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Dramatic Performances Act: Difference between revisions
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{{more footnotes|date=May 2010}} | {{more footnotes|date=May 2010}} | ||
{{Infobox legislation | {{Infobox legislation | ||
| short_title =The Dramatic Performances Act 1876 | | short_title =The Dramatic Performances Act 1876 | ||
| image = File:Star-of-India-gold-centre.svg | | image = File:Star-of-India-gold-centre.svg | ||
| imagesize = 150 | | imagesize = 150 | ||
| imagelink = | | imagelink = | ||
| imagealt = | | imagealt = | ||
| caption = | | caption = | ||
| long_title = | | long_title = | ||
| citation = Act No.19 of 1876 | | citation = Act No.19 of 1876 | ||
| territorial_extent = | | territorial_extent = | ||
| enacted_by = [[Imperial Legislative Council]] | | enacted_by = [[Imperial Legislative Council]] | ||
| date_enacted = | | date_enacted = | ||
| date_assented = | | date_assented = | ||
| date_signed = | | date_signed = | ||
| date_commenced = | | date_commenced = | ||
| bill = | | bill = | ||
| bill_citation = | | bill_citation = | ||
| bill_date = | | bill_date = | ||
| introduced_by = | | introduced_by = | ||
| 1st_reading = | | 1st_reading = | ||
| 2nd_reading = | | 2nd_reading = | ||
| 3rd_reading = | | 3rd_reading = | ||
| white_paper = | | white_paper = | ||
| committee_report = | | committee_report = | ||
| amendments = | | amendments = | ||
| repeals = | | repeals = | ||
| related = | | related = | ||
| summary = | | summary = | ||
| keywords = | | keywords = | ||
| repealed_by =*Repealed in partial Act 4 of 1914 | | repealed_by =*Repealed in partial Act 4 of 1914 | ||
*Repealed in partial Act 10 of 1914 | * Repealed in partial Act 10 of 1914 | ||
*Repealed in(Madras ), Mad. Act 33 of 1954 | * Repealed in(Madras ), Mad. Act 33 of 1954 | ||
*Repealed as in force in Delhi ( When Mad. Act 33 of 1954 is extended to Delhi) | * Repealed as in force in Delhi ( When Mad. Act 33 of 1954 is extended to Delhi) | ||
*Repealed in Andhra by Andhra Act 8 of 195 | * Repealed in Andhra by Andhra Act 8 of 195 | ||
*Repealed in Madhya Pradesh by MP Act 11 of 1961 | * Repealed in Madhya Pradesh by MP Act 11 of 1961 | ||
*Repealed in Andaman and Nicobar Islands by Reg. 10 of | * Repealed in Andaman and Nicobar Islands by Reg. 10 of | ||
| status = amended | | status = amended | ||
}} | }} | ||
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The Act outlined the restrictions that public performances of a play, pantomime or any other drama would have to adhere to. According to this Act, if the state government judged any play to be of a scandalous nature; disrupting social values; or felt that it might excite feelings of disaffection against the government established by law; or that it would corrupt persons, then the said performance would stand prohibited. | The Act outlined the restrictions that public performances of a play, pantomime or any other drama would have to adhere to. According to this Act, if the state government judged any play to be of a scandalous nature; disrupting social values; or felt that it might excite feelings of disaffection against the government established by law; or that it would corrupt persons, then the said performance would stand prohibited. | ||
The Act further stated that if any person or groups on whom an order of prohibition had been served refused to comply with the same, such persons or groups would be liable to be punished. The penalty for disobedience of the terms of the Act was either imprisonment for a term extending to about three months, or a fine, or in some cases, both. The Act conferred upon the government the right to information, by which right the persons as empowered by the Act could demand the procurement of all such plays for verification whose content might violate one or many terms of the Act. | The Act further stated that if any person or groups on whom an order of prohibition had been served refused to comply with the same, such persons or groups would be liable to be punished. The penalty for disobedience of the terms of the Act was either imprisonment for a term extending to about three months, or a fine, or in some cases, both. The Act conferred upon the government the right to information, by which right the persons as empowered by the Act could demand the procurement of all such plays for verification whose content might violate one or many terms of the Act. | ||
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===Creation of the Dramatic Performances Act=== | ===Creation of the Dramatic Performances Act=== | ||
[[File:Stuart hogg.jpg|thumb|Stuart Hogg was satirized as a "pig" in the polemical play ''The Police of Pig and Sheep'']] | [[File:Stuart hogg.jpg|thumb|Stuart Hogg was satirized as a "pig" in the polemical play ''The Police of Pig and Sheep'']] | ||
Towards the end of March 1875, some members of the National Theatre (that had now become the "Great National Theatre") went on tour. In [[Lucknow]], during a scene of ''Nil Darpan''—the scene where Torap, an Indian ryot, holds down the European Mr. Rouge who assaults the helpless woman Kshetramoni—British soldiers among the audience, enraged, rushed onto the stage and began behaving violently, which led to the breaking up of the play. | Towards the end of March 1875, some members of the National Theatre (that had now become the "Great National Theatre") went on tour. In [[Lucknow]], during a scene of ''Nil Darpan''—the scene where Torap, an Indian ryot, holds down the European Mr. Rouge who assaults the helpless woman Kshetramoni—British soldiers among the audience, enraged, rushed onto the stage and began behaving violently, which led to the breaking up of the play. | ||
