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Let’s Discuss “Casteism – Institutionalised Murders”

The suicide of Dr Payal Tadvi from Maharashtra has sparked the discussion of ” caste discrimination” all over the nation. This incident particularly shows how a bold, brave girl can be broken through casteism. The three senior female doctors who harrased her don’t even acknoeledge their mistake or recognise their caste privilege. More recently a guy named Bakki Srinivas was beaten to death for eating a fallen mango from the mango plantagion of a savarna landlord. In Alwar, Rajasthan a heterosexual bahujan couple were stripped naked and girls were gang raped by a mob of sarvarna men. Many such incidents of caste-based harassment have been surfacing from time to time. All these incidents are proof that even after 70 years of criminalising caste discrimination the urban and rural India suffers from everyday casteism which leads to institutionalised murders of people like Payal, Rohith Vemula etc., Rohit vemula student of UOH who committed suicide wrote ” The value of a man was reduced to his immediate identity and nearest possibility. To a vote, to a number to a thing. Never was a man treated as a mind” in his letter. His death marked the uprising of a movement that asked for “ROHIT ACT” which would strain the present SC, ST atrocities act / POA ACT. Instead, the present savarna dominant Hindutva government has been trying to dilute the POA ACT.

At this juncture, it’s important that all of us understand the effects and forms of casteism in these contemporary times and find ways to END CASTEISM.

Ambekar said ” Educate- Agitate- Organise” Therefore let us all discuss and educate ourselves casteism, it’s effects and the way ahead to end casteism.

ALL ARE WELCOME!!!

the protection and improvement of the human environment is a major issue, which affects the well-being of peoples and economic development throughout the world, designated 5 June as World Environment Day.

Most of us agree that childhood days were the best days of life. And we all carry memories of childhood across ages. One of the prominent memories to rekindle our childhood would be the song, “Taa naa naa tana naanaa naa…” of Malgudi days. XpressionZ brings to you, a piece of 3 short plays based on RK narayan’s Malgudi days, which most of have witnessed and have enjoyed a lot. The beauty of these stories lies in the simplicity and unconventional endings with a small piece of message to the society, all in a humorous way. Well, then, let’s get back to our childhood for some time and enjoy the innocence.

Mongryong marries the beautiful Chunhyang without telling his father, the Governor of Namwon. When his father is transferred to Seoul, Mongryong has to leave Chunhyang and finish his exams. Chunhyang, being the daughter of a courtesan, is also legally a courtesan.

Director: Kwon-taek Im Writers: Sang-hyun Cho (story), Hye-yun Kang Stars: Hyo-jeong Lee, Seung-woo Cho, Seong-nyeo Kim

Movies Intro : 7:00 PM Movies Starts at 7:10 PM Post-Screening Discussion – 15 mins

A play by KASH Theatre-‘Jaat Hi Puchho Sadhu Ki’ written by a renowned playwright Late Vijay Tendulkar. The performance is a translated version in Hindi by Late Prof. Vasant Dev, which is an out an out hilarious satire. The play is being designed and directed by Subhash Gupta. The play was written somewhere in 1977 and it talks about caste-ism and nepotism which is relevant in today’s times as well. Mahipat Babhruvahan hails from a village. He belongs to a lower caste. His hard work and perseverance enables him to acquire education and land a job as a professor however his caste becomes a stumbling block in his success. He reacts using various means to protect his position resulting in hilarious and adventurous situation.

Mukti 1937 Bengali film screening with English subtitles Country: Indian; Year: 1937; Language: Bengali; Runtime: 115 min; Color: Black and White; Sound: Mono Studio: New Theatres

