INDIAN FOLK THEATER After the decline of Sanskrit drama, folk theatre developed in various regional languages from the 14th to the 19th centuries. Some conventions and stock characters of classical drama (stage preliminaries, the opening prayer song, the sutradhara and the viduasaka) were adopted into folk theatre, which lavishly employs music, dance, drumming, exaggerated makeup, mask and signing chorus. Thematically, it deals with mythological heroes, medieval romances and social and political events, and it is a rich store of customs, beliefs, legands and rituals. It is a “total theatre”, invading all the senses of the spectators. Krishna Leela: A Krishna drama that evolved in the 15th-16th century is known as Krishna Leela. This drama is very popular in Vraja region of UP. Boys used to dress as girls and act and sing in praise of Lord Krishna. The style is semi-narrative and semi-dramatic. Ras Leela: From Krishna Leela developed Ras Leela in the region. Mahabharata, Bhagavata and Puranas, and folk lore provided themes for Ras Leela. The songs composed by the medieval poets on the divine pranks of Krishna in Vraja dialect, stuffed here and there with prose form the basis of Ras plays. The round stage on which the Leela is performed is known as Ras Mandal. As the play concerns the childhood of Krishna, the main actors of the play are children. Again, the boys perform the part of girls. The troupe director is called Swami. The play is divided into two parts: Ras and Leela. Ras is the opening part in which Krishna and Radha perform dance sequences. Leela starts after Ras and is the dramatization of some episodes from Krishna’s life. The tradition of dramatizing Krishna’s pranks is performed in many regions. Ram Leela: Tulsidas, the composer of Ramcharitamanasa, started the tradition of performing Rama plays at Kashi. Episodes from Rama’s life are enacted at different places in Kashi during the period of Dassera festival. Rama Leela of Ramnagar is quite famous. At Janakpurdham the marriage of Rama and Sita is celebrated in the form of a festival. In Kerala, Krishna Attam and Rama Attam emerged during the same time. From Rama Attam evolved the famous dance-drama of Kerala-Kathakali. Mudiyettu: it is a ferocious ritualistic dance-drama of great antiquity which is annually performed at Kali temples in Kerala. Theyyam: This is a ritualistic dance in Kerala representing ancestor worship. The dancers also represent local gods [...]
Archive for August, 2007
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STOLEN GODS OF HIMALAYAS
August 30th, 2007 
Deepak STOLEN GODS OF HIMALAYAS Up in the Greater Himalayas, more than 10,000 feet above sea level, lies one of the oldest monasteries of Lahaul valley, the Guru Ghantal. Founded by legendary Buddhist mystic Padmasambhava, this eighth century gompa has recently added another item to its treasure-house – a lock. Like priests of other ancient temples scattered all over Himachal Pradesh, the monks at Guru Ghantal know that the gods are no longer safe is the state – not as long: as smugglers of antique idols continue to operate in the region. So, they have placed the white marble head of the Guru Ghantal, installed centuries ago by Padmasambhava himself, under lock and key. Their fears are not misplaced. On record, around 20 idols have been stolen from various temples in the state since 1990. The locals say the number is much more. In the last 20 years, over 200 idols and antique objects have been stolen from Himachal. Their value would run into billions. Temples in Kinnaur, Chamba, Bharmaur and Lahaul-Spiti are particularly vulnerable, officials of the Himachal government say. Some of these places of religious and historical significance date back to the 5th or the 6th century and house idols that cost s crores, they add. While the locals are not aware of the value of these antiques, they have vital information that can make the smugglers’ job easier. The masterminds, who are often from outside the state, exploit this information and with the connivance of the locals, manage to steal the antiques. IDOL TALES Officials in the government allege that valuable idols had been disappearing from the state for years now, sometimes with the knowledge of and at other times with the active involvement of police and administrative officials. But these rampant thefts hit the officials in the face when the idol of the Chungraj deity disappeared from Kamru Temple in the tribal Kinnaur district in 1993. Amid outraged protests from locals, it was learnt that the idol, believed to cost several crores in the illegal international market, had been shipped off to Italy. The Italian then accused of smuggling the idol out of the country denied it in a letter to the Himachal authorities. His Delhi-based partner later gave an assurance that the idol would be brought back from Italy and on a given date and time, left in the lawns of Himachal Bhawan in Delhi. [...]
