World Theatre Day celebrations in city

Mysuru: The nation will not survive if people do not protest against politicians who hanker for power and chair lifelong, said veteran theatre artiste Prof. G.K. Govinda Rao.

He was speaking at the ‘Janapada Jeevala’ award function organised in the memory of farmer leader late K.S. Puttannaiah as part of  ‘World Theatre Day,’ jointly organised by Karnataka Nataka Academy and Janamana Samskrithika Sangha at Kalamandira here yesterday.

“The dramas penned by P. Lankesh and Purnachandra Tejaswi gave a new direction to the society. However, today’s cinema with vulgar gyrating songs is poking fun at theatre. If there was no drama or play, then there would not have been the world or theatre itself. Hence, there should be encouragement to stage more and more plays,” he said.

“Theatre means to be in a constant state of conflict. There is no selfishness in this conflict. Struggle means not fighting selfishly. Even the BJP, JD(S) Congress differences is not struggle. The ideas espoused by Mahatma Gandhi and Abraham Lincoln are true ideological struggles,” he said.

In 1992 when Babri Masjid was demolished, the country was on the edge. The question whether to build a Masjid or Ram’s Temple continued to boil in the country. But pointing to what the farmer leader who had talked about this conflict once said, Prof. Govinda Rao recalled that Puttannaiah had said that instead of building a Masjid or a Ram Temple, toilets should be build so that people would come to use it without any caste or religious discrimination.  

“Earth is not polluted. If one develops a relationship with the earth or land, then man will be filled with a pure mind. The country will be a fertile, green land. In the villages, people will not be angry or jealous. Puttannaiah who mingled with the farmers did not have a selfish mentality. He always used to help the people with whatever he had without discriminating against anyone,” he said eulogising Puttannaiah.

Rajya Raitha Sangha President Badagalapura Nagendra said that Puttannaiah was not just an activist but also an artiste. It is not wrong to say that he was a rural Economist who had earned a degree in the University. He was also a sportsman and in the coming years he must be remembered in a more meaningful way, he added.

On the occasion veteran theatre artiste I.K. Bolvar was presented ‘Janapada Jeevala’ award instituted in the memory of K.S. Puttannaiah.

Later, singers H. Janardhan, Pushpalatha, Chintan Vikash, C.M. Narasimhamurthy, Devananda Varaprasad and Hurgalavadi Ramaiah entertained the audience with folk and theatre songs. Sunita Puttannaiah, artiste K.R. Sumathi, Gopalkrishna, Guruprasad Keragodu and others were present.