JOIN USUse theatre as medium to fight social malady
Medical education and district in-charge minister S A Ramdas on Saturday exhorted theatre repertory Rangayana to create awareness against social evils like Devadasi practice, HIV, corruption, casteism among others through the very medium of art.
He was speaking after inaugurating the 10th edition of ‘Bahuroopi’ a national theatre festival at Vanaranga in Rangayana in the city.
Saying that this assumes significance in the wake of Made Snana, a ritual where the people from lower castes roll over the left over meals of Brahmins in Kukke Subramanya, the minister said made snana-like social malady should be weeded out at least to protect the dignity of human beings.
The war against social evils will be declared in a week with the government deciding to visit the border districts of the State like Belgaum, Koppal and Bijapur in a week’s span, he said.
The minister was pained to note that 6,000 children are HIV infected in those districts and 4.5 per cent of college going girls too are affected by the dreaded disease.
Commissioner of Kannada and Culture department Manu Baligar instructed the director of the repertory B V Rajaram to extend the activities to the eight nearby districts. He advised him to discuss about the same with his counterparts in Shimoga and Dharwad Satya and Enagi Nataraj respectively.
The commissioner promised special budgetary allocation for the purpose to take ahead the activities of Rangayana. What made him sound confident was the successful experiment of Malegalali Madhumagalu, theatre adaptation of Rashtrakavi Kuvempu’s work by the same name.
Former vice chancellor of University of Mysore De Jaware Gowda buttressed the minister in calling for de-weeding social malady like Made Snana. He however had a piece of advise to the minister asking him not to express helplessness and practice social commitment.
He urged the authorities of Rangayana to establish a museum exclusively for theatre which has master genius like Gubbi Veeranna, Hirannaiah to name a few.
Theatre artiste and film actor H J Dattatreya popular as Dattanna, actor Rameshwari Verma, chairperson of Sangeeth and Nataka Academy Malathi Sridhar, film director B S Lingadevaru, director of Rangayana B V Rajaram, assistant director Nirmala Matapathi, convener of the theatre festival H S Umesh and member of Ranga Samaja Na Srinivas were present.
Significance of Jan 14
For most January 14 brings Sankranti to mind. While for those associated with Rangayana it’s time to go back to the day the repertory begin. It was on January 14, 1980, 22 years ago, one of the greats in the realm B V Karanth launched Rangayana.
Now, it has entered its 23rd year. Also it was on the same day, 10 years ago Bahuroopi saw its birth.