The Great Indian Tragedy Circus

Forty-five-year-old Dilip Nath Nair,who runs the Great Bombay circus with Sanjeev Balagopalan says that after five years,there will be no circus in India. “How do I survive?” he asks. “Land and transportation costs are up. Sometimes,we have to pay R 10,000 – 15,000 per day for the ground even though the best grounds are not given to us. Now,severe laws have crippled us further. We are asking for a little cooperation,not charity,” he says. There are many threats to the existence of the Great Indian circus. The ban on animal performances by the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act,1960 amended 10 years ago was the first big setback. It was justified but led to a tricky issue caught between animal and human rights. For now,only animals like elephants,dogs,cats and hippopotamuses are allowed for certain acts but soon an amendment proposed by the Animal Welfare Board,Chennai will ban them too.

Space for circus tents in cities is another concern. “In Delhi,we don’t always get good grounds. In Lucknow,the Nadwa College Ground,near Gomati Nagar was not given to us this year whereas in Nagpur the ground was converted into a cemented parking zone. For the last 15 years,the Army ground in Secunderabad,which was traditionally used for circuses had not been given to us as it was reserved for Polo matches. Recently,it was given to BCCI for Cricket!” Nair laments.

Government apathy may be one reason but Sujit Dilip,owner of Rambo Circus,reveals another problem. “We are always short of artistes. Recently,a foreign circus asked for 200 Indian artistes but we were unable to provide them due to lack of trained artistes,” he say s. After the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986 amended three years ago,children were banned from being trained in circuses. “We understand the concern,but perhaps like the West,we must train the children as well educate them,” says Dilip. An example is the Circus Academy launched in Thalassery,Kerala,in August,last year. It started with nine students who were being trained by trainers from the Jumbo and Gemini circuses. But the Academy is still trying to strengthen its base,trying to get more number of students enrolled and setting a curiculum in place . “We have a 14-member committee that takes care of the curriculum and other requirements but we are not completely ready,” says Retired Army Officer Gopinath,the current in-charge.

Out of the 50-odd circuses in India,only 20 make a small profit. In the last three years,more than four wrapped up business. Twenty-eight-year-old Karanjeet Singh started managing the Jamuna Circus after his father’s death. Currently running in Vizag,the circus has still not made any proftit in the last 12 years. “We can’t let this circus die. All my earnings from my job are directed towards its survival,” shares Singh’s sister Urmila.

Nair,a member of the Indian Circus Federation,admits that the Circus Federation is not united. “We are not aware of the government grants nor are we equipped to fight court battles. Most of us just give in.”

To survive,some,like Rambo,are reinventing themselves,by highlighting Indian acts like that of sword balancing. They also use the virtual world – e-ticketing – for effective marketing. But the Act is becoming tougher by the day and no clown will be able to inject humour in this tragedy.