Opera and theater parties in Odisha are one of the most popular means of public entertainment. In spite of the growth of the film and television industry, the opera industry has successfully pulled the crowd in an increasing trend. As per informal sources, currently there are about 30 big parties and around 60-70 small parties having an annual turnover of around Rs 300 crore operating in the State.
The industry has provided employment to about 10,000 people of different categories that include drama artists, musicians, singers, choreographers, dancers, custom designers and related logistic workers engaged in different kinds of operations. It is said that the opera industry is bigger than the Odia film industry.
The socio-economic and professional issues of this sector must be addressed by the concerned department of the Government in order to bring qualitative and professional development. It has been very often reported about the precarious plight of the people engaged in the sector and the incidents of human rights violation against the vulnerable sections such as women, children and socially deprived sections working in the opera in different roles and responsibilities. A major section of the workers are from poor economic backgrounds, socially and educationally backward sections of our society and their involvement in opera is more driven by livelihood compulsions.
The workers engaged in the opera industry have been suffering in many ways in the absence of any kind of regulations over their employment conditions and social securities while mostly they work as casual and contract workers . They have to travel from place to place for stage shows in lorries and other means of transport which are legally not permissible as passenger vehicles. There are reports of road accidents that have taken the lives of many innocent people working in opera parties.
Most recently, a couple from Jagatsinghpur district belonging to scheduled caste (SC) communities made a complaint before the Birmaharajpur police in Subarnapur district that they have been discriminated against on caste ground by the manager and senior manager of the opera party where they both have been playing as dancers for last two years. The issue has been propagated in social media and web channels with demand for strong action against the culprits as per law. It is most unfortunate that the opera party owners are most insensitive to such issues that violate someone's dignity as a human being. It is a fact that there are a good number of artists, dancers and others working in opera parties belonging to SC communities and a sizable number is women and children with different roles and responsibilities. Opera parties are not just entertaining but in many plays they have also propagated social change massages through but the industry itself has not changed its social responsibility by adopting non discriminatory policies and practices against people of low caste and women.
BaishnabaPani(1882-1956) of Mahanga in Cuttack district who was a writer and pioneer in folk song theater movement was ostracized by family members and upper caste people because of his marriage with a woman belonging to washer man community. But he fought against caste discrimination and untouchability in social life as an artist. There are also very often complaints by women and adolescent girls about many forms of mental and physical harassments and exploitations without a proper mechanism to address the issues of violence against women at workplace. It is equally important to make our public places and place of public employment totally free from any kind of discrimination based on caste and gender and steps must be taken to stop the exploitation in any establishment.
The most shocking part is engaging child labour in opera parties though there have been complaints against the trend. A number of unwanted stories are being featured in media in spite of presence of strong laws against such exploitation of women and children and to protect the human rights of the vulnerable section. But unfortunately, the application of protective laws is very minimal in reality because there is lack of unionisation of such workers in the industry and the opera owners always very well manage the situation with support of police and others. Children working in opera are being deprived of education and family care, while they have to travel from place to place for stage shows but these very serious issues remain unaddressed by our child and human rights protection bodies. There has been no legal or administrative intervention to regulate such inhuman cases.
During the Covid -19, the vulnerability of the opera artists and others was discussed because of lack of employment and social security. The State Government has not done any proper survey to make a list of people engaged in the opera industry for their welfare and development. There have been regular complaints against the opera party owners who are making a huge profit out of the regular shows of more than 300 days a year and even sometimes the shows are staged twice over a night but the artists and other related workers are not being paid properly.
The usual complaints against use of vulgar and double meaning words in stage shows are largely rejected by opera loving people but there is no denying that some parties take resort in them for gaining cheap popularity. It is the script writers and directors who must ensure to deliver the most decent, qualitative, socially educative entertainment to build a healthier and inclusive human society which will enhance social respect for the opera artists in public. The Government must bring legislations or executive orders to regulate the opera industry in the interest of the people working there in a most vulnerable condition without social protection mechanisms. There must be an institutional effort for skill upgradation of all types of artists along with improving professional career and social security of the workers.
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