Gajan Songs of South 24 Parganas: A Survey of Folk Theatre

Charak festival is held each year at the end of the Chaitra month. On this ocassion musical performances are arranged in the puja organizer’s house in places like Diamond Harbour, Joynagar, Kakdwip, Kulpi in the South 24 Parganas district. These folk performances are locally known by the name of ‘Gajan Gaan’. In some places people also call it ‘Chaitegaab’. Since this festival is organized by the village folk (‘গাঁ’-জন) in the month of Chaitra(চৈত্র> চৈত Chaita>Chaita) , the name ‘Chaitegaab’ has some pertinence. Local people present these songs in small groups in their times of relaxation. 

The paalaas which are performed during this time are all mythical (puranic) in content, based mainly on stories of Shiva and Kali. The paalaas are closely related to the Shiva of  Charak. Competitions are held between different groups of Gajan Gaan on the 27th, 28th, 29th Chaitra in Jorapal area of Kamarer Haat under Kakdwip police station even to this day. Those who have financial means build groups of their own with kushilabs, appointed on a year’s contract, and other people. Once the groups have been formed, they present their paalaas in various gatherings.

But the popularity of Gajan Gaan in this areas is not solely because of their religious content. Their popularity is mainly due to the fact that they present stories about social tensions in a witty and humourous way replete with explicit sexual references. Though the main source of Gajan Gaan is Shiva of the Charak festival, in recent days it has moved beyond this theme and started participating in ‘globalisation’.  For example, in recent days almost 25-30 groups of Gajan Gaan have organized themselves like opera groups of Chitpur and during Durga Puja, they go from place to place beyond their own region to perform their songs. Like Jatra groups they perform on raised platforms accompanied by lighting, colourful costume and various Indian and Western instruments. The paalaas they present are short and based on a variety of themes but in all of them songs play more important a role than dialogues. In fact, from the beginning to the end they abound in songs. Except in the mythical paalaas, the language of these songs contain explicit sexual references and their tunes are taken popular Hindi or Bengali films. However, at times even the songs of such nature contain some deeper social truth. Their humourous and sarcastic language does not come in the way of such truth being communicated. This particular song can be taken as an example:

karma koro pholer chinta korona insaan

jemon kormo temni phol debe khoda bhogoban

e je gitar kikhon, e je gitar likhon

dudin eli ei bhobe, dudin pore jete hobe

khamarbari khamarjomi somoy hole jabe chhari

hore krishna hore bole, nidan kal asbe jobe

shesher dine se jon bine nai re poritran

[Do your work, don’t think of the consequences, oh insaan

You shall reap as you sow, says Khoda Bhagavan

This is said in Gita, in Gita it is written

You have come to this world for a mere two days and will leave in another two

Farmhouse and farmlands—you have to leave all behind

Say Hare Krishna Hare, when the final day comes

WIthout Him there is no deliverance on that last day][1]

This undoubtedly reminds one of one of the most popular verses of the Bhagvad Gita. ‘karmanyevadikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana’ (2:47).

All the paalaas of Gajan are written beforehand. The composers are locally known as ‘Gajanmaster’. Mr Swapan Gayen is one such professional ‘gajanmaster’ who lives in the Bapulirchowk area under Joynagar police station. Another ‘gajanmaster’ of this area is Mr Sunil Halder, the director of the group ‘Saraswati Gajan Samstha’. He told me that a group of Gajan Gaan has to keep a number of paalaas, centred on different themes, ready for each season. The preparation for a new paalaa and the process of selecting kushilabs (performers) as well as the plan for the coming year’s budget begin on the ocassion of Ulto Rath each year. Rehearsals continue for the entire monsoon. After the whole day’s work, performers gather in the rehearsal room in the evening. There they practise till late night.

A paalaa, based either on religious or social and political issues, usually lasts for two to two-and-a-half hours. The first and last plays in a Gajan programme are inevitably religious ones. In the paalaas which are of a more social or political nature, the inconsistencies in social life are shown in a witty manner, so that people easily get their essence.

But as in most other folk theatrical performances, in Gajan Gaan also all the female characters are played by male actors, even in this 21st century. The male actors in female clothes are called in Bangla ‘female choritro’ (literally, female character). Many such actors get names like ‘Gajan Lakshmi’, ‘Gajan Priya’ etc. as a result of their playing the part of female characters. Having been present in many Gajan Gaan performances, I have realized that these performances are so full of explicit sexual content and bold humour that it may not be possible for female actors to stand side by side with male actors on the stage and play the characters with natural ease. One can look at an extract from a Gajan Gaan:

Father: Ram has a bottle of rum in his hands, Sita drinks botka (Vodka)

Daughter-in-law: I will give a jhatka of 440 volts.

Servant: I will perform the vastra-haran now/I will strip you now. The Krishna of Kali yuga is standing, next to Duhshasan.

Son: Accusing you of theft, I shall lodge a police diary.

Father: Leaving the jilipi aside have chamcham, mairi​.

Daughter-in-law: How come a servant speaks thus?

Father: I am the father of your bhatar (provider)[2]

Perhaps for this reason women have still not found entry into Gajan Gaan performances, and in this it continues the tradition of other folk theatrical forms of Bengal. Unlike Jatra, the Gajan Gaan groups have not yet accepted the presence of female actors on stage.

Be it as it may, the way the Gajan artists present their songs through the use of sarcasm, sharp irony and twisted humour comment on the existing state of society. And this social commentary, communicated in a sharp and explicit language, can be said to be the contribution of the Gajan artists to social change.