From: “Bhola Sing” bhola.sing@enig…
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2012 20:12:14 -0500
Subject: Reply of Rawa Obscene Dance in Delhi Issue
Baba
== REPLY OF RAWA OBSCENE DANCE IN DELHI ISSUE ==
Namaskar,
Rawa cultural programs held on the DMS stage and at various jagrtis like Faridabad have been an ongoing issue. Various codes of conduct have been contravened by organisers and performers. This has been witnessed by many and reported in great detail. None can deny the facts.
Recently one brother had his own response which I shall cite here and then offer a reply. The greater point is that the sentient quality of our RAWA cultural programs must be restored. Certainly we all can agree on that.
“As the celebration of Prabhat Samgiita Diwas is concerned Prabhat Samgiita is sung by Margii Brothers and Sisters and SOLO dance by the children of Margii family.
As per the RAWA Program organized by Faridabad Bhukti or B-Group (In Delhi) Group Dance on various Prabhat Samgiita is / was never performed by Margii Brothers and Sisters together, rather performed by renowned cultural artists like- Raja & Radha Reddy Group, Yamini Krishnamurti & Group, Saroja Vaidyanathan & Group.
With due honesty I can say, all the programs were aesthetic, descent & sober.
I am not contradicting sake for debate, I have wrote what I have seen or lived.” (“Reply to AM-Global writing on RAWA Program under heading- My Own Experience”; posted publicly to various networks on 24/11/12 by one margii brother)
REPLY TO BROTHER’S ABOVE CLAIM
Here I wish to give a report about recent RAWA programmes at Faridabad.
VULGAR SENSUAL DISPLAY ON RAWA PLATFORM (2011 / 2012)
1. In last two state level conferences held at Faridabad – in 2011 and 2012 – local artists performed in group dance programmes where physically mature teenage co-eds (mixed sexes) danced with haryanvi folk music. The lyrics of this dance programme were so vulgar. Wts and margii sisters were feeling very ashamed. Some even put their head down trying to hide themselves. Even one of the main organisers himself was not comfortable with the words and vulgar dance movement of these womanly dancers. In that programme they were praising her YOWAN /JAWANI (BODY), her waist, hair etc. Anyone who was there and witnessed this awful scene cannot deny that it did not happen. It was a shocking sensual display that had no place on our Rawa stage.
2. RAWA and PROUT are both based on the same Ananda Marga ideology. We cannot allow Proutist fronts to propagate rotten (pseudo) culture. Prout stands for refined human expression, especially with regards to song, dance, and drama. Our programs should be exemplary in all respects. In this current materialistic era, we are not to allow our Renaissance Universal / Rawa programs fall to a despicable level, on par with degraded present social norms. Rawa cultural programs are to stand as a guiding light and set a new standard of presentation for humanity.
MORE ABOUT RECENT PROGRAMS
3. In so many programmes (RAWA) of Faridabad and Delhi (along with B Group), they have organised dance / dramas where developed males and females have danced together on the stage for Prabhat Samgiit.
B group has been organising such programs in in Delhi for the last 7 – 8 years. Every time they do dance / drama which is performed by a professional group consisting of male and female artist of more than 18 years old. On 9th December 2012 a dance drama by Saroja Vaidyanathan group was performed. As usual it was performed by professional artists, both males & females appearing on stage together. These professional dancers, i.e. males and females, hold and touch one another regularly, according to the story and script etc.
Faridabad margiis also organised these same kind of dance/ drama by professional groups 3-4 year back. Nowadays they are not organising that kind of dance / drama due to paucity of funds. So there is no ideological motivation behind their decision to not hire profession dancers; rather, if they had sufficient funds they would still eagerly be hiring such professional dance groups to perform on our RAWA stage.
One last point: Even Raja Reddy performed with his two wives on stage – which he himself has written about. You may even have seen the photo which has been widely circulated by B group.
EC AND B GROUP:
PARTNERS IN DEGRADING DANCE
4. All know well how a few years back, after the formation of third front (EC), then third front leaders became close with B group after the national committee movement started. And, in such jointly-sponsored RAWA programmes, local artists (non-margiis) performed where males and females danced together. In that programme, Ac Tattvavedananda sang several Prabhat Samgiitas. The drama, which was performed by a local Faridabad professional artist group, was based on script written by Ac. Haratmananda Avt. Both these workers belong to B group. That is why it is commonly known that Faridabad margiis organise such RAWA programme with the help of B group.
