Mounesh Vishwakarma
Dajiworld Media Network - Bantwal
Bantwal, Jan 19: Carrying forward the health department’s message of “Health for All, Health Everywhere,” the Samsara Jodumarga street theatre team created widespread awareness across several villages of Bantwal taluk through a series of street plays held over the past few weeks.
The awareness street play procession was flagged off at the Narikombu gram panchayat premises by gram panchayat president Santosh Kumar by beating the traditional drum. Thereafter, the team staged street plays in the gram panchayat limits of Mani, Thumbe, Veerakamba, Kukkippady, Siddakatte, Kajekkaru, Goltamajalu, Bolanthuru, Saletturu, Sajipa Munnuru, Kedila, Kadeshwalya and Baltila, effectively conveying important health-related messages to the public.
Themes highlighted in the play
Through engaging performances, the play highlighted several crucial health issues, including first aid measures to be taken during dog bite and snake bite incidents, mental health services, tuberculosis, malnutrition, Puneeth Rajkumar Hrudaya Jyothi programme, Ayushman Bharat–Arogya Karnataka health card, maternal and child health schemes, punishment for foetal sex determination, communicable diseases such as dengue and malaria, and non-communicable diseases including diabetes, hypertension, cancer and heart-related ailments. The play also covered family welfare programmes, home-based healthcare services, dialysis programmes, hearing impairment and eye care.
The street play, which ran for nearly an hour, was enhanced by folk-style songs woven into each scene, adding vibrancy and keeping the audience engaged throughout.
Storyline and artistes
The play begins with parents worried about their young child and adolescent student being addicted to mobile phones, and gradually unfolds through various scenes that not only inform but also emotionally connect with the audience. The production was directed by journalist Mounesh Vishwakarma. The cast included Prithviraj Kokkapuni, Belanduru Rakesh Acharya, Vishnugupta Punacha, Prajwal and Bhuvanesh from B C Road.
Support and participation
The programme was supported by Bantwal Rotary Club and Rotary Club Bantwal Town. With special participation from Sanjeevini federations of the taluk, the health awareness procession was conducted in a meaningful manner with enthusiastic involvement of federation members.
Bantwal taluk health department in-charge health education officer Kusuma, Sanjeevini department taluk-level officers Sudha, Pradeep Kamath, Kusuma and Sanghavi, Bantwal Rotary Club president Basti Madhava Shenoy, Rotary Club Bantwal Town president Vachan Shetty, secretary Nagesh, and Rotary members Narayana Hegde, Mohammed Valavuru, Chittaranjan Shetty and Ganesh Shetty Goltamajalu, among others, participated throughout the programme and encouraged the theatre team.