Exclusive- IPTA in trouble again, courtesy saffron forces

Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA), which is the oldest association of theatre-artistes in India, has suffered the administration blow once again.

IPTA which was founded in 1943, for bringing cultural awakening and promoted theatre of protest pre to post Independence of India. It was staging its famous production “Jaat Na Poocho Sadho ki ” by veteran playwright Vijay Tendulkar, at Madhya Pradesh on February 26 this year. This satirical play attacks on the society indicating, as sadhu has no caste or religion except humanity, a society and its socio-political religion just be like a true sadhu. Notably, Tendulkar himself, after some time, changed the title of the play and named it “Jati hi puchho sadhu ki", indicating the hidden ironies behind the veil of a sadhu today, and more

This play to be staged at Chhatarpur MP, as a prelude to a theatre festival, for obvious reasons, was banned by the district administration, leaving the producers, directors and artistes, high and dry, who worked for this festival day and night. Also to be noted, that the theatre festivals are like a far cry post lockdown, which has already left creative fraternity in utter financial distress, more so for any substantial patronage from the government deciding for lockdown.

A condemnation of the same has come from the National committee of IPTA, Lucknow chapter. A letter sent by Rakesh, General Secretary IPTA, circulated to theatre and related government departments, said, “National committee of IPTA condemns the district administration of Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh, for the unlawful ban on IPTA theatre festival at Chhatarpur beginning today (Feb.26) at the behest of Bajrang Dal. It is ridiculous that the district administration has taken cognizance of the complaint of Bajrang Dal against the famous play of Vijay Tendulkar "Jati hi puchho sadhu ki".The ignorance or mischief of so-called Bajrang Dal can be understood but the unlawful activity of district administration is unpardonable. National committee of IPTA has demanded from MP Government to take strict action against the erring officials in Chhatarpur district administration and order restoration of theatre festival with adequate compensation to organisers and artistes.”

This should be noted that IPTA, based on the leftist ideology and socialism, has always been a headache for the Britishers and their allied Indian counterparts in India who demolished all protests favouring the voice of the poor and distressed. Formed four years before Independence of India, it and spread into several branches across India slowly, with theatre stalwarts like Prithviraj Kapoor, Habib Tanvir, Balraj Sahni, Ritwik Ghatak, Utpal Dutt, Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, Salil Chowdhury, Pandit Ravi Shankar etc., along with the backing of all members of the Progressive Writers’ has always been in the news for being the voice of the voiceless in creative ways. Furthermore, MP is the birthplace of the veteran theatre stalwart Habib Tanvir who been an integral part of IPTA and presented plays that spoke of communal harmony and promoted talented but unknown poets through its plays. He had kept alive the theatre at Chhatarpur (MP) despite almost no or very little aide, a legacy that his family is carrying on in MP, somehow.

With any humour put on hold, how many times and for how long will the voice of protest be curbed, is a question the forces like Bajrang Dal needs to find answers of.