Text and video by Shiva Thorat, TwoCircles.net
Mumbai: Yalgar cultural group (YCG), an association which propagates Ambedkarite ideas, performed at the KCA Hall in Bandra, Mumbai on November 27 as part of the ‘Morche Par Kavi’ (Poet at the Front), an initiative to bring poetry among the masses.
Unlike other musical groups that aim to primarily entertain the audience, YCG, much like Kabir Kala Manch, seeks “to develop the unconscious mind”, in the words of Dhamma, a 28-year-old member of YCG. “Our motto is to celebrate the agenda of equality and liberty. We are singing for dignity.” The group has performed across Maharashtra and other parts of the country too.
In a conversation with Twocircles.net, Dhamma added, “Our group is following the path and the legacy of revolutionaries like Babasaheb Ambedkar, Kabir and Jyotiba and Savitribai Phule. Our troupe has members from all layers of society; we have painters also and manual scavenger also,” he added.
The platform of Morche Par Kavi is aimed as a platform to show anger against exploitation, so that anybody who is unhappy can come and perform here, according to a person volunteering at the event.