5. For the last two or three years – since around the time of the construction of the Faridabad jagriti – the scale of RAWA programmes has become smaller. Actually, a lot of money is needed to hire professional artists. Since all local margiis have already contributed greatly in the construction of good jagriiti in Faridabad, that is why Faridabad margii are not doing any extra expenditure on professional artists. So they are not calling artists for making a dance-drama in which males and females dance together. But B group margiis always help and participate in the programme.
6. In B group programme in Delhi, they hire non-margiis professional artists and they dance together (mixing the sexes) with the permission and approval of the Rawa organiser. Some may think that this is fine – because after all they are non-margiis. But that cannot be our stand. Why? Because the audience does not differentiate between margii and non-margii dancers when they perform. Crude sensual dance will degrade others, irrespective who is dancing. So it is quite obvious that if a woman artist dances on stage, a male audience will have same sexual sensation whether she is margii or not. And vice-versa as well with male dancers and females in the audience.
FALLING INTO THE STEPS OF BOLLYWOOD
7. So-called aesthetic value is no reason for hiring professional male-female dancers to perform together, because so many Bollywood pictures / films may be said to be very aesthetically “pleasing”, yet they are wholly devoid of sanctity. Superficial or cosmetic beauty is no basis to call something ideological.
8. What about the programme done in state level convention of PBI in Faridabad, which was basically hosted by Faridabad margiis. Was that also aesthetic? Were the lyrics, dance movements, & cheap dances not a shame to margiis samaj and an act of lowering of Proutistic standard. One of the key people is himself GS Of PBI – has he ever discussed and tried to stop such vulgar programmes. If Faridabad Rawa organisers had any sense, then why did they allow those artists to perform such a programme two years in a row, in 2011 and 2012.
9. These people are hiring professional, non-margii dancers & singers for RAWA performances because they do not have such teams of margiis. If they had such a team, they would definitely have allowed margiis to intermingle & dance etc. This we have seen during the 1991 to 2002 period in Ananda Nagar DMS. And still this is going on under the direction of Mrinal Pathak where our Rawa programs have been the height of sensuality.
BABA’S WARNING ABOUT DEGRADING ART
Here Baba critically warns us of the problems associated with degrading and debased art.
(a) First, people often promote or produce sensual “art” because they know that by this way they will gain a big following. Such a strategy should not be applied to our Rawa programs. Those orgnanisers must focus on the goal of their artistic endeavor and not be consumed with making a profit.
Baba says, “If art or literature is created around the base propensities of the human mind, people will naturally gravitate towards it in large numbers, and the creators of such literature will earn a great deal of money from it; indeed, this is the only aim of their artistic creation. Engaged in the quest of evil, obscenity and vulgarity, they also [like the rightists] lose sight of the primary goal of art.” (A Few Problems Solved – 1, The Practice of Art and Literature)
HARMFUL INFLUENCE ON YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN
(b) Next, Baba warns us that the youth can be spoiled if artists fail to maintain an ideal in their personal lives and professional endeavours.
Baba says, “The youth of a country are attracted to artists; it is therefore the duty of society and the state to monitor these artists’ ideals and character. Otherwise they may exert a harmful influence on young men and women who are the future hope of society.” (Human Society – 1)
DISCOURAGE DEPRAVING TENDENCIES
(c) Baba guides us to put a halt to any cultural program that goads the mind towards degeneration.
Baba says, “There is also cultural life. Tendencies are of either a degenerating or an exalting nature, that is, they are either of a depraving or an elevating nature. We should encourage the elevating tendencies and discourage the depraving ones. In certain parts of this world, depraving tendencies such as pornography exist. Simply protesting will not stop these things: we will have to do something positive to check it. Such positive action will create a new stir in the human mind. Pornography and other depraving tendencies will be completely discouraged and checked. That will be our course of action. We have to create new literature, new books, new music, new songs. We have to chalk out a programme and act accordingly.” (Prout in a Nutshell – 12, Rule of Rationality)
DANCE OUR WAY TO HELL
(d) Here Baba warns us what happens when dance / dramas get degraded by sensuality.
““ra, ra, ra – cha, cha, cha,…Let us sing and dance our way to hell,”” (Microvitum in a Nutshell)
AGAINST WT CONDUCT RULES
(e) Those Wts who have attended such programs should beware as they have contravened their acarya conduct rules.
“…It may be added that avadhuta shall not engage his ears in any obscene language or songs, touch any tamasik articles, see any depraving entity or pictures, go through any story, novel or fiction having even the slightest bit of sexual importance…” (32 Rules for Avadhutas / Wts, pt #32)
NO SADHAKA SHOULD SEE SUCH THINGS
(f) Lastly, Baba warns us that no sadhaka – no Ananda Margii – should see any degrading scene etc, such as the “mixed” dancing performed nowadays on our Rawa stage etc..