INDIAN DANCES: Classical Dances
August 30th, 2007 Deepak INDIAN DANCES: Classical Dances Indian classical dances have their origin in Bharat’s Natyashastra. They are based on three basic concepts ‘nritta, nrittya and natya’. Nritta follows the tala beat in an eloquent expression of pure rhythmic movements. In Nrittaya, abhinaya is the main element which is full of suggestions and expresses rasa and bhava, flavour or mood. Natya is dance as used in drama. Each of these three has the soft and the vigorous aspects, the ‘laya’ or ‘tandava’. The folk or tribal dances do not follow any particular rule. Its nature and forms vary according to the culture and norms of each region of India. Bharatnatyam: developed in South India particularly in Tamil Nadu in its present form about two hundred years ago. It is a famous classical dance of India. While its poses are reminiscent of sculpture of the 10th century onwards, the thematic and musical content was given to it by musicians of the Tanjore courts of the 18th-19th centuries. It is essentially a solo dance and has close affinities with the traditional dance-drama form called Bhagvata Mela performed only by women; nonetheless, its chiselled sophistication and stylization make it a unique form of art-dance. Noted Artists: Rukmini Devi, Bala Saraswathi, Shanta Rao, Mrinalini Sarabhai, Yamini Krishnamurthy, Kamala, Vaijyantimala, Sonal Man Singh, Samyukta Panigrahi etc. Kathakali: Originated in the state of Kerala, Kathakali is a musical dance drama. Unlike the others, it is dramatic rather than narrative in character Different roles are taken by different actors; the dancers are all men or were so, till recently. It makes epic mythological themes as its content and portrays them through an elaborate dramatic spectacle which is characterized by another-worldly quality, a supernatural grandeur, a stylized large-size costume to give the impression of enlarging human proportions and a mask like make up on the face which is governed by a complex symbolism of color, line design. Noted Artists: Ragini Devi, Shanta Rao, Mrinalini Sarabhai, Rita Ganguly, Krishna Nair, and Gopinathan. Mohiniattam: is one of the distinctive dance styles of India. It originated in Kerala. This form had almost become extinct when it was revived by poet Vallathol Naranyan Menon early this century. Since then dancers have striven to reclaim the lost repertoire of Mohiniattam. The main features of Mohiniattam are its exquisite feminine charm and its graceful swaying movements. It is a solo dance performed by women only. In [...]
Folk Dances of India
August 30th, 2007 Deepak Folk Dances of India For untold centuries India, with its vast variety of ethnic groups, races, and cultural groups, has been a veritable treasure house of dance and music. There is not a region, a valley or mountain, a sea coast, or a plain, which does not have its characteristic folk dances and songs. Dances of the Plains: The richest amongst the dances of the plains are the dances of the Hos and the Oraons of Jharkhand, the Marias of Bastar in Chhattisgarh and the Santhals of Bengal and Jharkhand. Kaksar is a typical festival dance performed by the Abhujmaris before reaping a harvest. First, the deity is worshipped and then the dance is performed. The men appear fairly attired with a belt of bells around their waists, so do the women, in short brief saris, but richly be jeweled. The dance provides the occasion for choosing life partners. The marriage or marriages which so emerge are enthusiastically celebrated. The rhythms are complex, the chorographical patterns varied. The bell belts of the men dancers and the jewels of the women add to the variety of rhythmical patterns of the dance. The instruments used are dhol (cylindrical drum), timiki (bowl shaped percussion instruments) and bansuri (a kind of flute). Close to the lush marshland of Madhya Pradesh and yet very different, are the tribes of Jharkhand. Amongst these, the Hos and Oraons are rightly famous for their vigour and vivacity. Himalayan Dances: From the northern Himalayas region, come many dances which belong to the village communities. Himachal and northern Uttar Pradesh are the home of many interesting and colourful dances. Two popular favourites from Jaunsar Bawar in Uttar Pradesh. The musical instruments resemble those used by the dancers of Himachal Pradesh comprising narshingha (a large trumpet), brass bells, barrel shaped percussion instruments and bowl-shaped drums. Bhangra of Punjab: In the Punjab, a virile agricultural dance called the Bhangra is popular and is closely linked with the ritual importance which is given to wheat. After the wheat crop is sown, the young men gather together in an open field under the light of the full moon in answer to the beat of the drum. A skilled Bhangra dancer may even perform some highly complex acrobatic movement with the torso touching the floor, through a spinal back bend or another dancer stand on his shoulders, while he dances on his knees. Since there [...]
