Putra janm par Namkaran: A Drama about bias against Daughter

(Review of a Garhwali drama ‘Putra janm par Namkaran’ (1997) written by Om Prakash Semwal)

                                          Bhishma Kukreti

[Notes on Dramas about Gender Discrimination OR-Son bias and bias against Daughter; Garhwali Dramas about Gender Discrimination OR-Son bias and bias against Daughter; Uttarakhandi Dramas about Gender Discrimination OR-Son bias and bias against Daughter; Mid Himalayan Dramas about Gender Discrimination OR-Son bias and bias against Daughter; Himalayan Dramas about Gender Discrimination OR-Son bias and bias against Daughter; North Indian Dramas about Gender Discrimination OR-Son bias and bias against Daughter; Indian Dramas about Gender Discrimination OR-Son bias and bias against Daughter; SAARC Countries Dramas about Gender Discrimination OR-Son bias and bias against Daughter; South Asian Dramas about Gender Discrimination OR-Son bias and bias against Daughter; Asian Dramas about Gender Discrimination OR-Son bias and bias against Daughter]

     The bias for having son and bias against daughter is universal phenomenon. That is the reason that there are following proverbs and sayings in various societies –

She is true wife who has born a son (Manusmiriti)

‘Abu-banat (an Arabic insult)

Raising a daughter means you are watering neighbor’s garden (A Punjabi proverbs)  

With one son you have progeny; with ten daughters you don’t have anything (Vietnamese saying)  

The birth of a son is welcomed with shouts of joys and firecrackers but when a girl is born neighbors say nothing (a Chinese proverb)

  Even after gaining praiseworthy literacy in Garhwal, the society is son bias and against daughter’s birth. Playwright Om Prakash Semwal lives in rural Garhwal and has true knowledge of social behavior in the region.

  Om Prakash Semwal wrote and staged a play ‘Putra janm par Namkaran’ about son bias and bias against daughter’s birth in a school of Chamoli Garhwal in December 1997.

  Everybody related to Gumanu as his family, his in laws, his friends and relatives are frustrated about the births of his daughters. Nobody celebrates the daughter’s birth joy. However, this time wife of Gumanu delivers a male child and there is tremendous joys and celebration at the time of naming ceremony of the boy child. Om Prakash Semwal attacks on the society’s bias for son and bias against daughter heavily at the end of the drama.

  Initially the dram is realistic and the later stage of the dram is of Parsi theatre style.

The drama is aimed to youth of Garhwal, is successful in showing gender discrimination in the society and a strong message against gender discrimination.    

The dram is successful in making social debate about son bias and bias against daughter

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti, 4/7/2012                 

Notes on Dramas about Gender Discrimination OR-Son bias and bias against Daughter; Garhwali Dramas about Gender Discrimination OR-Son bias and bias against Daughter; Uttarakhandi Dramas about Gender Discrimination OR-Son bias and bias against Daughter; Mid Himalayan Dramas about Gender Discrimination OR-Son bias and bias against Daughter; Himalayan Dramas about Gender Discrimination OR-Son bias and bias against Daughter; North Indian Dramas about Gender Discrimination OR-Son bias and bias against Daughter; Indian Dramas about Gender Discrimination OR-Son bias and bias against Daughter; SAARC Countries Dramas about Gender Discrimination OR-Son bias and bias against Daughter; South Asian Dramas about Gender Discrimination OR-Son bias and bias against Daughter; Asian Dramas about Gender Discrimination OR-Son bias and bias against Daughter to be continued…