Godse to speak’ in US

MUMBAI, JAN 21: The Mahatma's assassin Nathuram Godse will speak, albeit outside the borders of India. A US-based cultural organisation T...

MUMBAI, JAN 21: The Mahatma’s assassin Nathuram Godse will speak, albeit outside the borders of India. A US-based cultural organisation The India Foundation has organised a reading of the play This is Nathuram Godse Speaking, an English translation of Pradeep Dalvi’s controversial Marathi play Mee Nathuram Godse Boltoy on January 30, the 51st death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

The reading will be followed by a panel discussion on topics like Mahatma Gandhi, the freedom of expression in a democratic society, the play, the role of the government and the politicisation and criminalisation of arts.

“The Indian democracy is relatively young. The idea is to put across the fact that the government, still cannot be a parent and that no one really wishes to have a police state,” Harish Trivedi of the Daytona-based foundation, who translated the play early last year, told Express Newsline. “The idea is not to convert anyone to any ideology. The India Foundation is not condoning Godse’sghastly act or endorsing the views expressed in the play by Dalvi. What we hope to achieve is an open discussion on the historic event and the play itself,” he added.

The row over the shows of the play in India and the consequent ban on it was widely reported in American newspapers and journals including the New York Times, India Abroad and India West. “The extensive reportage on the issue had prompted a number of calls from various theatre groups interested in staging the play from across the US,” said Trivedi.

The play will be read by American theatre actors Dr Bruce Comer, Time Lile and Keegan Boulton while Marsha Hanna, actress and a faculty member at the Sinclair Community College will give her impressions about he play as a play’ at the O’Leary Miriam Hall, University of Dayton. Dr Comer and Lile are on the faculty of the Department of Theatre at the Wright State University, Ohio while Boulton is a senior student in the Department of Theatre. Admission to the venue is freeof charge.

The organisers are expecting a big turnout for the reading, from among the Indian community in Dayton as also other Asians. The foundation had expected objections to the reading from Indian consulate in the US but the sailing has been smooth so far.

The reading is being organised by The India Foundation in association with Centre for International Programs, University of Dayton, the Ohio Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities, Washington DC.