EDUCATION IN INDIA: WHAT IS DONE TILL DATE?
August 29th, 2007 Deepak EDUCATION IN INDIA: WHAT IS DONE TILL DATE? Education is an important institution in any modern or modernising society. During the 18th and 19th century, the modern education was introduced by British in India. After the recommendation of Maculae in 1835, the entire educational policy, the main aim of which to make clerks available for offices, was implemented. The three-tier system namely primary, secondary and higher education was also introduced by them. Lord Macaulay In making English the medium of instruction, the British rulers adopted a policy of concentrating on a small section of the population and left the task of educating the masses in native languages. This policy was described as the “Downward Filtration Theory”. The Constitutional Amendment of 1976, which included education in the Concurrent list. The substantive, financial and administrative implications required a new sharing of responsibility between the Union Government and the States. While the role and responsibility of the States in regard to education remain unchanged, the Union Government accepts a larger responsibility to reinforce the national and integrative character of education, to maintain quality and standards. The Central Government continues to play the lead role in the evolution and monitoring of education policies and programmes, the most notable of which are the National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986 and the Programme of Action (POA), 1986 as updated in 1992. The modified policy envisages a National System of Education to bring about uniformity in education, making adult education programmes a mass movement, providing universal access, retention and quality in elementary education, special emphasis on education of girls, establishment of Navodaya Vidyalayas in each district, vocationalisation of secondary education, starting more Open Universities in States, strengthening Technical Education, encouraging sports, physical education and Yoga and adoption of an effective evaluation methods, etc. The National Policy on Education (1986) provides a broad policy framework for eradication of illiteracy and sets a goal of expenditure on education at 6 per cent of the GDP. As against the goal of 6 per cent, the total expenditure on education by both Central and State government was only 3 per cent of GDP in 2002-03. Primary education was given an overriding priority in order to realize the goal of Universalisation of elementary education. The ‘Operation Blackboard’ scheme had been formulated with a view to bring about substantial improvement in primary school run by government, local bodies and recognized aided institutions. [...]
Drug Abuse
August 29th, 2007 Deepak Drug Abuse Drug abuse in India is varied, complex and widespread, right from the lower level to the upper social strata cutting across the gender divide. Drug abuse is common both in rural and urban India. The Report points out alcohol, cannabis, opium and heroin as the major drugs of abuse. The number of persons requiring treatment is large. Indictable Drug Users (IDUs) have been reported from among both men and women. A large number of drug users also indulge in unsafe sex practices and many other high-risk behaviours were common.The survey was jointly carried out by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. In the area of prevention, the Report suggests the shifting of focus from total abstinence-oriented programmes to those which delay the onset of drug use among young people. It says instead of developing a broad approach towards large sections of the society, specific programmes targeting various at-risk groups need to be evolved. Preventive programmes based on information dissemination are rarely successful, especially if the approach depicts exaggerated risks associated with drug use in order to frighten people into abstinence. Propagating the hazards of drug abuse is not useful enough. As a result, the message often loses its impact. Sometimes it is even counterproductive. Research in this area has shown that a less sensational approach can be better. Modern preventive programmes should present accurate information and discuss the broad risk factors associated with drug abuse. Prevention of substance abuse may thus be embedded within the large framework of crime prevention as also safe and healthy life styles. The data from the current survey do not enlist factors promoting or preventing drug abuse. The information obtained from users, compared with non-users, showed that the current users of various substances were largely illiterate, came from nuclear families and were unmarried by and large. The data from the other components showed that many drug users had close family members who were also drug users. According to the Report an innovative approach involving improved problem-solving capacity may be useful to prevent the early onset of drug use. This can be done through an interactive or communicative approach with the drug users. A number of countries have incorporated these into their normal school curriculum. The Report also recommends that preventive programmes be carried out for non-student youth and in workplaces. The term ‘treatment’ [...]
