WHAT DELHI’S YOUTH WANTS, THIS HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
Underprivileged youngsters are fighting gender inequality through street theatre this year
Kashish Sharma from Ashram’s Sunlight Colony was asked to give up studies for household chores, after she performed poorly in her exams. But the 14year-old, who wants to become a doctor, is insistent to continue her studies. “I finish housework in the morning, help my siblings with studies in the evenings, and later study alone at night,” she says.
Kashish is one of the 30 underprivileged adolescents who participated in a day long street theatre workshop organised by the Sukhmanch Theatre, as part of the 16 Days
The play wasn’t prepared — it came out of the workshop and the life of these youngsters
SHILPI MARWAHA, FROM SUKHMANCH THEATRE
of Activism Against GenderBased Violence Campaign by the Australian High Commission. She, along with 16-year-old Saniya Qureshi, who railed out against discrimination at home, and 20year-old Naazneen Khan, who spoke about fighting all odds to pursue studies abroad, and numerous other youngsters, presented a street play woven out of true accounts of genderbased discrimination.
Theatre and film actor Adil Hussain, who was present for the performance, said, “What these children performed, reminded me of my dad. A year before he died, he said ‘Don’t you think I’m superior to your mom?’ I was surprised, and said, ‘What mom has done for me, you can never do!’
Chris Elstoft, deputy high commissioner, said, “Engaging boys and girls is really important. As we see them interact, it can make us reflect on the fact that they can also influence their parents.”