======================================================================== Dec 6, 2002, 9.30 am onwards... St Xavier's College Mapusa alumni reunion ========================================================================
Dear Shamshul Bhai and the Nishant team members: Heartiest congratulations and many many thanks. People like you help us to keep our hopes alive, despite all the adversities. Hari Sharma for SANSAD/INSAF ******************************************************************************************** NISHANT NATYA MANCH'S GUJARAT TOUR OF NOVEMBER 2002. Nishant toured Gujarat once again (20-29 November, 2002) with its repertoire of street plays, songs, banners and literature. This was the most intensive so far as we covered not only tribal areas of South and North Gujarat (Dangs, Narmada District, Ambaji etc.) but also urban centers like Vadodra (Baroda) and Ahmedabad. We chose to spend maximum time in tribal areas as communal elements have been working overtime to spread communal hatred amongst tribals and used them for attacking minorities. In cities we chose those spots for performances where poor Hindus and Muslims had indulged in terrible violence against each other. Nishant performed at thirty-three places and mostly each show included two street plays and few songs with adaptations in Gujarati or local dialects on themes of common sufferings and common heritage. At many places street theatre performances of Nishant had to be converted into proscenium theatre like performances as due to presence of huge audience stage, lights and more mikes had to be arranged. Nishant also had following titles/material for circulation among audiences, 'Know the RSS', 'Freedom Struggle and the RSS-A story of Betrayal', 'Communalism-Questions & Answers', 'Untouchables in Manu's India', (in Hindi, English and Gujarati). We also had cards, stickers, songs book and audio/videos on de-humanization, denigration of women, communalism, multi-nationals, corruption, unemployment and price-rise. We would like to share the following significant experiences with friends: (1) The places where we performed were believed to have been under the sway of 'Hindutva' propaganda but we found the audiences highly receptive to our messages. Our presentation against Two-nation theory of Muslim League/RSS specially appealed them. (2) Our anti-communal and anti-Hindutva literature/material got exhausted by the fourth day. (3) There were NGOs who warned us against using names of Hindutva organizations or masks of Modi and others during performances but audience thought otherwise and welcomed their exposure. (4) We found large presence of women among audiences everywhere who greatly liked our cultural presentations and inquired whether we had any cultural item on the plight of women. We of course, had many, which became instant hit. (5) In some areas of Vadodra (Baroda) and Ahmedabad the totally polarized localities on communal lines sat together for the first time after a long reign of violence to witness performances of Nishant and sang jointly songs of communal harmony. __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com ----------------------------------------------------------
