Academy to start ‘nukkad natak’ series to create awareness on social issues

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 30

The Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages has decided to rope in professional folk theatre groups to create awareness on social issues through street plays.

Academy secretary Aziz Hajini said it would be for the first time in history that the institution would create awareness about social issues like corruption, dowry, drug addiction and westernisation through ‘nukkad nataks’.

“The nukkad natak series to be launched shortly will traverse every nook and corner of the state. The concept behind the scheme is to sensitise the Kashmiri society about the challenging social issues and revive the rich tradition of ‘band paether’ as well,” Hajini said after a meeting of representatives of prominent folk theatre groups here.

“The representatives were told to produce skits in such a manner that these could be presented at any public place without any proscenium requirements…besides staging plays, the Academy will also engage other stakeholders to create further awareness,” he added.

During hour-long deliberations the representatives of prominent theatre groups were advised to evolve a consensus among all stakeholders so as to revive the dying art form and make it a mass movement, a statement from the Academy said.

Representatives of prominent folk theatre groups who attended the meeting included Ghulam Mohiudin Aajiz, Abdul Rehman Khoja, Ghulam Hassan Betab and Gul Mohammed Bhat.