THRISSUR: Two ambulances parked at a safe distance. At least 10 volunteers carrying students on stretchers. Police officers clearing the path for the ambulance.
The scene is not from an emergency situation arising out of some accident, but the back-stage scenes at the venue of the tribal art form ‘mangalam kali’.
The competition in the higher secondary school category had around 30 performances from various parts of the state. While there is a packed audience to absorb the rhythms of the art form, the performers were left struggling to cope up with the pressure.
“While the students are having to wait a bit longer than expected for their turn, what makes the situation more difficult is the 15-minute-long performance. The entire mangalam kali is performed in a bent posture,” a teacher from Malappuram district.
Two students sing while two others set the rhythm for the dance.
“The others have to continuously move their feet in a bending posture. By the time the performance ends, the children are literally down on the floor,” the teacher pointed out.
Teachers and parents grow worried each time an ambulance takes children to the hospital for better medical care.
“After every performance, at least four children from each group are being taken for medical aid. While some are provided with glucose, water, and other replenishment, some are in need of better care than what is provided at the venue. Think of the struggle they undergo to perform,” said a parent from Thiruvananthapuram.
Given the circumstances, the students and their teachers and parents are jointly seeking a modification to the manual for mangalam kali.
“It is true that mangalam kali is widely appreciated for its unique style of performance accompanied by the tribal percussion instrument, Perumthudi. But it will be helpful for the performers if the duration is cut short to at least 10 minutes,” the parent said.