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By:

Shoma A. Chatterji

21 August 2024 at 10:49:40 am

The Pallbearer’s Tragedy

Three decades after its premiere, Rangakarmee’s Mayyat remains a searing theatrical indictment of caste. Rangakarmee is perhaps the only theatre group that has been producing and performing plays in Hindi in Kolkata for 50 years this year. Founded and headed by the late Usha Ganguly, it is still as active and dynamic in presenting Hindi plays mainly new and sometimes recreating for the new audience, old plays that are timeless in their content and their appeal. The amazing feature of Mayyat...

The Pallbearer’s Tragedy

Three decades after its premiere, Rangakarmee’s Mayyat remains a searing theatrical indictment of caste. Rangakarmee is perhaps the only theatre group that has been producing and performing plays in Hindi in Kolkata for 50 years this year. Founded and headed by the late Usha Ganguly, it is still as active and dynamic in presenting Hindi plays mainly new and sometimes recreating for the new audience, old plays that are timeless in their content and their appeal. The amazing feature of Mayyat is that it was first performed by Usha Ganguly and her troupe way back in 1997 and has already performed around 500 shows spanning 30 years and signifies the cross-generational reach and popularity of the play. We saw a group of absolutely new actors dedicated to Rangakarmee. Their performance defined the strict discipline, the constant workouts and rehearsals to keep mobile and flexible because the very big cast needed to be perfect in body, mind and spirit during each 45-minute performance. What does the word Maiyyat mean? It is said to have its roots in Arabic and literally, it translates as ‘dead body’ or ‘corpse.’ The play is rooted in the deep internalization among the low castes of their exploitation and torture by the Brahmins of their village. The Brahmins are proud in their gait, their body language and even in their pure form of dress with the holy thread of Brahminism proudly on display. The custom of the proud, arrogant and rude Brahmins is to choose at least one among the four untouchables to become the pall-bearer when someone of the upper-caste dies. Instead of feeling sad or insulted, the chosen untouchable feels blessed and proud for being allowed by this strange custom of becoming a fake “Brahmin” if even for one day. Lakku is one such untouchable who lives somewhere near Aurangabad and leads a miserable life of poverty with the burden of a mentally deranged, motherless son he takes care of. The pall is decorated heavily with flowers and instead of looking like a bourse, it is decorated with lots of flowers like a palanquin. Someone obviously among the Brahmins is dead and the other Brahmins draw lots to find out which untouchable will be chosen to offer his shoulder to the bourse. `When Lakku’s name comes up in the shuffling of the paper chips, he is thrilled that at least for one day, he will enjoy the ‘blessing’ of becoming a “Brahmin.” But forced to run through the village on an empty stomach and with a weak body, Lakku collapses and dies before the bourse can reach the crematorium. Now, the question is – who will carry his body and carry it to the cremation ground? The entire performance, with 23 theatre actors, originally scripted, designed and directed by Usha Ganguly, is now performed by a new young cast under the guidance, training and supervision of Amal Saha, Deepesh Rajak, and Anirudh Sarkar. It has been conceived and designed like a musical opera with every Brahmin member of the cast, including the young women, dressed traditionally in pristine white with lots of marigold garlands and a sandalwood tikka adorning their foreheads. Though there are dialogues in the performance, these are either among the leading and decisive members among the Brahmins or scoldings and threats from the Brahmins to the four members from the untouchable tribe, each one representing a different low caste. These four men, alongwith Lakku and his mentally retarded son, keep waiting eagerly in one corner of the proscenium for the results of the lots to be drawn. They hug each other for joy when their names are announced and Lakku specially is thrilled with the responsibility of being pallbearer and becoming a Brahmin for just one night. Whose corpse is being carried in the bourse is not important. What is important is who are the pall bearers? At least, the Brahmins are not. What one carries home after watching a performance-play like Mayyat is the marvellous synchronization of the entire female cast wandering right around the proscenium space singing songs in complete harmony with not a note of error and the Brahmin men discussing, arguing and quarrelling over not how the corpse will be cremated but which low-caste man will become the pallbearer for one night. The bottom-line is caste is a continuous, historical evil. But should it remain so? (The writer is a noted film scholar. Views personal.)

Fortress India

The passage of the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, is a long-overdue correction to India’s porous borders and lax enforcement of immigration laws. The bill streamlines and modernizes immigration policies, ensuring national security while allowing legitimate visitors for business, education, and healthcare. Predictably, the opposition, particularly the Trinamool Congress, has cried foul, portraying it as an attack on so-called secularism. Beneath their rhetoric lies decades of political appeasement that have compromised India’s security.


The new law consolidates four archaic pieces of legislation that no longer serve India’s interests in an era of globalization and digital governance. It tightens border controls, mandates the tracking of foreigners overstaying their visas, and introduces harsh penalties for illegal entry. The law is a clear message that India will no longer be a free-for-all sanctuary for infiltrators.


Much of the resistance to this bill comes predictably from parties that have historically benefited from turning a blind eye to illegal immigration. The Trinamool Congress, which governs West Bengal, has long been accused of shielding infiltrators for vote-bank politics. The numbers speak for themselves. South 24 Parganas, a known hotspot for illegal migration, has seen a surge in fake Aadhaar cards, enabling undocumented immigrants to blend into the system undetected. Despite multiple letters and meetings, the West Bengal government has refused to act decisively. The obvious reason being that these illegal migrants, primarily from Bangladesh, form a critical voter base for the ruling party.


The Congress and other so-called ‘secular’ parties will frame this bill as an attack on humanitarian principles. But one need only look at Europe to understand the perils of a lax immigration policy. Hungary, for instance, has faced an influx of migrants that has overwhelmed its welfare system and led to sharp rises in crime and social tensions. Even Western European nations that once prided themselves on open borders, such as France and Germany, have been forced to acknowledge the strain of unchecked immigration. If Europe, with its vast resources, has found the situation untenable, then India must be even more vigilant.


Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi infiltrators are not just an economic liability but also a security risk, fostering demographic shifts in border states and fueling ethnic and religious tensions. The bill ensures that India has up-to-date records of every foreigner entering the country, thus reducing internal security threats.


Critics argue this ‘xenophobic’ law leads to profiling and harassment of certain communities. This is a tired argument that ignores realities of border security. The bill does not target any religion or nationality - it targets illegality. This bill is a decisive step towards securing India’s borders and sovereignty. It is a recognition that a nation’s first duty is to its own citizens. The days of lax enforcement and political appeasement are over. The strident protests of the Opposition mean it has prioritized votes above the national interest. The message is clear: India welcomes guests, not gatecrashers.

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