Ashmita Mohanty performs at Gyan Manch on June 17. Picture by Anindya Shankar Ray

It was Ashmita Mohanty’s big day. The child prodigy was chosen to present Guru Pranam at Gyan Manch on June 17, as part of a tribute to Padmabibhushana Kelucharan Mohapatra organised by Shinjan Nrityalaya.

Wearing a red and blue costume and heavy silver ornaments, Ashmita — a Class II student of MP Birla Foundation Higher Secondary School — regaled the audience with her stellar performance. “I like Odissi as it is easy to learn,” she said. Ashmita has been staging performances all over the city, including Swabhumi. Recently, she also danced at a temple in Khidderpore. Her upcoming shows include one in Bhubaneshwar.

The other performers included A Snehasini, a danseuse from New Delhi. Trained under Guru Raghunath Dutta and Madhavi Mudgar, she has performed in different parts of the world. Recently Snehasini performed at the Odissi festival in Malaysia. She has also been part of the “Incredible India” show in New York. Arnab Bandopadhyaya performed the tandava and lasya while Shringarmuni award-winner Kakoli Bose enchanted the audience with some dance abhinaya. A documentary, Bandha Nritya by Aloka Kanungo was also screened. An Odissi danseuse herself, she has been researching on Gotipua dance since 1985.

“I first saw Mina, a school mate perform this dance and I was fascinated.” Her guru, Raghunath Dutta called this dance form a ‘circus’. The acrobatic nature of this dance has often led to it being severely criticised. It was mistakenly recognised as a ‘vulgar’ dance for girls and also discarded because it caused certain biological problems in them. Gotipua in Oriya means one boy. Kanungo’s documentary takes a look at this ‘neo-circus’ form and the dancers who perform it.

Odissi maestro, Guru Raghunath Dutta was also felicitated for his valuable contributions in this field. His message to the audience was short but heartfelt. “May all our dancers reach great heights and win accolades.”

Doel Bose First year, English Honours
St Xavier’s College

Shout out loud

In the present education scenario there is no place for failure. Everybody must excel at all cost. In most cases the expectations of parents surpass the aptitude of their wards. Children are often haunted by the fear of failure. Parents should realise that their children are human and not infallible. Failure is is a stepping stone in life — not a dead end which probably led IIT-Kanpur student Toya Roychoudhury to commit suicide. Is the parent-children relationship in our times so contractual that a child unable to deliver must sacrifice his life at the altar of parental expectations? Where is the love that encourages a child to go on even when misery strikes? I urge all parents to try and understand their children so that we don’t have a repeat of the Toya incident.

Shahwar Kibria, First year, English Honours
St Xavier’s College