from the states of Telangana and Kerala. Troupes from different states presented art forms typical of their respective states.
Besides, Sufi singer Mir Mukhtiyar Ali presented Kalams of various Sufi saints. When singer Neha Singh Rathod started singing Bhojpuri songs, rain started. People kept listening to her despite heavy rains. Seema Ghosh from Bengal was another singer to perform on the same evening. Chaibasa IPTA was also present attending the grand event. An exhibition showing the journey of IPTA, photographs, cartoons and posters was also organised at the local Town Hall. Many visuals and street plays were performed on the streets of Daltonganj city.
The delegates were divided into commissions which after hectic deliberations came up with reports and placed them before the assembly of delegates. Workshops were held on various contemporary topics. Many of the reports were thought provoking and challenging the changing political, social and economic situation in the country.
The meeting of artists organised seminars on topics like social justice, economic imbalance and communalism, besides scientific temperaments and reasoning, environment and climate change were also addressed by writers and cultural activists. One of the participants, well-known writer Ranendra, at one of those sessions, said in his speech, “Voice must be raised against rising communalism through various art forms.”
One of the commissions’ reports said that IPTA must focus on the elements of new science and technology and keeping them as content, dramas, plays, poetry and script writings also are to be updated to counter the communal and casteist forces that use superstition and myths to hoodwink the downtrodden masses.
There must be workshops on science and scientific temper. Repetition of the old things will not do. New songs, new plays with new spirits are the only means and ways to approach the people. Science related plays with inputs from the new scientific technology also could be applied. The contradictions between science and religion must be explained to the masses.
The other commission deliberated on the issues such as challenges faced by farmers, agricultural workers, adivasis and tribals. They also discussed methods and means to approach them through cultural activities. They also took up economic inequality in society along with communalism, scientific attitude and logic, climate change and gender issues.
Addressing the delegates on the second day of the conference, CPI national council secretary Binoy Viswam MP said that the situation in the country is at a very critical stage. We have to rejuvenate IPTA by bringing more and more young people into the cultural fold.
Binoy Viswam also said that IPTA is a guiding force in this situation. IPTA could use its vast experience in the field of culture, art and literature. It has a greater role to culturally prepare grounds against the current atmosphere of hate, which is being spread rapidly in the society. He added that states have much more important role to wage cultural battles against the fascist forces.
The delegates discussed the activities’ report, presentation of resolutions and election of new national committee and office bearers of the IPTA. Various resolutions were passed to protect the environment, for the protection of the indigenous people and marginalised communities and to run movements to protect the environment, to reject the so-called love jihad, to oppose communal politics, against NEP and to oppose foreign universities in higher education. The IPTA national conference was attended by delegates from 21 states. The delegates also participated in various seminars and discussions.
A new national committee of 125 members was elected excepting the patrons, and including the office bearers. Among patrons are M S Satya, K Javed Siddiqui, Madhu and also Samik Bandopadhyay. The chief patron is 93 years old.
The new office bearers comprise of national president, the veteran theatre director Prasanna from Karnataka, national general secretary Tanvir Akhtar and the working president Rakesh Veda, along with secretaries, joint secretaries and vice presidents. Shukendu Mondal was elected as treasurer. Among the decisions were to form committees on media, documentation, and social media.
The reception committee was appreciated by delegates that was led by Jharkhand IPTA state secretary Upendra Kumar Mishra and Shailendra. Dr Arun Mishra, chairman of the reception committee was also praised for the warm reception to the participants. (IPA Service)
