CHENNAI: On the busy Poonamalle High Road, near the Central Railway Station, a group of people gathered to watch a music performance. ‘Parai’, traditionally used in Tamil Nadu to convey important message to people, was the main instrument in the performance.
Once the music mellowed down, a skit, in a hospital set up, followed. A youngster acting as a doctor started telling about the importance of wearing masks, washing hands and practising social distance. This group of youngsters is part of an NGO named Plant Shelter, which the Chennai Corporation has roped in to spread awareness about Covid-19 in the form of Indian folk art.
The 13-member group has been organising skits, street plays, oyilattam and parai attam to draw crowd across the city. A Corporation official said that if they conveyed the message directly, people were not willing to listen. “Thus, we decided to do something like this. They (group) draw a lot of crowd wherever they go,” the official said, adding that shows were performed in slum areas, bus stands, markets and busy roads.
Coordinator of the NGO R Magimai Santhosh said all the group members are well-trained Indian folk artistes. “In the earlier times, important messages were conveyed in the form of folk art. Here too, we show the Covid-19 safety practices by expressing them through dance and dialogues with script,” he said.
He said that his team brainstormed for creating lyrics that match with popular songs and folk art.
“The idea is to stress the importance of not roaming unnecessarily and listening to the government,” he said. A rough translation of one of the line in the lyrics goes like this: “If you roam around outside, you spread Corona in the city causing problems to others as well as you. Listen to the government and stay safe at home”.
Santhosh said that their team has performed more than 200 shows and so far, none of their members have gotten Covid-19. “We take all precautions while at public places. The city corporation to helps us to get tested for Covid regularly,” he said.
Recently, the troop also performed a Covid-19 awareness street play at a program organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. In their non-performing hours, the NGO does service for the civic body by distributing food to the poor.