Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) now wants to appropriate street plays across universities in India and re-name it as "vithi-natakam", which is a Hindi translation of the word. Calling 'nukkad natak', a leftist idea, the Sangh now wants that these plays should also teach students about the Indian culture and its core values.
Through a project named "Udaan", Sanskar Bharti, the cultural unit of RSS is building up street play groups that can spread awareness about the Indian culture among students. The most important instruction given to these groups is, do not be "anti-national" or "anti-social" while performing your plays.
One such event of Udaan was held in Delhi University last month, where around 900 students participated. After Delhi University, Sanskar Bharti has plans to take it to other 12 universities in the national capital including Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Milia Islamia, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and private universities including Amity University. They are also working on plans to spread it to other universities across the country.
A source in Sanskar Bharti said that they are already in talks with Mumbai University for the event, however nothing has been finalised as of now. Theatre co-ordinator for Sanskar Bharti, Shailesh Shrivastava told dna: "So far, the leftists have been using nukkad natak as a tool for spreading all kinds of anti-social and anti-national messages and especially those in JNU. Through Udaan, we want students to learn about the core values and traditions of Indian culture."
"After the sedition row in JNU, we thought that there is a serious need to teach students their cultural values and there could have been no better way to do it, other than the street play. We also want to rename it as vithi-natakam. Vithi means street and natakam is play, so rather than an English -- street play or urdu -- nukkad natak, we want to give it a hindi name," he added.
Students who become a part of these street play groups have also been promised training by Bolywood actor and BJP sympathiser Anupam Kher’s acting school. In the recently held event in Delhi University, two of the participants have been offered a three-month training course in Kher’s acting school and the expense will be borne by the Udaan team, which is a RSS unit.
To be trained at Kher's acting school
Students who become a part of these street play groups have also been promised training by Bolywood actor and BJP sympathiser Anupam Kher’s acting school. In the recently held event in Delhi University, two of the participants have been offered a three-month training course in Kher’s acting school and the expense will be borne by the Udaan team, which is a RSS unit.
