A scene from a Shumang Leela

Imphal, Feb. 5: Manipur?s enduring drama form, the Shumang Leela, is giving voice to the common man?s agony and angst over continuous bandhs and blockades.

Highlighting the sufferings of the people during last year?s 52-day economic blockade on the two national highways, two leading Shumang Leela troupes have come up with different plays that convey the same message.

Blockade, produced by Panthoibi Jatra-cum-Drama Association, and 39 Lifeline by Dedicated World Artistes? Union are being billed as the ?biggest hits? lined up for staging during the ongoing Shumang Leela Festival organised by the State Kala Akademi and All Manipur Shumang Leela Council.

The festival, which started on February 1, will run through February 22.

The two plays ? which are vying for the top spot in the festival?s competition ? are creating awareness about the people?s suffering because of bandhs and blockades.

Though different in treatment and presentation, both the plays have the same theme and message ? ?unite and that is the future of all the communities?.

The plays express the strong conviction that all the communities living in Manipur are of the same origin and inseparable.

For the common good and progress, different communities should strive together and not separately is the preaching.

?Today we are facing blockades in every aspect of life. There are blockades between man and man and between the valley and the hills. There will not be any form of blockade if we have understanding, stopped fratricidal killings and bloodshed and maintained social justice,? A.K. Bengal, who is directing Blockade, said.

Shumang Leela is the all-time favourite performing art form of Manipur.

The 34th edition of the festival this year has two sections ? one for the all-female groups and the other for all-male groups. Both the sections have an equal number of 14 groups each. The male section?s performance will begin on February 9.

As usual, the main attraction of the festival is the male section, the plays of which will reflect the present chaotic Manipuri society. Most of the 14 plays, barring a few, in this section have violence and peace as the theme.

The women?s section, as expected, has lined up historical plays for art-lovers.

The unanimous voice of majority of the plays in the male section is unity and peace. For instance, Kalapani draws a parallel between the contemporary Manipuri conflict and torture of Manipuri prisoners by British soldiers at Cellular Jail of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and calls for negotiated settlement to all conflicts.

But Peacemaker Artistes? Associations? Gusmaogi Khudol ? East Tomor (East Timor: Gusmao?s gift) promises to be the crowd-puller. The play will enact the turbulent history of the tiny nation and its successful revolution. ?There is no success without unity. On the other hand, where there is repression there is resistance,? this is the statement that the play makes.

As governor S.S. Sidhu hoped in his message to the festival, the plays, especially in the more popular male section, will spread the message of peace and harmony. But there is no denying the fact that the festival is a treat for Shumang Leela buffs of Manipur.