““Cakśuńá Saḿvaro Sádhu” O spiritual aspirant! O Bhikśu! O monk! O devotee! You should have proper control over your eyes; whatever will have bad effect on your mind, you must not see it.” (Ananda Vacanamrtam – 14)
CONCLUSION
All in all, great strides need to be made to restore the sanctity of our Rawa programmes – that includes those programmes held in Faridabad. This is not the time for denial by the organisers, but rather a call to standards befitting Rawa guidelines as given by Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji.
Namaskar,
at His lotus feet,
Bhola Singh
Note 1: HOW ALL THE GROUPS ARE INVOLVED
Actually third front (EC) does not have that back up to do grand and glamorous RAWA programme. You see even if B-GROUP had very weak margii suport in number even then they were doing this kind of RAWA programme in a grand manner. This is especially so in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and recently they have done in Patna. The spectators mostly have been margiis of third front.
POLITICAL GIMMICK
In every programme they (B Group) honours an artist of national fame. They call some professional singers to sing Prabhat Samgiita. But the greatest attraction of their programme is the dance / drama. In this dance / drama, professionally trained dancers perform on praphat samgiit or on any other music based on their storyline. They call a professional anchor who speaks so much nonsense, such as they are not able to pronounce Wts’ name nor Baba’s name properly. That is espeically is irritating for margiis.
By doing RAWA porgramme, B group attracts the attention of so many margiis. Some of those margiis think that B group is doing something positive for pracara etc. But in fact it is just a political gimmick.
Many say that Vandanandananda had a strong desire to compete with B group on this stage. So he tried to copy their same format and present it in his stronghold i.e Faridabad. Which he did – once. Dada emulated that same grand level where professional artists were hired etc, but the anchor he hired was not very talented so they did not hire him again. All in all, Vandananandji could not compete on the RAWA stage – he was defeated by B group’s pomp and show.
YOUNG WOMEN DANCED
To compete and prove themselves, Ranchi group also tried hard to organise that same kind of high-profile programmes. Around 3 year back, that same kind of programme happened where a group from Orissa danced on Prabhat Samgiit. The main organiser was Madhubratanandji and the main speaker of this programme was Rudranandji. Women (some aged more than 18 yrs of age) danced in front of male audience. So Ranchi to tried to compete but they could not get success. So nowadays they are not organising such programmes. It they could create a dazzling programme they would do it. Due to lack of talent and ability they stopped. It is not that from an ideological standpoint they opposed it. Rather they could not get success. To save themselves from further embarrassment they stopped.
Note 2: WHAT RAWA PROGRAMS SHOULD BE LIKE
Baba says, “Then again, you are not merely an animal: simply eating, drinking and sleeping is not everything for a human. A human has a subtler life, a more charming life, a more fascinating life, so your physical existence moves towards your psychic existence, and this movement is your [quest] for higher life, your [quest] for subtler life, that is, your physico-psychic movement, starting from the physical level and moving towards the psychic level. Your physico-psychic activities are architecture, literature, dance, music – they are all your physico-psychic movement. And this movement is from crude to subtle, starting from the cruder arena and moving towards the subtler arena. That’s why in Ananda Marga I encourage this physico-psychic movement: because it will help you in moving towards the subtler world, in moving towards the supreme spiritual goal.”
“Then the third human [movement] is on the pure psychic level. Your thought-waves, your subtler thoughts, your aesthetic tastes, they are all your psychic movement. For physico-psychic movement, I encourage boys and girls to start work in the RAWA [Renaissance Artists’ and Writers’ Association] movement. You know, to work in RAWA, high-grade intellect is not necessary. But for pure psychic movement, pure psychic development, higher intellect is necessary. And in that realm also humans are to be encouraged, because it is even subtler than physico-psychic movement – it is pure psychic movement. And for that I encourage the intellectuals of Ananda Marga to form RU [Renaissance Universal] Clubs. Let there be psychic development, let there be clashes and cohesions in the realm of intellect. This will help a person to move from crude to subtle. This is the third expression of the human actional faculty.” (Ananda Vacanamrtam – 30, Human Expressions and Human Movements)
Note 3: LINK TO PAST LETTERS
http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2012/11/my-own-experience.html
PRABHAT SAMGIITA
“Tumi ha’sa’te ja’no, tumi ka’nda’te ja’no…” (PS 3510)
Baba, You know how to play Your divine liila in infinite ways. Sometimes You make me cry and sometimes You make me laugh and smile. You are liila
personified…
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