N. P. Upadhyaya
Kathmandu: Almost a day after of the hair-raising incident in Janakpur ( Province number 2 led by Lal babu Raut) wherein the local youths affiliated with the C.K Raut run Janmat party had taken to task a government official ( Mr. Rajeshwar Kushvaha…) associated with the Water Supply and Sewerage department who was paraded in the entire town half-naked for his reported negligence of the continued appeal of the locals to listen to their pressing demands, in Biratnagar the Shilpi theater staged a short open air drama which in many more ways than one was symbolic to the rampant corruption prevailing in the country practically at all the levels-from top to the Village Ward levels.
While the manner Mr. Kushvaha was marched half-naked in Janakpur could be a matter of intense debate on whether such “direct” actions from the people’s level was desirable and praiseworthy or the accused should have been referred to the concerned authorities for appropriate penal actions but the Biratnagar drama which was mainly focused on Corruption staged by the Shilpi theater was simply superb to the extent that a media man seated close to me almost cried and had tears in the core of his eyes.
Some scenes were not only emotional but were touching too.
The Janakpur incident does tell that “people will now not endure any corrupt practices” and bring the perverts to the streets and if need be may also take the law into their hands.
Has the incident in Janakpur some underlying message to the corrupts seated at the Ward, district, zonal and Cabinet levels who in the name of “institutionalization” of the gifted Republican order have instead established the corrupt practices across the country.
Nepal in essence is running under whims of a few leaders, it could be said fairly, who are trained by and indoctrinated by Indian regime.
The drama staged by the Shilpi theatre in Biratnagar in an excellent manner illustrated how corrupt practices and corruption at all levels of the bureaucracy and more so in the society wherein we live in (including the Wards and the Municipality that “we the people confront corrupt people each day to get our matters done) impedes the societal development (in matters of development and education as well).
The one-hour long drama kept one occupied with the new events that came to us in our daily lives in steps and how a modest family struggles hard to get things going.
A girl Renuka has ambitions to take up further Nursing course. The drama is all about her struggles in getting enrolled in the Nursing campus.
However, the Office of the Chief District office (CDO hereafter) while issuing her citizenship certificates writes the name of Renuka which has some blunders.
Only money matters in practically all the government cross the country.
The girl tries hard to get her name corrected from the CDO office but fails to convince the same authorities who earlier had issued her Citizenship papers with wrong name.
The drama is all about how corruption and corrupt practices have ruined the society and the nation finally.
The Shilpee Drama Yatra is to continue for two weeks.
The actors who played in this short but sweet and yet pinching social drama deserves deep appreciation from all quarters of social life in Biratnagar and the nation as a whole.
The maiden initiative must be praised by us all.
The beginning is good which means the end too would be well and bag immense successes.
Notably, some noted corrupts who too were enjoying the drama at North-South Center in Panchali tole (very close to the Biratnagar office of the telegraphnepal.com) appeared at times embarrassed for obvious reasons.
Their restiveness spoke so many things unspoken.
The girl Renuka deserves our deep appreciation and her grandmother (in the drama) too won the hearts of the attending viewers who were in large numbers.
All in all, the Janakpur incident plus the Biratnagar drama, Big fish, small fish, staged by the Shilpee theater hints that the so far “oppressed people of this nation have come out of their slumber” and that the corrupts have days numbered in Nepal. So be it.
All the best to the Shilpee theater. We wish all the best for the men behind this somewhat “serious drama” that they staged in Panchali, Biratnagat, 22 October, 2021.
Appreciated. Extraordinary. Excellent. Go ahead.