The Kannada Theatre and Dalit Movement in Karnataka: A case in Kolar

1

Some years ago in front of the Kannada Bhavan in Bangalore the Smudaya troupe
performed a play called Belchi
2
. For as well as many of the spectators the play was not just a
play. The characters in the play were not just interested in mere performance of the play. Their
intended meaning was to capture the Modern Democratic India in which Caste was still a
dominant norm that dictated rules of social ehavior. !f a citi"en is not adhering to that dictate of
caste then the conse#uence would even e a death penalty$ Thus% the play was a warning signal
to all those who loo&ed for a democratic life as !ndian citi"ens. 'ence the play redefined oth the
characters as well as spectators y assigning them a future possiility that went eyond its
conventional definition.
Therefore% this paper is going to argue that any writing or play necessarily has to have a
future dynamics inuilt with its language of articulation for an active intervention in social
change. !n order to theorise this% the paper conte(tuali"es and situates )alit movement in Kolar
district and loo&s at the theatrical strategies that adopted to drive home the sense of dignity for
all. This necessarily involves the problematisation of the general ideas of art or aesthetics and
posits that any art*aesthetics should e e(plained in terms of historical conte(ts that ma&e an
imagined drama is possile. Therefore% Samudaya that performed the play Belchi definitely
challenged the art*aesthetics that appropriated drama as an artifact. !t further relocated the play
into the lives the communities that were caught y the caste relations. !f dont uy this then any
writing ecomes a legitimi"ing tool of modern capitalist social life as culturally desired capital
or value.
There is also another assumption that is attached with the understanding of drama + i.e.
as a genre of literature. From this point view drama is defined and e(plained to uphold the
classical writings in various cultures. ,s literature itself an historical invention of -.
th
and -/
th
century% 0urope used literary tool to legitimi"e its illegitimate colonial sujugation of the other
parts of the gloe. Further its said 1the period from the late eighteenth century through the middle of
the nineteenth is the time of the development of modern conceptions and structures of the liberal state and
the cultural nation
3
. !t was in this historical contest that the famous BhrathaShaathra of Sans&rit
tradition was canoni"ed as the UR-Text of literary criticism
2
. This was immediately ta&en y
1
! am grateful for the 3ondon 4niversity for the support with regard to the research project called 15aste out of
)evelopment6. The present paper was an outcome of that research. 7r. Shivanna who was my research assistant in
the field had an input with regard to the present paper.
2
Belchi village in Bihar lies more than -88 &ms away from 9aghopur district% where si( memers of a family were
urnt alive on Sunday. For the people in Belchi% the incident was a painful reminder of a similar day 2. years ago
:288;< when -- )alits were torched y local landowners. Based on this =rof. 5>K had written and directed the play
called Belchi.
3
See% )avid ,ram Kaiser% -///% 9omanticism% ,esthetics% and ?ationalism% 5amridge 4niversity =ress% 4nited
Kingdom% =.-.
4
But this% notion of literature is aly critici"ed y persons li&e Terry 0agleton :!n !ntroduction literary theory< %
9aymond @illiams :5ulture and Society<% 9oland Barthes :!mage + 7usic + Te(t<% K.A.?arayan :Kannada
3iterary roots< and many others in their writings.
the local colonial elites as a 'igh cultural tool to consolidate their newly earned status of
representatives of the natives. But% during -/BC at a forum called progressive writers and
Artist in 7ysore% the then law minister in Karnata&a ,ssemly% 7r. B. Basavalingappa% declared
that Kannada Literature is nothing but a !DD"#. 3ater ta&ing this the )alit 3aureate
)evanur 7ahadeva in his presidential address at =rotest literary convention% said% 1Friends% !
spea& to you as if !m spea&ing to myself. @e are a minority of writers aspiring for social
change. !ts this desire that has rought us together. The present protest literary conventionalong
with its irth has created controversy. 7ost proaly its a seventh month irth. Doining the
progressive individuals the )alitha Sangarsha Samithi it should have ta&en natural irth.
