|
By Sandip Das Folk art has been stimulating social change in rural India for decades. At a recent convention, folk artists from 12 Indian states discussed their role in changing mindsets and ensuring greater participation in governance
About 200 folk artists from 12 states across the country met recently at a national convention on folk media organised by Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) in Narnaul town in Haryana. Artists from Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and other states got together to assess and plan their role in ensuring transparent and accountable governance at the local level. They showed how they could use various forms of folk art, such as song, dance, drama and puppetry, for social mobilisation. Mohan Kumar, a middle-aged folk artist from Jharkhand, and his team have been travelling to villages in the tribal-dominated state for years. They have one simple goal: to raise awareness about social issues such as good governance, literacy, health and the environment through the popular folk art form. Under the banner Manthan Yuva Sanghathan (MYS), the group has so far concentrated on the four districts of Ranchi, Dhanbad, Hazaribagh and Gumla. But they have plans to take their message to the rest of the state's 18 districts. “Most of the villages in Jharkhand lack basic infrastructure such as good roads, healthcare and educational facilities. The folk medium is the only medium to draw the people's attention and create awareness about these issues,” says Pushkar Mahato, a folk artist from the MYS team. Puppet shows, nukkad natak (street plays) and folk songs are extremely popular with the rural masses. “The government machinery is very slow in reacting to the situation. Thus, we decided to do something for ourselves,” says Manju. She explains how the main character in one play is a pradhan (headman) who regularly cheats the villagers. “We invited all the villagers and the pradhan over to see the play. After the show, there was really nothing left to be said,” she adds. Ramesh Mastana, a social activist who runs the NGO Uthan in Himachal Pradesh, says: “Folk art is the medium that appeals to the hearts of the common people and establishes an instant rapport with the audience.” Folk artist Majulata Rankawat, a native of western Rajasthan, has been creating awareness about health, education and drought issues for a number of years. And then there is Gyani Baba (wise saint), a seven-foot-tall puppet with a handlebar moustache, who has been doing the rounds of Ajmer in Rajasthan. Hugely popular, Gyani Baba has travelled to more than 100 villages to spread the message of good governance and urge people to fight the drought. “Folk media such as puppet shows have found a new role and are proving effective,” says Majulata, who is Gyani Baba's ‘voice'. Groups in Rajasthan are campaigning for issues like the right to food, and literacy. According to a rough estimate, there are as many as 70,000 small folk groups (kala jathas) across India. Many of them are associated with local NGOs. These groups are in urgent need of government assistance. “While crores of rupees are spend on advertisements on TV and in print to spread social messages, the role of the kala jathas has largely been ignored,” says an artist from the Urmul Trust working in the Pokhran area of western Rajasthan. She explains that as there are no substantial financial benefits to be had from performing, folk art could soon die out. Still, financial constraints and societal pressures do little to dampen the enthusiasm of folk artists. “We are not doing it for charity, but if spreading messages along with conducting our livelihoods is possible, we are for it,” says one folk artist from Chiplun in Maharashtra.
(Sandip Das is a Delhi-based development journalist.)
InfoChange News & Features, November 2003
|
