8/11/2019 Indian Street Performers Struggle to Save Their
Homes
2/3
T10(0 2)0 2-- 0=$6(0(' T105 2)0 MI(-02DIN& #04#-0' T105 ;6(T
/2NT T4 DI(#-2$0 6('T105 /I-- T1)4/ 6( INT4 T10 T)2N(IT $2M# 2ND /0
/I-- 2-- )4T T10)0' N4%4D5 I($4MIN& %2$"' T10)0( N4 (6$1
2&)00M0NT.
Magician 2ziz "han is among the most celebrated artists in the
"athputli neighborhood.
4ne of his claims to fame is that he holds a &uinness /orld
)ecord for the great Indian rope trick.
%ut hes upset with the way artists like him are being treated in
India.
/10N T10 &430)NM0NT /2NT( T4 (14/$2(0 INDI2N $6-T6)0 T4 T10
/4)-D T105 -44"T4 T10 "2T1#6T-I $4-4N5 2ND /0 2)0 #)0(0NT0D 2( T10
$6-T6)2- 2M%2((2D4)(' %6T/10N T105 1230 T4 M2"0 D02-( 2ND D4--2)(
T105 $4N(#I)0 2&2IN(T 6( 2ND DI(#-2$06(' $6-T6)0 I( 48 N4
$4N(0960N$0 84) T10M /10N $4M#2)0D T4 #)48IT M2"IN&.
"athputli is home to more than !!! families of puppeteers'
magicians' acrobats' dancers and musicians.(ome say they make up
the worlds largest community of street performers.
%ut with narrow streets' no garbage collection and lack of basic
services like safe water and propersanitation' it is an
e>tremely unhealthy environment.
?+,year old %hagwan Das is one of the earliest settlers in the
area.
1e says residents want the situation to change but not according
to the government@s plans.
/0 &230 46) (/02T 2ND %-44D T4 T1I( -2ND 2ND N6)T6)0D IT'
2ND N4/ /0 2)0 %0IN&D)I30N 46T 28T0) +! 502)(' 030N I8 T105
&I30 6( 8-2T( IN 1I&1 )I(0 %6I-DIN&( /12T/I-- /0 D4
/IT1 T12TA /0 2)0 T)2DITI4N2- 2)TI(T(7 /0 1230 2 DI880)0NT
-I80(T5-0
2ND /4)" $6-T6)0 14/ $2N /0 8IT IN T10)0A
Traditional #uppetry was once the main occupation of most of the
residents here. %ut over the years' ithas e>perienced a rapid
decline.
1owever' a handful of dedicated puppeteers like #uran %hat are
still struggling to keep alive what is now
largely considered to be a dying art.
T10 2)T N030) DI0( %6T T10 26DI0N$0( DI0 2ND /10N 2N 2)T 84)M
D40( N4T 2TT)2$T26DI0N$0 /0 (25 IT I( D5IN&. /10N /0 $4M#2)0
T10 )0(#4N(0 T4 46) 2)T IN T10$46NT)5 2ND 2%)42D /0 &0T T02)(
IN 46) 050(' T10 84)0I&N0)( (25 IT I( M2&I$ 2ND/12T I -I"0
M4(T 2%46T T10M I( T105 2##)0$I2T0 2ND )0(#0$T T10I) 2)T 84)M(
2ND46)( 0962--5' %6T 10)0 /0 )0;0$T 46) 10)IT2&0 2ND 2$$0#T
/IT1 6TM4(T /2)MT1/12T030) $4M0( 8)4M T10 /0(T' 2ND I8 T1I( I( T10
2TTIT6D0' 46) 2)T 84)M( 2)0
8/11/2019 Indian Street Performers Struggle to Save Their
Homes
3/3
(0NT0N$0D T4 %0 D02D.
%hatt says the electronic media' especially television' is
partly responsible for keeping audiences awayfrom traditional arts
like puppetry.
%ut at the moment' %hat@s main concern is the eviction notice
that has cast an impending sense of doomover the "athputli
colony.
/12T I( 12##0NIN& N4/ I( 2N 2TT0M#T T4 /I#0 6( 46T. T10
&430)NM0NT( 2##)42$1I( T4 M2"0 2 -2)&0 %6I-DIN&' #6T
T10 2)TI(T( IN T10)0 2ND #6T 2 -2)&0 &2T0 430) IT
2ND -4$" T10 2)TI(T( IN(ID0. -0T T10 2)TI(T -4(0 1I( -I30-I144D'
-0T T10M (T2)302ND -0T T10 2)T 2ND T10 $6-T6)0 DI0. 2ND 2-- T1I(
12( T4 %0 D4N0 %0$26(0 2D030-4#0) 12( T4 02)N #)48IT 8)4M T10
-2ND.
/hile the authorities are not yet using force to remove people
from the area' the residents say theofficials are trying to divide
them and weaken their resistance using harassment' intimidation and
, insome cases , even bribing locals. %ut they say they will not
leave their homes' come what may.
