MARGAO
With the carnival festivities around two months away and the authorities, including the police coming down heavily on use of sound beyond 10 pm, the order on sound pollution seemed working on the minds of the directors of Zomnivele Khell.
Zomnivele Khell is part and parcel of Goa’s rich culture and tradition and comes into play during the three carnival festivities, wherein the khells are staged on the ground in the villages and towns during the festivities.
But, with the order on sound pollution casting shadow on playing music and sound beyond 10 pm, a delegation of directors of Zomnivele Khell led by the president of non-stop Konkan Khell Tiatr Association, Arnaldo Costa descended at the Ravindra Bhavan, Margao hoping to give a presentation to the Minister for Art and Culture Govind Gaude to bail out the beleaguered directors of Zomnivele Khell ahead of the Carnival festivities.
In the memorandum addressed to the Art and Culture Minister and the Director of Art and Culture, the directors of Zomnivele Khell have made a fervent plea for relaxation of time and sound permission to perform folk plays during the Carnival festivities. Pointing out that the folk plays usually start by 9 am and ends beyond 10 pm, the directors have called for giving time relaxation during Carnival days, considering it as the local cultural tradition.
They also drew the attention of the Minister and the Director that the condition imposed by the authorities to obtain NOC and permission from the owner where the khell will be staged will come in the way of the staging of the khells. “It is possible to get owner’s permission to perform khell in all areas well in advance, as the demand or request for folk plays comes at the last moment,” the memorandum read, while expressing the hope that the government will consider the request to keep the Goan carnival tradition of Zomnivele khell alive.
Since the Art and Culture Minister and the Director did not turn up for the programme at the Ravindra Bhavan, Margao, the memorandum was submitted to the president of Tiatr Academy of Goa, Menino de Bandar and former Minister Churchill Alemao.
President of Konkan non-stop tiatristanche saunstha president Arnaldo D’Costa said the directors of Zomnivele Khell have submitted the memorandum to the government since the authorities, including the police have started cracking a whip against tiatrs beyond 10 pm.
“We have information that the police have started stopping tiatrs going on beyond 10 pm. In this situation, we have decided to submit the memorandum to the government to grant relaxation to stage the Zomnivele Khell during the Carnival festivities. These folk plays are staged in the village and towns well beyond the 10 pm sound permission and any attempt made to strictly implement the sound norms vis-Ã -vis the khells will deal a blow to the traditional folk plays,” Arnaldo said.
