Covid-19 scare: Mobile theatre groups stare at uncertain future

GUWAHATI: With the Assam government shutting down educational institutions, theatres and some public places and mass gatherings being discouraged in view of the coronavirus outbreak in the country, the mobile theatre industry in the state is staring at an uncertain future.
In the run up to the New Year, mobile theatre groups travel and perform in lower Assam. But from January onwards, they move to upper Assam and the season draws to a close with Rongali Bihu.
But this year, with most people staying away from gatherings, the mobile theatre artistes and workers, who are currently touring the districts in upper Assam, are staring at a financial crisis ahead of Rongali Bihu. From Sunday, some of these theatres have started closing down temporarily.
With the current situation set to hit the livelihood of thousands of families just before Rongali Bihu, the theatre groups want the government to allow them to screen people for coronavirus before letting them in for the shows. Not all but only those who have symptoms of flu or cough and cold will be screened, they say, adding that the move will allow people to turn up without fear and the mobile theatres to function smoothly.
"We appeal to the government to allow the mobile theatre groups to perform. They should be allowed to screen people from the audience, wherever required. But the shows shouldn't be stopped by issuing a blanket ban. Mobile theatre shows are planned till Rongali Bihu. If we are asked to wind up almost a month before the end of the season, the technicians will badly suffer as they won't get the payment," said renowned Assamese actor Prastuti Parashar, a veteran mobile theatre personality.
Parashar, in a news conference addressed by some producers of the popular mobile theatre groups in upper Assam on Sunday, said that if the mobile theatre shows are suddenly stopped, the state government should also consider providing compensation to the technicians - the grassroot workers who are comparatively paid less and whose incomes depend on the number of shows staged.
While the Majuli district administration on Sunday asked the Surjya mobile theatre group to bring their shows to a halt in wake of the coronavirus threat, Parashar said that the Sivasagar administration won't allow the Abahan theatre group, with which she is associated, to perform their scheduled shows in the district from Tuesday.