Dalit community comes forward for culture conservation

RAMPUR, Nov 16: Traditional cultural values and practices are in decline these days as modernization is making in-roads in society.

This trend is also seen in the case of celebration of the Tihar festival. Extravaganza is seen these days in the name of singing and performing the Deusi-Bhailo cultural program during the Tihar festivities.

Various anomalies and aberrations have made their way into the celebration of cultural festivals not only in the urban areas, but also in the rural hinterland these days.

Concerned over this trend of traditional cultural values being sidelined in the face of onslaught of modernization, the Shrijansheel Dalit Liberation Society, Rajghara, Rampur Municipality-3, has stepped in in a mission of preserving the traditional culture.

In this connection, the Society has given a message of preserving the traditional cultural practices and values in the villages using Deusi-Bhailo cultural programs.

The Society’s President Dev Bahadur BK said that they have initiated the collective Deusi-Bhailo campaign to prevent the aberrations that have encroached upon the traditional Deusi-Bhailo cultural program.

"The Deusi-Bhailo cultural programs that are performed these days lack originality. The traditional musical instruments like dholak, jhurma, tyamko, narsingha, sahanai and bikul that were played while singing the Deusi-Bhailo carols are rarely played these days," he lamented. According to him, the younger generation people instead opt for playing the recorded versions of the music and singing, rather than themselves playing these instruments while singing the Deusi-Bhailo related songs.

"The Deusi-Bhailo songs and performances are losing their originality. Anomalies have displaced the originality. The originality of our traditional practices, culture and performing arts should be preserved. We are collectively working for the same in this campaign," BK added.

He shared that last year the Society purchased various traditional musical instruments worth Rs 160,000 for this campaign.

Society's senior member Mohan Bahadur BK expressed his worry saying the new generation people are not following the originality of our traditional culture and practices. "Modernization has brought anomalies in the way cultural festivals are celebrated. Compared to the way Deusi-Bhailo cultural performances used to be done in the past, this has changed a great deal these days. There is no originality in the Deusi-Bhailo performances these days," he said.

Manu BK, a local youth who is also involved in this campaign, said the house-owners are excited and happy and they open-heartedly gave money and other gifts to the members of the Society's Deusi-Bhailo cultural troupes comprising children, youths and adults went house-to-house singing the Deusi-Bhailo songs and performing the typical dances to the accompaniment of traditional music in a bid to preserving the originality of the Deusi-Bhailo.

Amount collected from Deusi-Bhailo would be spent for social work, he said. The Society through Deusi-Bhailo requested the new generation to celebrate festivals, culture and rituals in an original way, informing them about old traditions and customs.

Locals are seen happy while welcoming the Deusi-Bhailo groups with beats of original musical instruments at their door steps.

Traditional cultures and rituals have started disappearing while playing Deusi-Bhailo only for entertainment, not to protect original culture.

All have taken such activity carried out by the Society through Deusi-Bhailo to curb different types of anomalies in the name of celebrating festivals in a positive way. Total 80 Dalit families are associated with the Society.

Nowadays, the tradition of playing Deusi-Bhailo in the rhythm of Khaijadi, madal, majura, and basuri is not seen anywhere. Old traditions are disappearing due to imitation and impacts of western culture.

The culture of playing deusi bhailo has made groups since the reign of Bali Raja but only few groups are found performing the Deusi-Bhailo in recent period as compared to previous time.

Tihar, known as the festival of lights, strengthens the bond between brothers and sisters. Elderly people said the old history is losing its uniqueness in the festivals while trying to give newness instead of originality.

RSS