Bhubaneswar: Tribal plays, staged during annual Adivasi Mela in Bhubaneswar, have earned accolades for their strong messages on various social issues that continue to prevail till date.
“Dekh Meta Tor Tokir Kata”, a play in Koraputia Desia language on child marriage, was staged at the three-day multilingual tribal drama festival of the Mela on Sunday evening. It depicted how the intervention of educated mass of the village stopped a child marriage and both the minors went on to become highly educated later in life.
Director Sundarmal Barik of “Maa Mauli Kala Parishad” from Gundal Kundra in Koraput district said, “The strong message through this tribal multilingual drama festival has really attracted thousands of viewers and given a wonderful experience to the troupes.”
The second play of the night in Mundari language “Hemal Umbul” by “Maa Chintamani Mundari Opera” from Astajharan, Badasahi in Mayurbhanj district put across a message against the ill-effects of unscientific, superstitious and blind belief on sorcery practices as a family disowns its own mother.
Writer-director-actor Dasrath Singh felt that the drama festival would inspire others in the tribal communities to adopt creative thinking and try to bring in social changes through them.
On Saturday evening, “Riling Kedamanmee Jiban Reya Senhora”, directed by Satrughan Singh, focused on the mobile menace among the youths. It showed how a tribal youth, who had been addicted to mobile phone, lost his lover, family and old parents.
The play in Mundari language was staged by members of “Man Biratpat Tayanbur Banga Madil Dramatic Club” from Khadiabasa, Udala in Mayurbhanj district.
It was followed by Santali play “Din Ge Dubung Dubung” which depicted bad effects of over-indulgence of many tribal communities in dance and music, affecting their mainstream activities.
“The protagonist from a general community tries to make the tribal people understand how he was leading a comfortable life for proper planning, while his tribal friends were still suffering,” said director of the play Gangadhar Hembram.
Roopa Roshan Sahoo, secretary, ST, SC Development Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department, said, “The diversity of tribal languages is a great asset for our state. The multilingual drama festival at Adivasi Mela has also become a big creative platform for our gifted artists.”
