The anxiety of travelling own land

ManchaYatra: theatre on wheels: traveling india’s northeast

21st March 2007
It was a hot day as usual in Assam. But for the members of Jirsong theatre, it was full of excitement as we are supposed to take off on wheels to travel our own northeast under the programme titled Mancha Yatra. We arranged this touring theatre programme since the strength of Jirsong Theatre is not adequate I think, in comparison to the size of the programme. Looking back to it, we are surprised ourselves that how we made Mancha Yatra possible! We were touring with the play titled Gaatha-the 1st text. I say it is a collaborative theatrical performance which is created along with couple of literature pieces including few writings of Nilomoni Phukan, Sameer Tanty, Monoj Kumar Goswami and few others. Along with the installation by visual Artist Dilip Tamuli.

In this hot weather condition even, I think no one has found time to think off even. We arranged a press conference on the same day at the Guwahati press club. Sangeet and Sahitya Academy award winner Mr. Arun Sharma presided over the conference. National school of Drama alumni renowned Assamese actor Mr. Pranjal Saikia and Sangeet Natak award winner Musician Mr. Khirud Khaklari had grassed the occasion. Mr.Pranjal Saikia underlined in his speech about the importance of the youth in bringing about a change in the society and appreciated the endeavor taken up by the theatre troupe is very inspirational and aspiring. Their presence really encouraged all of us. Mr Khirud Khaklari chanted a Mantra, Mr. Arun Sharma lighted on the importance of the programme and I on behalf of Jirsong Theatre gave the briefings about the scheduled programme and mentioned about all our major supporters - National school of Drama, North East Network and North East Zone Cultural centre. Local collaborators like Cultural affairs Department, Govt .of Assam; Transport Department, Govt. of Assam, Himalayan Tribal Entertainer, Arunachal Pradesh; Ban Theatre, Assam; Sanskriti Samanya Kendra,Tripua;NagalandTheatre Fraternity,Nagaland;MizoramDramaorganization,Mizoram and Sahid Nyakh Bhawan, Guwahati.

At the afternoon, we back to the Sahid Nyakh Bhawan, our rehearsal venue where from we are supposed to start off. Bus was ready. By the evening we started off towards Mizoram.

Mancha Yatra performances have taken place in two phases. The first phase has started by April 21st and continued till May12th 07 and performed at Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. The second phase restarted by June 24th and continued till July 27th. In the second phase, we covered the Meghalaya and remaining shows at Assam. We couldn’t manage to perform at Manipur.

The scheduled performances are over by 27th of June, 07. Without the co-operation of local collaborators and financial supporters, the Mancha Yatra couldn’t be possible. Undoubtedly it was really a unique experience. Over and above, it was an opportunity to put forward a step to realize what is north east is all about. While we started off, Rimjim, an actress of our group said Mancha Yatra is connecting people for her and for Dhiraj it is relationship. After few months of the programme took place, I don’t know whether they found connectivity with the people, culture and ethos of north east, but for sure, Mancha Yatra will stand as a event in their life that provided a space to build connection in future. I am sure it will be same for the others members too.

Apart from the performances of the play, we managed to visit villages nearby when and wherever it was possible. After our performance at Udaipur, Tripura, the other day we visited to a Sakma Village and spent some time with local people. Our Artist Manav, Mouchumi, Mrinal, Dhiraj were egger to attend more people, more villages. It was probably their age making them inquisitive about new things. But, Manav was always doubtful whether he will be able to come to these places again. So he wanted to grasp the fullest in this go. Umakanta joined him, we may found possibility to go to Delhi, Mumbai or Bishakhapattanam, but to a village or township of northeast; it’s very rare and never thought off, almost impossible. For them and many others a simple village was exotic.

On the other hand, the whole Tripura experience gave us a lesson. We never noticed the kind to cooperation, initiation and collective effort in theatre earlier. At back to Guwahati, on 11th June at Rabindra Bhawan, we arranged a session with our well wishers who were egger to know the experiences of the tour. In that session, many of us were repetitively mentioned Tripua experiences. Sanskriti Samanya Kendra was a concept that no one among us had thought that that could be possible. Why I say Tripura experience is a lesson, because many of us is found questioning, if possible in Tripura, why not in assam?

Again the show at Chizami, a village almost 30 km away from Kohima, Nagaland was a unique experience. One of the main reasons was its beautiful topography, warmth of the members of our collaborator North east network and villagers. They did not leave space to feel tiredness of the continuous travel by a Bus. We performed the play their in a local public ground at day time. We were bit scary that we never present the play at day time. But, when villagers started to help us arranging the set, approximately one thousand audiences gathered to watch the play, all doubt and hesitations gone away. It did not take time to develop a language to communicate with each other.

Mr. Samudra Gupta Kashyap, Journalist of Indian express group cum writer indicated in our Booklet, ‘may be a well-planned cultural exchange programme from every state of the Northeast to the others would bring us a cultural understanding and integration among the communities of the region. It will definitely enrich a well planned cultural strategy to the reason.’

Mr. Kashyap wrote again that we get our cultural communicators together under one common concept having one important goal .This we can achieve by putting in some extra effort of visiting one another, spending time with them, understanding the cultural nuances and peculiarities, and then exchanging ideas that help us come closer. Once this is achieved, we also have the solemn duty of creating a picture of ourselves that can be put into the heads of those who live in the world outside.

As an ethnic group, we have our own respective identities; hence we must have a common identity sharing concerns, issues and identities. Probably, People are getting ready to share a common space with each other. Initiation and attention by the people in a large scale will lead a shape. “Being a close observer in the field of Culture, I physically experienced that such kind of inter-cultural programmes lead us to attain unity, friendship and even brotherhood. I am sure that Cultural activities are the best weapon for integrity & fraternity of our great country as a whole and the North East in particular”, said by C.Lianzama in his write up published in at our booklet of Mancha Yatra.He is Aizwal based who served the state as a Dy. Director of Art & Culture, Mizoram Govt.


Connecting back to Manav and Umakanta’s thrill of not being able to come back again to these places, I keep questioning myself - why? Why they could not came back? May be because they are not visualizing any reason to come back again, may be (they think) we are not going to plan this kind of tour any more.Over and above I think they had all the reason to go to Delhi, Mumbai or Bishakhapattanam as an artist or as an individual of the century.

Now a days we hardly approach to know about our neighborhoods. We read news of Kohima and next day we forgot about that. We do care if something is happening in my door only. I don’t want to comment saying that we are entering into a self centred society, rather wish to hope that we will realize the importance of building a communication among ourselves for better existence in the age of global economic power. Hope, Manav and Umakanta could find reason to come back to these societies again. Till we keep ignoring about each other we will be the loser, non other. Loosing the strength of unified power in all fields starting form politics to literature to performing arts will hold us from the growth in civilization. While we talk about identity movements and agree to the importance of those then we must think about a unified identity in a liberal form where all individual identities will be respected.

Mancha Yatra was a title selected for our travelling India’s northeast pragramme .But, in the end of it we realized that people are there willing and waiting to share with their neighbours. Time is knocking at the door to accept that as a mission only.
For us, it was a wonderful experience that we ever had. It will remain in our heart. It is very difficult to put in words.
Mancha yatra is just a beginning…

This Article is written for Tripura Theatre, Published by Suvrangshu Chakraverty, Tripura Theatre, Tripura, India 2006