@hatever it may e irth is not wrong. !t only increases our responsiility. @hat we need is not a
forum li&e Kannada Sahitya =arishat. >iven its structure it cannot fulfill our aspirations. !ts also
stupid to loo& at that. !t has een glorifying a literature thats stagnant. There is nothing that we
can e(pect from it. 3ets not e angry aout that. @hat we need is a desire to change. !f ! would
ecome the president of Kannada =arishat ! could ma&e Siddhalingaiah :)alit =oet< its
presidentEThis is not what we want. @hat we need is a march towards &nowing ourselves.6
From the aove its clear that li&e elsewhere% the literary studies have reached their dead
end. This death of literary studies has given way to move towards cultural studies that unravels
the politics of any writing. 7oreover% in order to give different meaning% the present essay%
arrowing tools from cultural anthropolog and other disciplines tries to discuss that )rama
is a multidisciplinar in ver existence and not just a literar arti!act. From this perspective% if
we lierate the idea of drama from the clutches of literature% then we understand etter how the
genre of drama or a play was ta&en y the )alit Sangarsha Samithi to challenge the rejuvenated
caste in modern !ndia. Further% it was also used to carve out a different identiy for the lower caste
communities across Karnata&a.
Thus% drama as a multiFdisciplinary structure at once it involves speech% music% acting%
stage% costume% sound G light% audience etc. ,ll these% come together in act of performance that
signify a future possiility. !n these processes as 9oland Barthes says the author or the director
of the drama ecomes only a cultural mediator. Thats it$
!n this conte(t% the art or aesthetics in !ndian conte(t can only points to the historical
conte(ts in which certain groups and communities using caste as a tool forid many others from
entering into a dialogue. !ts here that drama as a multiFdisciplinary tool can e used to enter into
a dialogue with regard to the socioFpolitico and economic conte(ts of caste. This critical
perspective was ale to come into Kannada writings ecause of )alit 7ovement that unmas&ed
seculari"ed domains of dominant caste groups. The present essay therefore ta&es a concrete
situation of Kolar district to understand the )alit movement and its strategy of theatrical tool in
oth uilding up its cadre as well as entering into a dialogue for inclusive e(istence. :The series
of incidents that too& place in the early .8s in Karnata&a gave rise to what we today &nown as
the )alit movement spearheaded y the )alitha Sangarsha Samithi. 4nder this forum at all
district centres )SS started its units. !t was in a similar event that )SS too deep root in Kolar.<
!n the words of B. 7iniappa% 1The :social< history of Kolar was nothing ut the story of the
colonial land lordism the actual sons of the soil + the )alits% the landless laours and women
toiled to welleing of the feudal castes.6 !t was in this conte(t that )SS ma&es its entry in the
district y ta&ing up the murder case of a )alit student in the district. ,s the )SS moili"ed its
cadre around the issues of atrocities against the )alits% the practice of untouchaility% the
landlessness% the dignity of e(istence etc% it used awareness songs% the drum and theatre s&ills to
sustain the spirit of the )alit movement. The district wing of )SS had its cultural troupe :,rtist
team< that tuned itself for the struggle as well as uilding its cadre ase. The first of its play was
=atra Sangappa a story of a landlord who created havoc for the )alit community. The play was
ta&en up in all the district units of )SS across Karnata&a. !nspired y >addars songs of
moili"ation% 7r. Kotiganahally 9amaiah would translate the >addars Telugu songs into
Kannada% and =ichalli Srinivas the leader of the artist group would tune the song for a show in
which the others would in unison. This would move the listeners to their lowly conditions and
violence pertuated y caste and moilise them into cadre ase to get ready to throw away the
caste practices. Further% plays li&e "elchi# the murder o! $heshagiriappa# %aragunda &armers
struggle# $aibaba and others more of importance to lives of the people in the villages. The
college students in the hostels and others were camped in villages and were trained in ta&ing up
the issues that were confronting them in their everyday lives.
By loo&ing into the aove we can clearly see what e(actly happening in the streets during
.8s onwards across Karnata&a. The theatrical episodes y )SS rejected the traditional or
conventional portrayal of drama that would ta&e up the puranic or mythical stories of 9amayana
and 7ahaharatha to ta&e the good audience into an impact o! catharsis' Therefore% the
modern plays in the hands of the )alit cadre ecame a tool to conscientise the masses into social
action that would radically ring in difference in their lives. 'ere the characters as well as the
spectators would lose their differences and dissolve themselves into a future possiility to reject
social structures that were an hindrance to a dignified life. Thus% Kannada theatre in the hands of
the )SS radically parted with their traditional theoretical dimensions to transfer the present
social relations of caste% class and gender for a more inclusive democratic e(istence.
)r. )ominic. )
Kannada )ept
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