Months after the ‘Hindu daughters beware of love jihad’ graffitis appeared overnight on many walls of West Ahmedabad, a dancer decided to break the culture of silence through her art. Well known Kathak dancer and founder of Conflictorium, Avni Sethi, chose five such spots of the city to challenge the propaganda of saving ‘Hindu’ daughters from ‘Love Jihad’.
In the aporetic tune of Jab Pyar Kiya Toh Darna Kya, from the movie Mughal-e-Azam, with the graffiti in the background, Sethi performed just next to the main roads near Law Garden, Ashram Road outside HK Arts College, Reform Club, Netaji Marg and Panchvati.
Sethi who dared to perform on the bustling busy streets of Ahmedabad chose the same track in all the five venues as the song is indeed relevant to the issue in the limelight. “These are not quiet streets but main roads bustling with people through most part of the day. It is the heart of the city and to give such open threats within a city’s landscape is leading us to a path of politics that is largely based on fear,” she said, reported TOI.
Kathak dancer Avni Sethi performs in front of Love Jehad slogans painted on Ahmedabad college walls (Hindu daughters beware). Powerful & ❤️. pic.twitter.com/vJl8lWYGmQ
— वरुण (@varungrover) August 3, 2017
“Such propaganda is there on main roads for people to pick up the signs of what’s coming ahead. It is not only on these five roads that this graffiti has been put, it is also on many other roads,” she added.
When asked about the reason for choosing a public space – a street-side – to perform, instead of a theatrical performance, she said, “Performing with the graffiti in the backdrop raised a voice against this propaganda and when it’s done on a street, it helps engage and interact with people who regularly pass through streets where such messages are being disseminated.”
