4 min readPuneJun 17, 2023 08:20 AM IST
First published on: Jun 16, 2023 at 07:11 PM IST
Eminent theatre personality Ratan Thiyam, who has refused to be part of a peace committee set up by the Centre on Manipur, has said that “a strong political will is needed” and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi must “speak out and give a solution”.
“I belong to art and culture. I have no political say, but when you witness this kind of an alarming situation, when Manipur is burning and there is no full stop, I would like to say that if the problem is not solved properly very soon by the government, it is going to be a greater disaster. I expect the Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak out and give a solution to bring peace. A strong political will is needed to solve the problem. If it is not done, where will the people go?” Thiyam, Padma Shri recipient and one of India’s leading theatre directors and playwrights, told The Indian Express from his home in Imphal.
On June 10, the Ministry of Home Affairs had announced a peace committee with Governor Anusuiya Uikey as chairperson and “Chief Minister N Biren Singh, a few ministers in the state, MPs, MLAs and leaders of different political parties” as its members. Thiyam was among the 51 members named in the list.
“You have a peace committee here, (but) you are going to be referring to the Centre. Until the Centre takes greater interest, how can a peace committee here solve the problem? Besides, I didn’t even know my name was on the panel. I came to know from the local newspaper… I also have my own problems so I thought it’s better to send a letter refusing the membership,” Thiyyam said from Imphal, where he lives.
So far, groups representing both the Meitei and Kuki-Zomi communities have said that they will not be part of the peace committee.
On the clashes that have torn Manipur apart, the 75-year-old artist said, “There are people whose homes have been burnt down. They don’t have anything except refugee and relief camps. The package that has been given by the Central government is not enough to bring peace. We need a package of humane solutions… Only giving food packets and saying that they are going to build houses is not enough. Who gives a guarantee that after building the houses, these won’t be burned down again, and that there won’t be clashes again?” he said.
He said the Centre and state governments need to address the issue “from a very deep angle”. “If they want peace, for which India is famous in the world, why are they keeping quiet and not bringing a solution to the problem,” he said. He added that as an artist and a non-political figure, he can only make a request to the Central government to do something immediately.
Born to Thiyam Tarun Kumar and Bilasini Devi, Manipuri classical dancers, Thiyam is one of the leading figures in the ‘Theatre for Roots’ movement along with B V Karanth and K N Panicker, among others. Thiyam’s theatre, from Karnabharam (1976) and Urubhangam (1981) to Nine Hills One Valley, have reflected the anxieties of Manipur.
Thiyam has played at iconic venues and theatre festivals. His play Urubhangam was performed at the Edinburgh International Theatre Festival in 1987 and won the prestigious Fringe First Award, a first for India.
He speaks six languages and understands eight but makes plays only in Manipuri and without subtitles. On whether the present violence will be reflected in his future works, he said, “Plays have always been a protest against a wrong system.”
Ratan Thiyam was among the 51 members named in the peace committee formed by the Ministry of Home Affairs(Express photo by Prem Nath Pandey) 
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