GURGAON CHOOSES THEATRE OVER THEATRICS
When some protestors in Gurgaon interrupted a play by a Pakistani group on Saturday, the audience stood up for the artistes and ensured that the show went on
On Saturday night, when a group of men claiming to be Shiv Sena members, disrupted a play that was being staged in Gurgaon by Pakistani theatre artistes, Gurgaonwallahs gave us a glimpse of the otherwise elusive aman ki aasha (hope for peace).
Reportedly, the men got on stage and started shouting slogans like “Hindustan zindabad, Pakistan murdabad” and “Jai Shri Ram”, before the situation was brought under control and the play continued. However, what the play’s director and actors chose to remember from the incident was that the audience stood up against the protestors and even apologised to them after the play. The play, Baanjh, was being staged at Municipal Corporation Gurgaon (MCG) Open Air Theatre by the Mass Foundation theatre group and is a humourous take on the tussle between India and Pakistan over the Siachen glacier.
THOSE FIVE-SIX PEOPLE CAN’T BE THE VOICE OF 600 PEOPLE
Despite the interruption to the play, Aamir Nawaz, the director of the play, praises the administration for tackling the situation well. He tells us, “There were five-six people who tried to create an interruption during the play but the security was in place and administration handled the situation well. The situation was resolved within a few minutes. They were shouting anti-Pakistan slogans and were trying to create a ruckus.”
He adds, “This was the first time that this sort of a thing happened with us. The situation has been tense for the last one-and-a-half months. We had anticipated something like this but had decided that if the security arrangements were in place, we will continue with our performance. Ghulam Ali sahab ka concert nahi hone diya gaya Mumbai mein and aur bhi kuch issues chal rahein hain toh humein kahin na kahin yeh lag raha tha ki aisa kuch ho sakta hai. Shaayad woh mental preparation hi hamaare kaam aayi” (They stopped Ghulam Ali’s concert from taking place in Mumbai, and other issues are ongoing, so we thought something like this could happen. Maybe our mental preparation helped us).
Nawaz says that after the play ended, people from the audience came and hugged them and apologized for what happened. “I feel that those five-six people can’t be the voice of 600 people. After the play got over, around 400 people came to us, hugged us and even apologised for what happened. In fact, those people who came to disrupt our performance did our job in a way . Humein shaayad utna pyaar nahi milta agar aisa na hua hota (Maybe we wouldn’t have got so much love if that hadn’t happened). I think it was because of those people that the audience felt guilty.”
Dr Zoya Kazi, one of the actors in the play, says, “I was backstage when we heard some people protesting. But it was encouraging that people from the audience got on the stage to stand against the protestors. The love of 500 people overpowered the hatred of those five-six people.”
WE WILL PERFORM AGAIN
The group will also be performing today at Azad Bhavan at an event organized by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).“We will be talking to the organisers there to apprise them of the situation and demand security. We are committed to performing here and to reach out to people. Those few people don’t reflect the sentiment of the so many others. If the others sitting in the crowd would have had the same sentiment, we would have gone back home. People want to meet us and talk to us. Those people threw our flag and that was disappointing, but the love and support that we got from the audience ended our fears and made us happy,“ adds Aamir Nawaz, the play’s director.
Rashid Gull, one of the actors in the play, says, “India and Pakistan are quite similar in a cultural context. We have always enjoyed performing in India and if we look at Saturday’s performance, barring the interruption that was caused for a few minutes, it was a great performance. We would like to come back to Gurgaon and perform here. When we were coming, many people were saying, ‘Mat jao, haalaat kharab hain’. Par humne unhe bola ki haalaat sahi karne hi toh ja rahe hain (‘Don’t go, the situation is bad’ But we told them that we have to go to improve the situation). The Pakistani media had been playing up the incidents that happened and our family members were a little scared for our safety. In fact, my wife called me up after hearing about it but I assured her everything was fine.”
GURGAON CHOOSES THEATRE OVER THEATRICS
Attar Singh Sandhu, a resident of Gurgaon’s Sector 9 and a theatre lover who was at the play , tells us, “When they (the protesters) came on stage shouting slogans, we thought it was part of the play . But when they insulted the country of the artistes, we realised it was a real protest. Some of the audience members immediately got hold of them and asked them to leave. There was a heated argument, but the protesters were outnumbered and leaving the venue quietly was the only viable option for them. An artiste is judged by his art and not by his nationality. Plus, yeh humare mehmaan hain (they are our guests). Insulting guests is not part of Indian culture.”
Sunaina, a Gurgaon-based theatre artiste who also went to watch the play on Saturday , says, “The play talked about the emotional side of both Indian and Pakistani soldiers. The protesters caused a minor disruption and didn’t do much except chant anti-Pakistan slogans. The artistes got a little scared and we had to go to them and explain that the situation is under control and they can resume their play . When Indian artistes perform in Pakistan, they speak highly of their hospitality . We should also make the visiting artistes feel at home and not let some people bring a bad name to the country.”
THE SHOW MUST GO ON IN GURGAON
Vishav Deepak Trikha, who has been entrusted by the MCG with the task of inviting artistes to its open-air theatre, says, “After Ghulam Ali’s concert was banned and the ink attack on Sudheendra Kulkarni, we had a feeling that something like this might happen. But what was amazing was that nobody in the audience supported those rabble-rousers. People showed sense. They even threatened to rough them up if they didn’t leave. After that, they requested the artistes to continue the play.”
As far security is concerned, police presence is usually not required on Saturdays at the openair theatre as people simply come to enjoy cultural programmes. However, the organisers say that they had intimated the police to be cautious this time and two constables were also present when the show began. “I reckon the police officers must have left for a tea break and the agitators took that opportunity . I immediately called the police and five-six cops reached the venue, and later, a police van stayed there till the end of the show,“ says Trikha.
Vikas Gupta, MCG commissioner, says, “We will be filing a complaint but it was not as big an issue as is being made out. There was full coordination between the police and MCG. The people who got on the stage and started protesting were doing it for publicity.“
S.S. Rohilla, public relations officer, MCG, adds, “The interruption was caused just for one minute.The reports of the protesters tearing the Pakistani flag are not true. There were four-five people who were claiming to be Shiv Sainiks who got on the stage. The police was present but wasn’t close to the stage. But the situation was brought under control quickly .”
PEOPLE ARRESTED, BELONG TO SHIV SENA: GURGAON POLICE
However, a statement from the Gurgaon Police said, “No written information was given nor was permission sought from the Sector 29 police station by any person/authority regarding the holding of any programme in which Pakistani artistes were to participate. The SHO rushed to the spot as soon as the information regarding disruption was received.“
By the time of going to press, a police complaint had been filed and a few people taken in for questioning. Ashok Kumar, SHO, Sector 29 police station, told us, “The MCG has filed an FIR under IPC Sections 451 (house-trespass in order to commit offence punishable with imprisonment) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention). We have caught three-four people and the interrogation is on.“
A statement from Gurgaon police also confirmed that the troublemakers belong to the Shiv Sena.” Acting upon the complaint regarding criminal trespass by a group of people in a cultural programme, Gurgaon Police has registered an FIR against four persons. In a swift action all the four accused belonging to Shiv Sena have been arrested,“ said the statement.
— Times of India, Oct 26, 2015
