Post News Network
Kendrapara, Jan 8: Scores of Jatra artistes, playwrights, music composers and lyricists, under the banner of Antaranga Kalakara, Wednesday gathered at Gopa to celebrate the 11th annual function of the outfit. It was aimed at discussing the problems of artisans of Jatra and opera troupes.
Ollywood music director Bikash Das, cine artiste Kuna Tripathy, Kendra Sahitya Akademi awardee Das Benhur, and local MLA of Kendrapara, Kishore Chandra Tarai, were among the guests.
The speakers lamented that Jatra, an old art form, has not received the status it deserves from the state culture department. Artistes don’t get the recognition they deserve from the state government, they rued.
Eminent theatre personality and popular Jatra playwright Ananta Charan Ojha of Kendrapara said that Jatra, once an integral part of the thriving cultural life of coastal districts, is now at a crossroads and has put the livelihoods of over 40,000 families at stake. Ojha blamed the phenomenon of round-the-clock TV soaps in various channels for the slow death of the Jatra art form.
Jatra is yet to be given the status of an ‘organised sector’ in the state, Tripathy said. “Most Jatra artistes suffer from various diseases and many die, forcing their family members to fend for themselves. So it is the need of the hour to constitute a corpus fund for the betterment of Jatra artistes,” Tripathy said. “Steps should be taken by Jatra troupe owners to constitute a group pension and insurance scheme for the artistes and others who depend on Jatra for their survival,” Tripathy said. Some artistes alleged that owners of Jatra troupes force them to
depict vulgarity in their performances to cater to the demand of organisers and do brisk business. “People should protest against the vulgarity,” Tripathy said. “Jatra has played an important role in strengthening Oriya and its literature. Jatra stories should be written in such a way as to uphold culture and morale
values,” said Das Benhur.
Tarai said he would take steps to
highlight problems of Jatra artistes before the Chief Minister.
