Third AITC National Convention at Srinath University

Md Nizam elected National VP unopposed

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, April 9: “It is indeed a matter of regret and concern that there is no such infrastructure in the district to keep theatre and theatre artistes alive through drama presentations in spite of the fact that a country gains popularity and international stature through projection of its cultural including performing medias’ allround development,” observed All India Theatre Council (AITC) National President Ashok Manav at the Third Convention organized in the Srinath University Auditorium in Adityapur (Jamshedpur) on April 2 and 3.

The third AITC Convention saw 150 delegates from 17 states including Manipur, Odisha, Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Gujarat and Telangana participating in the two day event.

As per convention, elections for the post of executives were held under democratic norms under the supervision of Election Officer and nationally acclaimed theatre personality, Sangit Natak Akademi awardee and Trustee AITC Ajay Malkani. The election Observers were Rajendra Bagaria, Avdhesh Singh and Pradip Bajpayee. Since single names were registered for election to relevant posts, all such contestants were declared uncontested winners.

The new AITC Governing Body comprised Ashok Mehra (National President), Satish Kundan (General Secretary),  Sunil Dutt Vishwakarma (Treasurer), Md Nizam, Vasisht Prasad Sinha and Rajgopal Pati (National Vice Presidents), Rajendra Prasad (National Secretary), Anuj Kumar (Secretary) and Ashok Mehra (National Convener). The newly elected members of the National Governing Body of AITC were administered the Oath of Office and Secrecy.

Top-draw Ajay Malkani, while addressing the participants and other theatre activists at the AITC National Convention, stressed, “To keep theatre alive and kicking, it is imperative for theatre artistes to participate in light designing workshops thereby learning the finer techniques of direction. If one wishes to pursue a career in direction, one has to be technically educated.”

Satish Kundan while taking a dig at the government, stated, “The government is not interested in the welfare and upkeep of theatre workers. Merely performing Ganesh Vandana cannot make one a true theatre worker. None gives a thought to the welfare of artistes. In view of these lacunae AITC has formed an emergency relief fund that provides for medical financial support to ailing artistes and pension of Rs 1,000 per month for theatre workers over 70 years of age and provision for insurance of needy artistes.”

AITC National Vice President and Director of city-based performing team, People’s Association for Theatre (PATH) and a diehard activist for the promotion of theatre, Md Nizam, contending on the proposal, ‘Unity of International Theatre Artistes need of the hour for development of Theatre and welfare of theatre artistes,’ observed, “The central government, instead of considering relief measures for theatre workers, has snatched away 75 percent relief in train fare on the pretext of the then COVID period and all pleas to the government on reinstatement of the fare concession have fallen on deaf ears of the government. The AITC has been demanding the reinstatement of this facility since the past two years but nothing so far has been achieved. The government continues to remain mum on the issue. Thus we have decided that all theatre artistes across the country will meet MPs and MLAs of their respective zones on April 14 and submit four memorandums of demands and even if after this move, the government remains a fence sitter, we will continue our agitation and hold protest agitations in the national capital.”

The two day sessions saw performance of theatre by various participating units in the evening. Among th main speakers in the two day session was Dr Suravi Jayavardhan who takes classes on light designing at NSDA, has choreographed several songs and dances for hit Southern films including the latest Oscar winning song, ‘Natu-Natu.’ The two day national AITC Convention concluded on April 3 evening with a revived pledge to take theatre and theatre artistes to a higher level of allround development and recognition.