Mangtu Baulya: A Garhwali Drama Searching the Causes of Rural to Urban Migration

Mangtu Baulya: A Garhwali Drama Searching the Causes of Rural to Urban Migration

(Review of a Garhwali Drama ‘Mangtu Baulya’ (1993) by Swarup Dhoundiyal)

Notes on Asian Dramas Searching the Causes of Rural to Urban Migration, South Asian Dramas Searching the Causes of Rural to Urban Migration, Indian Dramas Searching the Causes of Rural to Urban Migration, North Indian Dramas Searching the Causes of Rural to Urban Migration, Himalayan Dramas Searching the Causes of Rural to Urban Migration, Uttarakhandi Dramas Searching the Causes of Rural to Urban Migration, Garhwali Dramas Searching the Causes of Rural to Urban Migration, Kumauni Dramas Searching the Causes of Rural to Urban Migration

                                                    Bhishma Kukreti

               Swarup Dhoundiyal was famous Hindi fiction writer, a great regional magazine editor and a famous Garhwali playwright.

       Swarup Dhoundiyal wrote two Garhwali dramas ‘Adalat’ and ‘Mangtu Baulya’ influenced by a Garhwali drama ’Ardh Grameshwar’ written by Rajendra Dhashmana.  Both Garhwali dramas ‘Adalat’ and ‘Mangtu Baulya’ deal with the subject of problems and social behaviors in rural hills of Garhwal.

                The drama story of ‘Mangtu Baulya’ (1993) by Swarup Dhoundiyal centers on a mad man ‘Mangtu Baulya’. Mangtu opens his secret through flashback in each scene for the causes of his madness.  

             The drama is thought provoking drama and directly supports the migration as there are no opportunities in rural villages of hills of Garhwal.

                   The Garhwali drama ‘Mangtu Baulya’ is capable in touching the subject of unemployment in rural areas; concentration of employment in urban areas; low productivity in rural areas; slow pace or no pace of industrial development in rural areas; very low quality in rural education and no hope for improvement in rural areas; aim of education only for getting jobs in cities.

          The style of drama is mixture of Parsi theatre and realistic dramas. When Mangtu talks with himself there is Parsi theatre loudness and in other scenes, Dhoundiyal uses realistic dialogues. The scenes are taken from day-to-day life of Garhwali village before seventies.

                     The drama provokes and tries to find out causes of rural to urban migration.

              The Garhwali Drama ‘Mangtu Baulya’ (1993) by Swarup Dhoundiyal is one of the dramas which created stir in Garhwali drama world for its newness, for dealing with burning and contemporary issues, for bringing realism in Garhwali drama.  

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti

Notes on Asian Dramas Searching the Causes of Rural to Urban Migration, South Asian Dramas Searching the Causes of Rural to Urban Migration, Indian Dramas Searching the Causes of Rural to Urban Migration, North Indian Dramas Searching the Causes of Rural to Urban Migration, Himalayan Dramas Searching the Causes of Rural to Urban Migration, Uttarakhandi Dramas Searching the Causes of Rural to Urban Migration, Garhwali Dramas Searching the Causes of Rural to Urban Migration, Kumauni Dramas Searching the Causes of Rural to Urban Migration to be continued…..