THEATER FOR SOCIAL CHANGE IN THE PUNJAB STATE OF INDIA by Sukhwant Hundal B.A., Simon Fraser University, 1998 THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTERS OF ARTS in the School of Communication © Sukhwant S. Hundal 2002 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY October 2002 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 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Neither the droit d'auteur qui protege cette these. thesis nor substantial extracts from it Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes reproduced without the author's ou aturement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Canada Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. PARTIAL COPYRIGHT LICENSE I hereby grant to Simon Fraser University the right to lend my thesis, project or extended essay (the title of which is shown below) to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. I further agree that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by me or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Title of Thesis/Project/Extended Essay THEATER FOR SOCIAL CHANGE IN THE PUNJAB STATE OF INDIA Author: (Signature) Sukhwant Hundal (name) (date) ( permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. APPROVAL NAME: Sukhwant Hundal DEGREE: MA TITLE* THEATER FOR SOCIAL CHANGE IN THE PUNJAB STATE OF INDIA EXAMINING COMMITTEE: CHAIR: Prof. Pat Howard Prof. Martin Laba Senior Supervisor, School of Communication, SFU % Prof. Brian Lewis Supervisor, School of Communication, SFU )f. John B©gardus Examiner, Sociology and Anthropology Department, SFU Date: 29 October 2002 ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. A bstract This thesis is about the theater for social change (TSC) in the Punjab State of India. It looks at how the TSC is being carried on and what is its importance in the process of social change in Punjab. The analytical framework used in this thesis contends that the role of TSC is to make people aware of their oppressive reality as well as to explore with them the various ways and means to change this reality. On the basis of this contention, this thesis examines and analyzes the subject matter and the practice of TSC in Punjab. It is found that the subject matter of TSC in Punjab deals with the difficulties and problems faced by the oppressed people. To fully understand the causes of these problems, the TSC’s subject matter analyzes these problems at the macro level in connection to the social, cultural, political and economic conditions of Punjab and India. The TSC in Punjab has adopted its practice according to the material conditions in Punjab. It meets its needs from resources available within society. It has close links with people and their organizations, which play a crucial role in its functioning. To counter various challenges faced by TSC, on one hand, the practitioners do theater in a way that minimizes the constraints and limits resulting from these challenges and on the other hand, they work to change those conditions that give rise to these challenges. iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. The thesis concludes that the TSC is an effective communicative and mobilizing tool in the process of social change in Punjab. It has empowered audience members and theater practitioners to stand against oppression. Its unique practice has enabled it to be accessible to its audiences as well as to be sustainable in the long term. iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. To three women, who have given me a lots of love, support, encouragement and inspiration throughout my life. My maternal great grandmother, Bebe Bhani My mother, Harbans Kaur Hundal, and My wife Anju Hundal v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Acknowledgments I wish to thank the members of the Art Center Samrala, the Chandigarh Natak Kala Kendar, the Lok Kala Manch Mulanpur, the Lok Kala Sangam Phagwara and the Navchintan Kala Manch who Beas gave me permission to observe their groups activities and shared their knowledge, experiences and time with me. I especially thank Gursharan Singh, Ajmer Aulakh, Harkesh Choudhary, Tirlochan Singh, Hansa Singh, Suman Lata, Harjit Kaur, Suleman Bhatt, Baljinder Kaur, Kamalpreet Kaur, Swaran Singh, Kewal Dhaliwal, Balwinder Singh, Hardev Singh Sandhu, Bhajan Singh and Dr. Jagdish Singh who agreed to be interviewed for this project.. Thanks are also due to Surinder Kumar, Krantiveer, Jaspal Kaur and Dilawar Sidhu who provided me with valuable information during informal conversations. Many thanks to Dr. Satish Kumar Verma of Punjabi University Patiala for his help in collecting published literature about theater in Punjab. I am grateful to Martin Laba, my senior supervisor, who has taken a keen interest in this project from beginning to end. I thank him for his support and encouragement. Brian Lewis, supervisor, and John Bogardus, external examiner, have made valuable comments and suggestions on this work. Many thanks to them. I thank Neena Shahni and other members of the staff at the School of Communication for their help in administrative matters. More thanks to Nirmaljeet Sandhu for proofreading the final draft of this thesis. vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Finally, millions of thanks to my wife, Anju, for her unconditional support and encouragement during this project. She has been a great source of strength in my life. I could not have done it without her. vii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Table Of Contents Approval 11 Abstract iii Dedication V Acknowledgements vi Table of contents vii Introduction 1 Methodology 3 Chapters outline 8 Chapter One Theater For Social Change: A Conceptual Framework 11 Introduction 11 Subject matter 12 Venues 19 Creation and presentation of theater 21 Props 27 Autonomy 29 Partners in social change 31 Conclusion 32 Chapter Two Mapping The Arena For Tsc: A Socio-Economic Introduction To The Punjab State Of India 3 5 Introduction 35 Agricultural sector 37 Education 51 Health 55 Position of women in Punjab 59 Conclusion 67 Chapter Three Theater For Social Change In Punjab: Historical Background And Subject Matter 6 9 Introduction 69 History of TSC in Punjab 70 viii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Subject matter 75 Depicted reality 75 Exploring ways to change reality 98 Chapter Four Theater For Social Change (Tsc) In Punjab: The Practice _________________________ 106 Introduction 106 Structure and organization of individual theater groups 107 Venues 110 Sound, light and music 113 Props and stage setting 115 Finances 117 People/audiences participation 119 Interaction with other organizations and institutions 124 Challenges arising from social, cultural and political situations 128 Women in theater 128 Sikh militancy and fundamentalism against TSC 132 Conclusion 136 Chapter Five C onclusion____________________;____________________________1 40 Communicative and mobilizing tool 140 Effect on audience members and participants 143 Enhancing effectiveness 147 ix Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Introduction During the last four decades, theater for social change (TSC) has become a significant movement in the Punjab State of India. The practitioners of TSC feel that the status quo in Punjab is not serving the interests of oppressed people1 (small farmers, workers, women, dalits or lower caste people, unemployed youth and others) and that need for social change is critical and urgent. In order to bring about such change, TSC practitioners are educating and informing oppressed people through theater about the conditions of their oppression and means and ways to change these conditions.