A dance drama which focuses on the existing race between nature and science was premiered at Chorus Repertory Theatre in Imphal on Friday.
The drama titled ‘Phumdigi Tantha’, is an expression of the concerns on the negative influences of human on nature choreographed by W Lokendrajit Singh.
Phumdi in Manipuri means a series of floating islands or heterogeneous masses of vagetations, soil and organic matters in different stages of decay, found in Loktak Lake, the largest freshwater lake of the North-east in Manipur.
Water being the elixir of life, all living beings depend on fresh water.
Threat to life of living beings looms large when water gets polluted with plastic waste, domestic and commercial waste, chemical residue, fertilizers, and insecticides severely affects the physical character of water bodies.
The drama reflects the life of a young student who is intrigued with the beauty of Loktak Lake and at the same time became haunted with the physical changes – one that of a beauty and the other that of degeneration happening to the Lake.
The over exploitation of the fishes using invention of science had drained the resources as well as dumping of plastic wastes in the lake pollutes the lake leading to strangulation of the lake to death, with all the fishes and birds who used to visit the lake in winter becoming scarce or non-existent.
The drama ends with the race between nature and science (developmental processes) and a question for mankind who gain or loses at the end.
Internationally acclaimed theatre director and chairman of the Chorus Repertory Ratan Thiyam, a Sangeet Natak Akedemi Awardee and vice chairman, Prof H Tombi Singh of Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy attended the premiere show as chief guest and president respectively apart from critics, theatre personalities, officials of JNMDA, among others.