Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 5: Natrang Theatre Group is going to stage internationally acclaimed Dogri play ‘Bawa Jitto’ on October 8 and 9, 2016 in the ongoing Navratra Festival, Katra.
The shows will be staged at 4.30 pm on both the days at the Auditorium of Spiritual Growth Centre, Katra. This was disclosed here today by Padamshree Balwant Thakur, Director Natrang at a press briefing here today.
Giving details Balwant Thakur said that with the support of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Natrang is organising two shows of the play at the Auditorium of Spiritual Growth Centre, Katra which will add further colour and attraction to the ongoing Navratra Festival. He thanked SMVDS Board, Navratra Festival Committee for giving Natrang an opportunity to demonstrate before public the glimpses of their own history and heritage.
He further informed that Bawa Jitto has been one of the great devotee of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi who used to offer prayers at the Shrine every morning climbing the Trikuta hill all way from his native village Aghar. Mr Balwant desired that the staging of the shows based on this saga of the supreme sacrifice of Bawa Jitto to become a permanent feature during the annual Navratra Festival, Katra.
Written by Prof Ram Nath Shastri, the story of the play Bawa Jitto is set in the rural backdrop, which portrays the age-old saga of exploitation of landless farmers by landlords. Due to the constant and persistent pressures of relatives, with a piece of land as bone of contention, Bawa Jitto, a hard working, landless farmer is forced to leave his native village.
Accompanied by his nine-year-old daughter, he takes shelter in the house of a friend in Shamachak, a nearby village. The efforts of his friend Rullo result in a land grant from landlord in Shamachak and one fourth of the produce is fixed as land revenue. The hard work put in by him, the sweat and toil of Jitto turns a barren land into prolific treasure. This makes avaricious landlord to back out on his word and ask for major share of the crop. Helpless Jitto, unable to endure injustice, kills himself. The agony becomes boundless when Gauri, his little daughter immolates herself on her father’s pyre.
Follow our WhatsApp channel