Lalit Gupta
JAMMU, Dec 15: Dr. Haseeb Drabu, Minister for Finance, Culture, Labour & Employment, announced that the State Government has drawn plans to revamp cultural spaces, practices in the state.
Speaking in his inaugural address on the occasion of the opening of the 10-day Annual Drama Fest 2016- 17, being organized by J and K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages at the Abhinav Theatre, here today, Dr. Drabu, said that a new cultural policy is on the anvil and will soon be announced after inputs from all the stakeholders. He said that it is the endeavor of the Government to further strengthen the infrastructure to promote and encourage especially artists and performers in all regions of the State.
Dr. Aziz Hajani, Secretary, J &K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, in his welcome address said that the constitutional status of the Academy is being revived. He said that the finance committee of the Academy agreed to his proposal of enhancement of hundred percent in respect of production cost of play besides four times increase in the award money being given in various fields of Theatre.
“I am also going with the proposal before the General Council of the Academy for the institution of annual awards in drama, music, dance and visual arts,theatre” said Dr. Hajini.
Showcase of the theater practice in winter capital, the Annual Drama Festival 2016-17, opened with Asgar’s Wajahat Urdu-Punjabi play ‘Oh Jameya Hi Nahin Jis Lahore Nahi Bekhya’. Presented by Society for Environment, Education & Modern Art, the play-adapted by S.K. S. Kasali, and directed by Javed Gill-set in 1947, is about an old Hindu woman in Lahore who, robbed of her son and family as a result of the riots at partition refuses to leave her home, after a Muslim refugee family
from Lucknow moves in after allotment.
The Muslim family having suffered the painful displacement of partition is desperate and not averse to bringing in the local, political goondas. But the strength of human kindnesses and love which manifests in developing of a unique bond between the old woman and the Muslim family who conducts her last rites as per Hindu customs.
The play with a strong message of communal harmony was well received by the audience. The artist who portrayed and performed the various characters of the play including Javed Gill, Subeer Kaur, Sandhya, Asif, Naman, Sunil Sharma, Reshav, Neeraj Sethi, Jan Mohammad, Gagan Deep Singh, Shiv Gautam, Himanshu Badyal, Arun Rajput. The make-up was by Shammi Dameer, lights by Mushtaq Kak and music designed by Sourab and operated by Reshab.
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