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BAL NATYA UTSAV : : (Children Theatre Festival)
(A Process Report) : : by Darshana Dube

IMPACT ON SOCIETY

BNU has been instrumental in sensitizing the masses and creating the child friendly social atmosphere to deal with children issues with child centered approach.

In the year 1994 a play called ‘ Mera Bachpan ‘ brought about a revolutionary reform in a certain segment of the society in Mumbai. The play, conceived by Manjul Bhardwaj of ETF dealt with the issue of child laborers, which had a powerful impact on the children as well as their parents. The staging of play all over the country witnessed about 747 children quitting their work to join school. ETF not only channelised the sensitivity of parents towards the children by encouraging them to send their children to school through awareness but also of the employers who discouraged the children below 18 from working. ETF has successfully managed to keep the socio-economic factors affecting the education of children at bay by intervention & counseling the adults.

Pramod Gupta, 8 year old boy who started working in a factory manufacturing pins at the age of 6 for a daily pittance of Rs. 25 slogged for 12 hours everyday till his mother witnessed the play staged in her colony which moved her to such an extent that she decided then and there to enroll Pramod in school. He also joined The Abhivyakti Manch with the help of ETF.

Naresh Chauhan of Gautam Nagar, who has staged 700 shows of ‘Mera Bachpan’ has become so courageous that, “ I always speak out whenever there is injustice”. Some of the elder children have also got so passionately involved in the issue driven by conviction that they keep on thinking of the ways to propagate it.”

Ranjit Wakde studying in Std 5 gets emotional while he says, “ As a journalist I would like you to spread the message that child labor is criminal and every child should be given an opportunity to study.”

Sheetal Rathod of Ekta Nagar also says, “ I tell all my friends and teachers to do something for those unfortunate children who have not been as lucky and are slogging it out,”

Thus the change brought about by staging of a play had a powerful impact on the children as well as parents that filtered down to the society gradually but surely. The medium of drama helped in conveying the message to all concerned very effectively which could not have been possible through any other medium in such a short time. The language and the ways understood by the masses bring about a conviction so strong that the transformation that takes place is from within and so for ever leading to a chain reaction bringing in many more social reforms.

ETF has successfully managed to channelise the sensitivity of the adults towards the children through various plays where even the serious issues like impact of globalization on the children are tackled in the simplest possible manner.

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