Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon recently organised a street play performance by adivasi actors from the region of southern Chhattisgarh. The idea behind the play was to bring forth the challenges faced by citizens of the country that are yet to benefit from the government’s top down approach towards development.
The play titled Ek Tha Shehri was a 45-minute long story enacted by six Gond tribals (three women and three men). The narrative followed an urban dweller’s visit to the tribal land that is still struggling to find access to basic civic amenities. The visitor is left dumfounded when he realises that the tribals still don’t have clean drinking water, not enough teachers and are confronted with language barriers. In a nutshell, it emphasised the irony of a nation that has “found water on Mars and Moon but cannot ensure safe drinking water for its own citizens”.
The play ended with concrete suggestions on reaching out to the government by using mobile phones and the internet. With just using the simple service called CGNet Swara, grievances can be forwarded to the concerned authorities. The tribals’ engagement with CGNet Swara, a voice portal that can be accessed through a mobile phone, allows citizens to report and listen to stories of local interest. This is how people who have so far been at the receiving end of Naxalism can finally make themselves heard and find a way to rattle government apathy.