This is a story of Tradition, Culture, Transformation, of Weapons of Protest and Development, which began in 1998 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Chharanagar, considered a ghetto of thieves, was always under police vigilance.

Why were we treated like this? It all started in 1871, when the British placed restrictions on 192 traditionally nomadic tribes and labeled them “born criminals.” The British left India but the stigma was perpetrated by the Habitual Offender Act passed by newly independent India, which targeted Denotified and Nomadic Tribes (DNTs). Today’s generation of Chharas understood all this when Mahasveta Devi, GN Devy and others told us. We were angry. We wanted to express our anger, but how? Dr. Devy suggested that I write and perform a play for the upcoming International DNT Convention in Chharanagar.

Our first performance was based on Budhan Sabar’s killing by the West Bengal police. It was such an accurate reflection of our painful, stigmatized life that the Chharas and other invitees were moved to tears. To date, Budhan Theater has performed 21 plays across the country, eight of which are by Chhara children. But for a Chhara to practice theater is very hard. A lack of life security and constant violation of human rights has become common for us.

Theater was in our genes, but we used it for social change. Today, people come to Chharanagar instead of avoiding it. Budhan Theater is thus reviving the traditional arts of the Chharas, making it a voice of the DNTs against atrocities.

I want to share an incident. Last year, an actor Sandeep, was jailed by the police on a false case. After two months, he was granted parole to give his university exam and return by 28th February. We were going to perform a play on 26th at the Kaleshwari Mela. Sandeep came to me and said, “Dakshinbhai, before I go in jail I want to perform in a play.” I said, “No, you have not done rehearsals and it is a new play. You should spend time with your family.” “No. I will come. Give me permission to improvise,” he said. I had to agree. At the Mela, Sandeep gave the most energetic and spontaneous performance of his life.

Spontaneous performance is our life. At Budhan Theater, we first perform and then write a play. This way our actors get involved with the issues. We try to make our plays close to life. We are working to change the mindset of society: we are not “Born Criminals;” we are “Born Actors.”

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DaKxin Bajrange Chhara is a playwright, activist and faculty member at the National Tribal Academy in Tejgadh, which AID has supported for several years. His book Five Plays is forthcoming from Orient Longman.