CELL IS HELL
August 29th, 2007 Deepak CELL IS HELL The cell phone. The soft-contoured gizmo’s also become the most powerful. So powerful, it’s gate-crashed into all our spaces – the boardroom, the bedroom; the operation theatre; courtrooms, temples. Suddenly ring tones rise all around, tirelessly. Signboards and soft requests to ‘please switch off your cell’ are getting crushed under the din. People are celled in’ unrepentantly… Or not? ‘Nuisance? No’, assert those for whom life is so much easier because of this gizmo, something like a Blackberry that offers a web browser to help you stay connected and make the most of a busy work-day. This tool (Blackberry) has facilitated work; makes you more efficient & productive when on the move. It’s so easy to work even while not being physically there in office. It enables you to work on Word, Excel, Power and change & re-send corrected files. It offers immediate Internet access & one device can handle four-five accounts — office, personal, etc. And it doesn’t cost extra when traveling in India. Even when abroad, it costs nominal. Cell phones have facilitated life of the deaf and dumb too. They can communicate better. Though cells aren’t allowed in school. Yes, communication is faster than ever. But are we connected with our immediate family? Sadly, if long distance gaps are being bridged, they are being created at a closer level. You’re busy communicating with all the aira-gairas & your family & friends suffer. So often, at restaurants, we see couples or family members nibbling on food, each busy on his/her cell talking or SMSing to someone else than family. Where went ‘conversation? Access to Internet 24 hours means you work whenever awake. In-between meals, if it rings, you leave food to check if it’s urgent. And if it’s urgent, you have to reply back You are relaxing at home & suddenly, your cell starts buzzing. Now, that’s an irritant. Sometimes, people (mis)use cell phones to conceal facts. A person may be at home, yet he tells you he’s outside and not available. But then let’s admit it, we love our cell phones when away from family, we’re desperate to connect. Cell keeps you connected with clients. The bug is – the entire staffs’ cell phones are always beeping & ringing. If a cell makes you easily traceable, in times of need, others too are as accessible. Pros outweigh the cons. We’ve a ‘power button’ we [...]
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AKSHAY KUMAR
August 23rd, 2007 Deepak A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AKSHAY KUMAR He’s good looking. He can do action. He can do comedy. He dances like a dream. Akshay Kumar has emerged as one of Bollywood’s most bankable stars. Ask Akshay Kumar (RAJEEV HARI OM BHATIA-his actual name) if he ever dreamt he would become a Hindi film hero and he shakes his head to say a big “No” Almost from the beginning, Akshay was slotted as an action hero. That probably had something to do with the fact that since he was a boy, he was fascinated by wrestling and martial arts. His father, who was in the Army, had a passionate interest in wrestling and taught the young Akshay plenty of wrestling tricks like chit, Kama, uthana, patakna. On hot summer afternoons in Delhi (where he was born and spent the first few years of his life and all his school and college vacations after his father moved to Mumbai), Akshay would take off to Rajghat where he would exercise and practice martial arts. Occasionally, his father would come by and watch him, sometimes even give him a rub down with raee ka tel. Akshay would then cool off under a tap close by once his routine was done. Later; he even taught martial arts; and when he was in Bangkok, working as a waiter, he would participate in Thai boxing bouts. It was the Khiladi films (he acted in seven of them, of which only one was a comedy – Mr. and Mrs. Khiladi) that really established him as a tough action star who did his stunts himself. In fact, the most dangerous stunt he ever did was in Khiladi 420. He stood on a plane (when the plane was about 2000 feet above the ground, not stationary at a runway) and jumped down from it in a hot air balloon. Now that he’s married to former actress-turned-interior designer Twinkle Khanna and has a five-year, old son Araav, Akshay says he’s cut down on his stunts. But that’s not entirely true. Akshay’s current passion is yamakasi, an urban sport that started out in France and has become popular worldwide. It involves smooth, continuous movement: you keep running while surmounting obstacles (you jump from roof to roof, for instance). You can see the Akshay and yamakasi combination in his latest Thums Up ad. He’s worked as a waiter in Bangkok, not even in [...]
