Ankit Chadha - Ramlila in Delhi

ORGANISATION AND COMMITTEES

UNITED WE STAND
OVER AND OUT
SHAUQ OR SHAUKAT

UNITED WE STAND:

So why does a production need to organize itself into a committee?

A committee, generally, consists of administrative members. They are the people who get the work of obtaining the permits from agencies like the municipal body, DDA, police authorities etc. Without the approval of these bodies, the production cannot be staged. Thus, it becomes necessary to have an administration in order to deal with them.

Moreover, in the case of all registered Ramlila committees, it is on the name of the committee or its office holders that the licence is issued.

Also, some of the offices are reserved as honorary positions for the main sponsors.

As far as having a joint body is concerned, various issues made these societies work from a united platform so that a collective voice could be raised for resolution of their problems.

The following table gives a lucid account of the need for the establishment of a joint body of the committees in Delhi:-

Established under the presidency of S.S. Aggarwal in 1997, one of the problems the Ramlila Mahasangh was able to sort out was the difference on tithi of the festival. Co-ordination between scholars and pundits calculating the panchaang through a common dais has led to the arrival on a consensus.

OVER AND OUT :

Ramlila, in Delhi that is, is a seasonal phenomenon. For the remaining part of the year, the committees act as organizations promoting social work. Many of them have taken up the responsibility to uplift the status of women (did Sita's suffering/ proving her chastity in the climax of lila influence such a decision?).

Female education is on top of the agenda. Monetary help is provide to poor families for marriage of their daughters.

Besides, campaigns such as adopting orphans, contributing to relief funds in the times of calamity and blood donation camps are undertaken.

Other charitable activities are also undertaken such as bhandaaraas.

SHAUQ OR SHAUKA, BUT IT'S SHOCKING :

A deeper study of the people in-charge of Ramlilas in Delhi reveals the dominance of members from Vaishya section of society. Listen to this. 8 of the top 10 offices of the joint body of the Ramlila committees, the Mahasangh, are held by Baniyas.

Some of the committees are totally dominated by them. The Subhash Maidaan lila is a fort of the local Vaishyas. The Navshri Dharmik Leela Committee, on the other hand, is controlled by Marwaris. Vaish builders are running the Lavkush production.

While some people say that interest (shauq) in religious affairs has always been characteristic to this community, others point out that holding an office in a Ramlila committee spells prestige and power (shaukat) as association with political bigwigs brings them closer to the mould of netas and whitens their collar.

I sum up with a directory of the Ramlila committees (arranged alphabetically) registered with the Mahasangh. Take a look and notice their domination.

BACK