Slums getting removed is not a new story any more, be it in Mumbai or Delhi. Slums and galis, where hundreds of people live in despicable and unhealthy conditions was once the face of India in the eyes of Westerners, and in a rush to change that face India readily swooped into the real estate giants where they removed these slum dwellers and there huts and replaced by multi storeyed buildings. But the story of Kathputli gali is different in various facets.
Kathputli gali is a cultural hub which includes talents of villages from various parts of North India. They migrated to India in 1960s and 1970s and settled illegally in this colony. Unlike the 290 slums which DDA (Delhi Development Authority) plan to develop, Kathputli has this cultural background and unity which they fear might get lost. The colony homes magicians, street circus acrobats, drummer, dancers and puppeteers making it New Delhi’s largest performers’ colony. (Time Magazine, January 2008).
The plans to move the slum dwellers and develop the area into a commercial joint was brewing for few years now. But DDA said that the plans have failed to legally implement their plans since the inhabitants have refused to move.
One thing common to all those who stay in these dilapidated colony is their spirit for the street arts. Though they engage in various trades and go to schools, they rigorously practice the arts which their families have done for ages. The training is done with no safety and security measures since they cannot afford them. Not to mention the problems from police who attack the gali every now and then with cooked up charges so that the people would leave the premises and the protests would go mild.
When every art is celebrated as a part of Indian culture why do we fail to acknowledge these efforts? Being a street circus acrobat or street magician does not pay one enough for one meal a day, still these people keep their arts alive. Is it because we still have not got over the colonial hangover, when we felt ashamed because the white men mocked us that India would be ruled by snake charmers one day? Most of the inhabitants of the gali are lower caste and economically backward people working for daily wages. Is casteism one of the factors why these street arts of India does not get acknowledged? India would be proud to have such dedicated artists who strive to keep alive their heritage though no company finds a marketing potential in their arts or the bureaucracy wants to clean them away like the dirt on their noses.
The slum requires to be cleaned and rehabilitated so that the place is fit for human inhabitation. But it is also vital that the gali be treated with respect for the culture they uphold. The art they play is more or less like a spiritual duty to their ancestors not a money skimming business. Let us hope that Kathputli gali will not be wiped from the map of Delhi in some land development rush or else a piece of innocent art would be lost once and for all.
