Theatre and the Performing Arts

Natya Samagama

The five-day Natya Samagama in Jammu has changed the cultural picture of the city. These five days have been an absolute revelation. Beginning with meeting the directors of plays staged the previous day, followed by a colourful and varied presentation of various performing arts from Jammu and Kashmir. This was again followed by plays from all over India from 5pm till 9.30pm. For a theatre lover like me this has been paradise.  The city of Jammu has seen such a conglomeration for the first time and the atmosphere was reminiscent of the Rangmahotsav in Delhi. The good thing was that all the performances were conducted in the same area. 

Meeting people from the world of the creative and performing arts has a charm of its own. Groups of performers coming from diffucult areas of Kashmir just to be able to perform here, tell a lot about their love for their art.

These five days have opened an audio visual panorama for me that will have a lasting impact due its magic.

Human Rights and Kashmir

The month of May this year, brought the aam kashmiri and the men in olives together on one platform – to discuss human rights in Kashmir. Yes, does sound paradoxical. For years now the army has not been considered the best of friends of the common man in Kashmir. But the change is now apparent. Conflict resolution is no doubt a complex and difficult issue. A degree of restraint by the concerned forces is showing through ways of winning over the hearts of the people.
The two-day seminar proceedings were beamed live to the LOC so that every jawan could be a part of the seminar. In fact, this seminar was conducted at a very appropriate time. The tourist season has been picking up this summer and the general atmosphere has lightened up. In such circumstances, the army has done quite a bit of soul searching and come up with an agenda for change to bring about the true elements of Kahmiriyat, of tolerance, transparency and acceptance. The year 2011 is being looked at as the year of change, where the army has expressed its willingness to discuss and debate issues that have been cause for so much turmoil in the valley. This year the separatists and the terrorists are on the backfoot. Army is retaining the initiative of being on top of the situation. Unfortunately, the army has been the favourite whipping boy and this has come about due to a lack of understanding across society. But today things are changing. Takreer and tehzeeb are the key words today.
The shikara ride on Dal Lake reminded me of the paradise that actually exists.

Kashmir

The seven days I got to spend in Kashmir were heavenly, to say the least. I attended a two-day seminar on Human Rights in Kashmir organized by the Army (what does this say?) at Srinagar. It was a well thought out program with learned panelists interacting with a very active audience, which besides the men in olive green also had students and teachers from the Kashmir University. The panelists included Sadia Dehlvi, Dr Manoj Joshi, Cok Ajay Shukla (Retd), Farooque Andrabi, Dr Riyaz Punjabi, Dr SM Sahai (IG Police), Prof Siddiq Wahid, Justice BC Patel, Gen Patankar (Retd), Dilafroz Qazi,and others, none any less. They put forward their views and took questions graciously. All this has come about as an initiative taken by the army to bring about a change in the atmosphere prevailing in this State, and the change is perceptible. This paradise does not deserve to be mauled by self interested parties destroying the very fabric of Kashmiriyat.
The visit to the city showed up a vibrant place teeming with tourists and there was no trace of fear or tension in the area. I had my fill of qahva. The shikara ride on the Dal Lake brought back memories of my visit to this place 25 years ago. Of course there was no coffee joint like Coffea Arabia here back then, where I enjoyed the cold coffee and paneer shwarma along with the peppy ambience.
I then spent some time with my friends in Kupwara and what a way to connect with nature. The mountains green with pine trees, the swift flowing Lolab, the apple trees already full with tiny apples, the chinar trees, wild strawbwrry flowers encountered on our treks, the clear air and sky along with the lovely company - it was indescribable. Go visit Kashmir and you will know what I mean.