Silence at atrocities yields nothing, dare to speak up: Teesta to theatre activists
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Thiruvananthapuram: Civil rights activist Teesta Setalvad said that India is in the process of becoming a fascist country as the visible signs of creating fear, intimidation and violence are pointing to that extent.
The rights activist shared the experience of confrontation she faced in her activism while inaugurating the three-day state conference of the Network of Artistic Theatre Activists Kerala (NATAK), in Thiruvananthapuram on November 25.
The country is now facing proto-fascism, which Teesta said could turn into fascism at any time ahead. She said they, apparently referring to right-wing groups, create fear among people, and intimidate a section of people to tear the social and communal fabric.
The tactic they have employed is to attack a section of people and when that section is isolated, they go for another prey, she said citing the examples of writers, journalists and comics, who faced intimidation and attacks to prevent them from writing and performing.
Teesta said being silent towards the atrocities exerted on people will do no good for anyone, as the day is not long when they will come for you.
The rights activist also warned the theatre artists against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) that the Union government is trying to enforce. Teesta said her organisation, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), has been fighting against the controversial laws for the dangers it could create in society.
Though the laws are now being executed in Assam, she said every city and village of the country will face the repercussions of it. No one is unlikely to be spared from the effects of the laws, though politically it targets the Muslims, she added. The safe feeling of people given by their community and caste will be proven wrong, if the laws were not contested, Teesta said.
She concluded her speech by mentioning a social media post she had posted on May 16, 2014, when Narendra Modi led the BJP government came into power. She had quoted German playwright Bertolt Brecht -- "Will there be singing in the dark times? Yes, there will also be singing. About the dark times."
What can art do at a time when every space in society has decayed, what debates can we engage in through theatre, and what are the responsibilities of a theatre person in these times – these are some of the questions that would be raised in the three-day conference, said a statement released by the organising committee of the conference.