Jahajin by Randheer Kumar highlights problems faced by the tribal communities due to forced displacement. Neeti Nigam reports
In the last two years, a lot has happened to make people aware of corruption and how it is affecting a common man. Be it films, television or theatre, writers are using their space to create awareness. One such play is Jahajin that highlights the adverse effects of these projects on tribes.
Nine actors begin the play questioning some clauses of the constitution, old land laws and how governing bodies have taken underprivileged for granted. They traverse to various states and show the problems displaced are facing. At some places, these tribals have refused to bow down to government’s ego, at the rest many are struggling for basic needs. Some got shelter in slums, but were forced to land up on footpaths. The play has a journalistic approach as the writer Rajesh Chandra, a freelancer, has well-supported the script with quotes, news reports, data and research. “There is a sense of unrest among everyone. If you look at the data given by the government, most aren’t happy with the compensation given to them. Moreover, governing bodies fail to understand that in the name of progress, they are building infrastructure but tribal communities living at their native places for years are bearing the brunt. Their condition is getting miserable and they have no other option but to fight for their rights. I have tried to focus on the human side of the story,” said Chandra. While the performance by Patna-based Raga Theatre Group was excellent, the folk songs the artists sung were engaging and well-received by the audience. The simple props used like tokri, gamcha, danda, et al were the apt symbols of the tribes. This is for the first time the group has staged their work at the Bharat Rang Mahotsav.
The play further raised relevant questions like are the government policies biased and are they neglecting the poorIJ Can government avoid these clash of choicesIJ The actors nicely put forward the answers and highlight the aspirations of different people. While corporate prefer big dams and factories, tribals are happy to live in the lap of nature. The government should find a way where development and displacement could be balanced. Director Randheer Kumar told us the meaning of Jahjir. “Jahjirs are the bounded labourers who were sent on ships (jahaz) to work in foreign countries during the British era. For underprivileged, things haven’t changed. They are considered as soft targets and are forced to leave their ancestral lands. In the name of compensation, they hardly get anything. They condition is deteriorating — financially, mentally and culturally,” he said.