Chaitra Shuddha Chaturthi
By Staff Reporter
Mumbai (Maharshtra): The Dainik Sanatan Prabhat had published news in its issue of 5th March 2008 that the Marathi play ‘Kunti-Parthiva’ had distorted the Hindu scripture, Mahabharat. Today when the HJS read in a newspaper that the play was going to be shown in the 47th state drama competition, its delegation called on the administrator of Yashwantrao Chavan theatre and handed over to him a representation demanding immediate cancellation of the show. However the administrator replied that as the cultural department of Maharashtra government had made the reservation of theatre, he was unable to cancel it. (The government is supposed to take care that the religious feelings of followers of any religion are not hurt. However, the government has committed a breach of the constitution and law by allowing the play that hurts the religious feelings of Hindus. The concerned government official must be punished for this! – Editor)
The delegation of the Samiti comprising district co-ordinator, Shri. Shivaji Vatkar, Shri. Madhav Deshpande, Shri. Prasad Mankar and Dr. Uday Dhuri also went to meet Shri. Prabhakar Mayekar and Shri. Avinash Phanasekar, dramatist and director of the play respectively and demanded cancellation of the play. They said, "The play has hurt the religious feelings of Hindus." The writer and the director said, "We are also pro-Hindu. The dialogues are based on the Mahabharat only. We have shown through the play how Kunti was great and noble in spite of getting a raw deal in life. If at some place in the play distortion of Mahabharat has taken place, we shall delete that portion." The Samiti’s delegation told him to keep the relevant portion intact and to delete the objectionable and distorted portion before commencing the play, otherwise it must be cancelled. However, both the writer and the director said, "The show is being played in a few hours and it is not possible to change the dialogues at the last minute. So please allow us to show this one show. Thereafter we will arrange a separate show for the delegation and then delete whatever portion you will suggest." They also assured that henceforth the play would carry a message on Hinduism and they would take care not to hurt the feelings of Hindus."
