Aili Meri Paudi? : A Drama Attacking on Corrupt Practices

Aili Meri Paudi? : A Garhwali Drama Attacking on Corrupt Practices in Government Administration

   (Review of ‘Aili Meri Paudi?’ drama written by Girish Sundariyal)

           (Garhwali Drama, Kumauni Plays, Uttarakhandi Stage show, Himalayan Dramas)

                                        Bhishm Kukreti

 These days, satire is very common in Garhwali poetry, prose, story, films or in stage plays. The Garhwali creative understand very well their role as critics of their societies and happening in government administration.   As African contemporary writers are also conscious about wrong happenings in Africa (Lokangaka Losambe and Devi Sarinjeiv, 2001, Pre and Post colonial Drama and Theatre in Africa, pp.53), the Garhwali writers are disturbed eyewitnesses of corruption, evil methods in government-administration, exploitation, injustice, ridiculousness around them.  The Garhwali drama writers of twenty first century    as Kula Nand Ghansla, Bhishm Kukreti , Narendra Kathait and  Girish Sundariyal preferred satire as best tool for showing ridicules in the society and in government administration. The dramas of recent dramatists definitely are tools for restoring indigenous language, language promotion and language protection simultaneously.   

            Aili Meri Paudi? is one of the five dramas from drama collection ‘Asgar’ by Girish Sundariyal (2011) .      ‘Aili Meri Paudi?’ drama by famous Garhwali poet Girish Sundariyal is about an old widow of an army soldier not getting her pension. She found that she is not getting pension because according to government papers she is not alive but is dead. She visits pension-office at Paudi the capital of Paudi Garhwal. There she meets staff from peon to chief officer.  The audience experience the selfishness of government staff; ill treatment and insensitive behaviors of government staff towards the weak people as an old widow; no botheration by government workers for serving people but worried about their income and recreation; red tapes in government offices.  The audience experiences the torture and agony of a widow in the drama.

 The characterization is perfect in this drama by Sundariyal and is successful in showing the putrefying system in government offices which are becoming ant-people.

 The specialty of this drama is its well written dialogues. The dialogues are small and fit to characters. The conversation looks like daily life conversation.

The last dialogue ‘ Aili meri Paudi?’  is itself very attentive as it has multi meanings – Will you come to my Paudi, why did you come to Paudi  or you will get trouble coming to Paudi.

 The director will get pleasure in directing the well constructed drama ‘Aili Meri Paudi?’ by Girish Sundariyal.

Copyright @ Bhishm Kukreti

Popular Garhwali Drama, Kumauni Plays, Uttarakhandi Stage Plays, Himalayan Dramas to be continued ….