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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.)

Market Volatility and New Year’s Resolutions

The recent stock market slowdown may have made you nervous. But there is good news - it does not last long, just like your New Year’s resolutions. Every year, countless people set New Year’s resolutions, vowing to change habits and achieve certain goals. Yet, studies show that most resolutions fade very soon. In the world of investing, stock market volatility and corrections share a similar story - they make headlines, cause momentary jitters, but often do not last long.


Common As Your Birthday

Yes, the stock market has given disappointing returns since the September 2024 all-time highs. But, education here is important. Historically, stock market corrections are as common as your birthday - they come every year. The data point is that since its inception, the Sensex has corrected by 10 to 20 percent roughly every 12 to 18 months from its recent highs. Market corrections are common, necessary, and healthy, as they smooth out technical indicators and lay the foundation for new all-time highs to be achieved. Without these pullbacks, markets would risk becoming overextended and unsustainable.


Don’t Time The Market

One of the most important lessons for investors is not to attempt to time the market. Your time spent in the market is more important than timing the market. The truth is - no one knows how long markets will fall or by how much. Similarly, no one knows when the market will recover and to what levels. Hence, timing often leads to missed opportunities. According to veteran fund manager and investor Peter Lynch, “Far more money has been lost by investors trying to anticipate corrections, than lost in the corrections themselves.”


Don’t Wait To Invest

Do not wait to invest. Invest and then wait. The sooner you invest, the sooner your money begins to grow. The best time to invest is always now - as soon as you have funds available. Invest quickly and focus on staying invested. It is smarter to focus on the long term. There is a bigger risk in staying out of the market, meaning not investing your funds, than staying inside the market.


Focus On Lumpsum

The key to wealth creation is to start early, stay consistent, invest sufficiently, and stay invested in a mix of mutual funds and direct stocks. Apart from your ongoing Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs), it is necessary to make lumpsum investments when you have extra idle funds. By having a smart financial advisor at your helm, he will guide you to invest lumpsum money using special schemes and strategies. The key to wealth creation is simple - do sufficient SIPs, increase SIPs every 12 months, and do lumpsum investments whenever possible.


Moral

The rule is simple: invest quickly, wait, and let the market do its work. Stock market corrections will come and go, just like New Year’s resolutions, but your long-term success depends on how much time you spend in the market, not on timing it.


(The writer is a Chartered Accountant and CFA (USA). Financial Advisor.  He could be reached on 9833133605. Views personal.) 

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