It’s not only the Rajasthan government which has muzzled creative expression (read: Salman Rushdie).
It’s not only the Rajasthan government which has muzzled creative expression (read: Salman Rushdie).
The Lucknow district administration has also come up with an eminently worthy parallel by banning a play which has reference to a princess called Maya and her elephant called Airawat.
The play My Sandal was to be staged at an auditorium here on Saturday next. But, young theatrist Mukesh Verma, writer-director of the play, has been told by district administration officials in no uncertain terms that the play would not be allowed to be staged. District magistrate Anil Sagar told reporters that the play was violative of the model code of conduct as it had a reference to Maya and elephant.
The Election Commission has recently ordered all statues of Mayawati and elephants put up at government expense to be covered till the elections are over. The DM, however, did not refer to the EC diktat while justifying the move. He admitted that he had not read the script but refused to elaborate on how the play violated the EC’s model code of conduct.
The play revolved around the story of a princess called Maya 500 years ago, who had an elephant called Airawat. The haughty princess was always surrounded by ministers who were sycophants who kept her away from her subjects. The ministers, forever trying to keep Maya in good humour, plan to gift a beautiful pair of sandals to the princess. The sandals are, however, eaten up by Airawat. Finally, the princess realises her mistake and promises to be a good ruler.
Sources say the officials were apprehensive that the play could once again highlight the episode in which a senior security official on duty with Mayawati had gotten down on his knees to clean her sandals. Visuals of the official cleaning sandals with his handkerchief were played on TV channels for several days last year.
Mukesh Verma has said that he was willing to change or rename the characters of Maya and Airawat to satisfy the officials. “I have also said that I could put up a dummy play for them (officials) but no one is ready to listen,” he lamented. He said he had been called on Tuesday by a senior official and told verbally that the play had been banned.
The UP Kalakaar Association has decried the district administration’s decision calling it arbitrary. “This is an attempt to trample the artists’ right to expression,” said Association president Vijay Tiwari.
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