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w/ —out-of-line—

jangayek.txt

Online Song Performance and Discussion, Leather and Plastic Dafli (Drum), Text
2023
‘jangayek’ means a singer-performer from, amongst and for the public and ‘folk’.

jangayek.txt is an attempt to make, sing and perform new songs and texts from oppressed-caste experiences, while re-editing parts of existing Dalit-Bahujan discourse with contemporary doubts.

Current iteration of the project discussed instances of how sudrafication destroys the scope of Knowledge, and how hegemonic-castes dehumanize worker-castes by appropriating their ‘folk’ expressions.
Performance duration: 45 minutes, followed by discussion: 40 minutes

Song Performance by Raju Ranjan
Text by Kashyap and Raju Ranjan
Hosted from zeropowercut-base at Sadikpur, PatnaSaheb, Bihar(IN)

Organised with members of —out-of-line— Suvani, Aasma, Radha, Sonam and Kaushal

The work is part of —out-of-line—  framework supported by Public Art Grant (2020) of Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art

The Culture which calls its Makers
Sudra (unknowledeable, menial and insignificant)
That Culture is itself
Knowledge-less and Backward
The Nation whose Culture is Slavery
That Nation itself is up for Sale
in the World Market

How will we save this Culture?!

Big people (from oppressor castes) own estates
with Bamboo Plantations
People from Dom and Bind caste
Cultivate that Bamboo
and Weave various forms of Baskets
like Dauri, Jhonpi and Soop
among other uses, these Baskets
are used for Threshing
from the Fields to Home, these Baskets
separate the Edible from Inedible

yet the Makers (of these Baskets)
are treated as untouchables
yet the Makers (of these baskets)
are treated as backward

Blacksmiths use Leather Bellows
an Equipment made by the Cobblers
Action becomes Fire
Fire Melts the Metal
glowing Metal is Sculpted
by Hammering
to Make Leather cutting Blades (Katarni)
to Carve Jackets from Animal Skin
yet the Makers (of Tools and Leather)
are treated as untouchables
yet the Makers (of Tools and Leather)
are treated as backward

They robbed us of our Stories
They portrayed us as Monsters
and decorated themselves as Heroes
They portrayed us as Animals
(maybe because...)
I Work with all my limbs
my Legs are as Skilled as my Arms
my Body, my Mind, my Intellect,
my Spirit, Works together

Ram was not the name of any King
Ram was the name of a Bhangi, a Dalit
Which is why even today, in my country
Many Dalits have ‘Ram’ surname
For instance, Jagjiwan Ram,
Chatman Ram, Gharbharman Ram
This word ‘Ram’ was stolen
The word ‘Ram’ was first appropriated
as the name of a King
and then as the name of a God

When I was a child
Uncle Ghurfekan had told me this

Slavery is selling
in the name of Culture