BANKING AS AN INSTRUMENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE
August 22nd, 2007 Deepak BANKING AS AN INSTRUMENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE Banking is the backbone of modern economy. No business, trade or commerce can be conducted on large-scale without an efficient banking system. Banking in some form or the other has always been there from the ancient times. When Jesus Christ turned the tables of money-changers outside the temple of Jerusalem, he was only protesting against the malpractices of the then existing banking system. Wire money online to India with Xoom.com for as low as $4.99. When Prophet Mohammed forbade usuary to his followers, he was only condemning the cruelty of bankers of those days, who used to suck the blood of their helpless victims in the form of exorbitant interest. Before the nationalisation of banks in July 1969, the commercial banks of India had an urban and selective group outlook, responding mostly to the credit requirements of a few big industrialists and affluent businessmen. But the post-nationalisation era witnessed a radical change in banking policy. They have been vested with new social obligations, besides mobilising savings and credits with a view to gear up for a social and economic change in the country. Instead of becoming the banks of a ‘particular section’, they have become the banks of the ‘general public’. The new banking policy aims at ruralisation of banks. As a result there has been a phenomenal growth of bank branches. There has also been an astronomical rise in the number of employees. Further an ordinance called the Rural Banks Ordinance promulgated by the President on September 26, 1975, gave a momentum to the task of ruralising banks. As a consequence, the banking services are now available to the masses at their door-step, and the banking industry has entered the hinterlands and economically backward areas. Fourteen major commercial banks were nationalised in July 1969.It was a new feather in the cap of the banking industry. The industry got a further impetus with the nationalisation of six more banks in 1980. The public sector banks account for about 90 per cent the total banking system in the country. Before nationalisation banks were catering to the needs of only a small section of people belonging to the upper strata of society. That elitist approach of banks has since given way to an egalitarian one in the post-nationalisation period. The profit motive has been replaced by welfare motive. Before nationalisation, there was lack of [...]
DISINVESTMENTS IN INDIA
August 21st, 2007 Deepak DISINVESTMENTS IN INDIA: The process of disinvestment started with selling of minority shares in Public sector enterprises (PSEs) in 1991-92. The motive behind the process of deregulation was to increase competition and to allow new firms to enter existing markets that were formerly dominated by the PSEs. This led to the opening up of markets to Indian entrepreneurs and Industrialists along with a simplification of the norms for entry of foreign capital. The Disinvestment policy as proclaimed by the Government led by Late Sri. Chandra Shekhar was to divest up to 20% of the government equity in selected PSEs in favour of public sector institutional investors. Wire money online to India with Xoom.com for as low as $4.99. The common minimum program of the UPA committed the government to a strong public sector and announced that in general profit making public sector companies will not be privatized also all NAVRATHNA companies would continue to be part of the public sector but would be allowed to raise resources from the capital market. There are at present 262 Public Sector Undertakings of Government of India. The multiplicity of these undertakings is the outcome of nationalisation of commercial banks and setting up of huge development financial institutions. Of these 262 enterprises, data on investment, profit and loss are available for 239 units. Of these, 130 are running in profit and 109 are incurring losses. The position of the 239 enterprises is briefly given below. Context Billion Rupees While contemplating the scope of public sector undertakings it was very clearly stated that among the main objectives, they are to generate more surpluses for investment and increase exports so as to reduce the strain on the balance of payments. Self-reliance was to be promoted to ensure reduction in imports or substitution for imports for strengthening the foundations of the country. The Government and the policy makers, however, failed to insist on the efficient management of the public sector units. This was the result of non-professional management and lack of autonomy in pricing investment and employment policies notwithstanding cry of researchers and experts for the need of allowing the public sector undertakings to function as commercial enterprises. While they were built for a higher capacity in several cases, its full utilisation did not figure in the management agenda mostly due to absence of accountability. The mechanism of management must have received serious thought but administered [...]
