Sending the message of secularism, a play that deals with the emotional casualties and traumas arising from the defining movements of the partition was staged on Monday at Madhya Pradesh Rangotsav 2015.
The Hindi play 'Gandhi Ne Kaha Tha', was performed at Antarang Hall, Bharat Bhavan marking the fourth day of the fest. Directed by Sadat Bharati, scripted by Rajesh Kumar the play was presented by Sampreshna theatre group, Katni.
The play takes the audience back in the time of freedom struggle. It showed August 1947 when Mahatma Gandhi was on a hunger strike at the home of a Muslim labour of Belaghat.
Tarkeshwar Pandey a follower of Mahtma Gandhi comes to Gandhi and tells him that he will break his fast as his only son is killed in Hindu-Muslim riot. And now he wants to take revenge from the other community for his son's murder and wants to give up Mahatma's principles.
After hearing his urge, Gandhi suggests him to adopt a boy child of Muslim community and brings- up that child like a Muslim only. Gandhi's motive was to make him realize that before pointing on some other religion it is required to learn about them. Tarkeshwar does so but his wife, Sumitra does not agrees to accept, but later accepts that child as her son. They love that child as their real son after breaking all religious boundaries and superstition of society and want to make him a good person.
As the time passes Aftab grows up and as he was a Muslim he had to face many struggles and taunts. Fed up with this entire situation he joins a terrorist group. On the other hand, Pandey burns the picture of Mahatma Gandhi in agony. later, Aftab realizes that he was wrong on his part, and he leaves the group only to follow Mathma Gandhi's principles.
Symbolic sets and recorded music of Pt. Ravi Shnaker, Shiv Kumar Sharma, Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasiya, Mozart were used, which added charm in the play. Some clippings of historical monuments of India, the regimes of Kings, division of India, first speech of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru were also used by projector in beginning of play that added much zest in the play.