13.Theatre of Relevance – Survivors became Saviors!  -Manjul Bhardwaj 

Within a decade Globalization made an impact on India. The unproductive employees in the market terms were forced or bribed to take VRS (Voluntary retirement Scheme). They were given lot of money which Indian middle class never saw at one go. So economy boom was rising. Middle class was also rising. The IT sector was making India known across the Globe. The Iranian Tea corners in Mumbai were bought by a multi-national coffee brand. Shopping malls were built next door. Youth was being offered big packages at management & IT campus. The infrastructure Development was on rise. People were sold their land near metro cites. They suddenly become rich. On newly build highway the imported cars became the new face of India.

Media was privatized. New religious channels were making inroads in Indian society. These channel slowly made a Bhakt community.  All of a sudden Lots of Babas became famous and the VRS crowd became their followers. These Babas are running daily goods market. So the glossy, rich India was visible to the world.

In between all this farmers’ suicide started happening. The difference between India & Bharat began. The rich was getting richer, poor was getting poorer at the same time.  Climate change was making headlines. Natural calamities, flood, fire, typhoon, earthquake & Tsunami are becoming the regular feature of life.

Among all this when Kinder Kultur Karawane invited us to perform in Germany in the year 2000, I wrote the Play B-7. The play B-7 depicts the story of 7 birds that are facing a threat for their survival. The birds decide to form a fact-finding committee to list out the threats to their survival. This way they enter in the human world and expose the reality of today’s world. How the children are being deprived from their childhood and how the globalization “Who are you to decide about us” is affecting the children in the world. In the end the birds committee suggest the world to save childhood and humanity. The play B-7 was premiered on 7 SEPTEMBER, Expo 2000 AT UNESCO AUDITORIUM IN HANNOVER in Germany.

The play actually exposed the hypocrisy of G-8. How G-8 policies facilitated the loot of natural resources in the world leaving behind millions without food, water & shelter. Only profit mattered for G-8 not the human rights. In the next door shopping mall everything is available which you can buy. But to buy you need money. For money you need job. And G-8 was destroying the jobs in the world. Today unemployment is the biggest challenge.

The globalization destroyed the mother earth. Global warming will soon destroy the world if not being stopped. The development is becoming a curse. Air, water, earth pollution reached at alarming levels. Glass & plastic has replaced everything of day to day use in households.

A small quantity of Glass destroys your body, but Glassy malls, show rooms, clinics, hotels, corporate houses & residential towers have become the face of modernity. How foolish the society has become!

Environment; Air, water, fire, earth & space are face to face with human beings. Developed & developing nations of the world destroyed the nature. The play B-7 is a war cry to save the nature & mother Earth!

Globalization’s greed has destroyed rationale & humane thinking. Globalization along with right wing fanatics & profit mongers has divided Indian society on caste & religion. This phenomenon is visible across the globe everywhere profit mongers are ruling the world.

On the religion & caste based violence wrote a play “Vishwa – The World" in 2006. The play “Vishwa – The World" unfolds & explores the dreams, desires & aspirations of the destitute & deserted young people, who fight against all odds & come out as survivors.

Now they want to chill out in the arc light of super built Metro City. They want to catch up with the phenomenon of global expansion, and play a part in the fast-paced, colourful spreading culture in globalization. The "Survivors" start reflecting on their childhood struggle; what is being taught to them in schoolbooks, what is the social reality; does it match with their hopes or support their dreams?

They start questioning their dreams and wonder – Will any one of them be able to actualize their dream? The dream of being – KABIR, ABRAHIM LINCOLN, SAVITRIBAI PHULE, JYOTIBA PHULE, MAHATAMA GANDHI, ALBERT EINSTEIN & WANGARI MAATHAI?

Both the plays B-7 (2000 & 2003) & “Vishwa – The World" (2006) were performed in Germany in Kinder Kultur Karawane by the children & youth who emancipated themselves from the exploitation of child labour & violence through Theatre of Relevance processes. The survivors became the saviors for the world!

#TheatreofRelevance #PlayB-7 #PlayVishwas-The World #KinderKulturKarawane #Germany #ManjulBhardwaj

…to be continued….