Barua’s classic adultery story tells of an artist, Prasanta (Barua) presented in the stereotypically romantic image dedicated to his vocation, paying no heed to his scandalous reputation (he paints nude models) and with a cavalier attitude to his conservative father-in-law’s (Choudhury) demands for good social behaviour. He is married to the rich Chitra (Kanan Devi). The couple are in love but neither partner is prepared to compromise their ideals. The marriage falls apart. Prasanta concedes his wife demand for a divorce and goes to the jungles of Assam, where for many years his closest associates are a wild elephant and Jharna (Menaka), the wife of an innkeeper named Pahari (P. Mullick). He also makes a sworn enemy of a local trader (Nawab/A. Mullick). Chitra marries the millionaire Bipul (Mukherjee) and they go on an elephant hunt. They kill Prasanta’s pet elephant. Since Chitra believes Prasanta to be dead he avoids meeting her, but he is forced to rescue her from the vilainous trader. Prasanta succeeds but dies at Chitra’s feet. The film interprets his death as Chitra’s final achievement of the freedom she had craved. Barua contrasts the regressive story presented as static and unresolved, both as narrative and performance, with a hyperactive environment that overwhelms the trivial nature of the lead couples’ desires. There are many sequence shots tracking through walls – including the justly celebrated ‘psychological’ opening shot as Prasanta walks through one door after another until he reaches his studio, and from interior to exterior, while nature is exemplified by mountains, trees, wind and charging elephants. This was one of the first elaborate filmic uses of Tagore’s lyrics, with the poet’s original tunes (Sahar range rang, Mesa te bobe. Tar biday belar malakhani), but one of the film’s big hits, Diner sheshe ghumer deshe, was composed originally for the film by Mullick.

The film will be introduced by Aparajita Roy Sinha, Film Critique

ALL ARE WELCOME

IDEA OF INDIA: DIFFERENT VARIANTS

-An interactive talk with

Dr. Shamsul Islam taught Political Science for 40 years in the Delhi University. He has written over 14 books, and over 700 articles in dailies and journals both in India and abroad on issues like theocracy, religious intolerance, fundamentalism, status of Dalits, women, and culture, theatre, human values, human rights, exploitation etc. He is visiting Hyderabad, and would like to share his thoughts with interested people and answer questions.

Manch Theatre is performing Two Hindi Play. 1st Play – Dhoka(genre-suspense), Duration- 40 mins, written and Directed by Priyadarsani Suranjika Samal 2nd Play – Kirayedaar( genre -comedy), Duration- 30 mins (Based on a Bengali Play written by Narayan Ganguly ) Hindi Translation and Directed by -Subrata Basak

Topi Ki Daastan is based on a famous and popular Hindi novel Topi Shukla, written in the early sixties by Dr. Rahi Masoom Raza. It has been adapted by Wings Cultural Society in the ‘Dastaan Narration Form’. Through storytelling we have tried to recreate the turbulence between ‘ Topi’ and ‘Iffan’, the main characters, they are childhood friends who have grown up in an independent cultural environment before the great divide that was the result of the creation of the two nations. The entire scenario is created through dialogues in the truest format. This “Dastaan” is an attempt to reinvent those feelings of fear and horror between the two main communities which were affected. It revolves around TOPI who is an embodiment of chaos in the post independent era. The “Dastaan” highlights the circumstances of two nations existing within the one nation. Topi a Hindu by faith questions the formation of Pakistan and is a mirror image of the mindset of his times,which also becomes a reflection of the present day scenario.

Movie Screening – Pather Panchali by Satyajit Ray

Pather Panchali is Ray’s debut film, and the first film of his ‘The Apu Triology’

The time is early twentieth century, a remote village in Bengal.The film deals with a Brahmin family, a priest – Harihar, his wife Sarbajaya, daughter Durga, and his aged cousin Indir Thakrun – struggling to make both ends meet.

Pather Panchali has a universal humanist appeal. Though the film deals with the grim struggle for survival by a poor family, it has no trace melodrama. What is projected in stead is the respect for human dignity.

The sequences of Apu and elder sister Durga, exploring their little world and sharing secrets are most remarkable aspect of the film. These include the scenes of – discovery of train by Durga and Apu in field of white Kash flowers, the candy seller sequence, and Indir Thakrun’s death.

The film develops its characters and the atmosphere slowly and resolutely. The narrative builds up to a powerful climax as we begin to empathise with the characters.

DURATION : 2 HOURS

VENUE : LAMAKAAN