The following year, [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|Edward, Prince of Wales]] visited Calcutta. Soon after his visit, the Great National Theatre presented the play ''[[Gajadananda o Jubaraj]]'' (or ''Gajadananda and the Crown Prince''), which sought to target [[Jagadananda Mukherjee]], a well-known citizen of Calcutta, Junior Government pleader and member of the [[Bengal Legislative Council]]. This man had invited the Prince to his [[Bhowanipur]] residence on 3 January 1876 and had taken him on a tour of the ladies’ apartment of the house where he was given a traditional Bengali welcome by the female members of the family. This incident enraged the orthodox Bengali society for it appeared to them that Jagadananda had sacrificed his ethics and culture in a bid to placate the British masters and win favours from them. The satirical play ''Gajadananda o Jubaraj'', based on this incident, was stopped by police order, yet it returned the following week on 26 February under a different name, ''Hanuman Charitra''. | The following year, [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|Edward, Prince of Wales]] visited Calcutta. Soon after his visit, the Great National Theatre presented the play ''[[Gajadananda o Jubaraj]]'' (or ''Gajadananda and the Crown Prince''), which sought to target [[Jagadananda Mukherjee]], a well-known citizen of Calcutta, Junior Government pleader and member of the [[Bengal Legislative Council]]. This man had invited the Prince to his [[Bhowanipur]] residence on 3 January 1876 and had taken him on a tour of the ladies’ apartment of the house where he was given a traditional Bengali welcome by the female members of the family. This incident enraged the orthodox Bengali society for it appeared to them that Jagadananda had sacrificed his ethics and culture in a bid to placate the British masters and win favours from them. The satirical play ''Gajadananda o Jubaraj'', based on this incident, was stopped by police order, yet it returned the following week on 26 February under a different name, ''Hanuman Charitra''. | ||
On 1 March, [[Upendranath Das]]’s play ''[[Surendra Binodini]]'' was followed by a satire called ''[[The Police of Pig and Sheep]]'', burlesquing Sir [[Stuart Saunders Hogg|Stuart Hogg]], Commissioner of Police, and Mr. Lamb, Superintendent of Police for their hostile behavior towards the common people. Although this issue was taken to court, the High Court threw out the case. | On 1 March, [[Upendranath Das]]’s play ''[[Surendra Binodini]]'' was followed by a satire called ''[[The Police of Pig and Sheep]]'', burlesquing Sir [[Stuart Saunders Hogg|Stuart Hogg]], Commissioner of Police, and Mr. Lamb, Superintendent of Police for their hostile behavior towards the common people. Although this issue was taken to court, the High Court threw out the case. | ||
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In 1953, [[Malayalam]] playwright and film director [[Thoppil Bhasi]]’s play ''[[Ningalenne Communistakki]]'' i.e. ''You Made Me a Communist'' was banned by the [[Thiruvananthapuram]] District Magistrate according to the provisions of the Dramatic Performances Act.The government alleged that the play contained provocative material which might prove harmful to the integrity of the state and encourage people to rise in revolt against the government. This play charts the life of a middle-aged man as he journeys from the cloisters of a conservative upper-class Hindu family to communism. After being banned, the play, its cast and director invited greater trouble upon themselves by violating the ban and performing the play at [[Kovalam]], near Thiruvananthapuram. This led to the immediate arrest of all the actors of the play. However, an effective opposition from the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)|Communist Party]] in Kerala compelled the High Court to declare the ban null and void two months later. [[West Bengal]] repealed the Act in the year 1962 following persistent agitation from the ranks of the artists’ fraternity. | In 1953, [[Malayalam]] playwright and film director [[Thoppil Bhasi]]’s play ''[[Ningalenne Communistakki]]'' i.e. ''You Made Me a Communist'' was banned by the [[Thiruvananthapuram]] District Magistrate according to the provisions of the Dramatic Performances Act.The government alleged that the play contained provocative material which might prove harmful to the integrity of the state and encourage people to rise in revolt against the government. This play charts the life of a middle-aged man as he journeys from the cloisters of a conservative upper-class Hindu family to communism. After being banned, the play, its cast and director invited greater trouble upon themselves by violating the ban and performing the play at [[Kovalam]], near Thiruvananthapuram. This led to the immediate arrest of all the actors of the play. However, an effective opposition from the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)|Communist Party]] in Kerala compelled the High Court to declare the ban null and void two months later. [[West Bengal]] repealed the Act in the year 1962 following persistent agitation from the ranks of the artists’ fraternity. | ||
The India Code Compilation of Unrepealed Central Acts declared in 1993 that the Act is one of the "obsolete laws" that exists in India today. The report of the committee to identify the central acts which are not relevant or no longer needed or require repeal/re-enactment in the present socio-economic context has identified this Act as suitable for repeal.<ref>http://www.pmindia.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Extracts-of-the-Committee-of-the-Report-Vol.I-.pdf</ref> | The India Code Compilation of Unrepealed Central Acts declared in 1993 that the Act is one of the "obsolete laws" that exists in India today. The report of the committee to identify the central acts which are not relevant or no longer needed or require repeal/re-enactment in the present socio-economic context has identified this Act as suitable for repeal.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pmindia.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Extracts-of-the-Committee-of-the-Report-Vol.I-.pdf |title=Report of the Committee to Identify the Central Acts Which Are Not Relevant or No Longer Needed or Require Repeal/Re-Enactment in the Present Socio-Economic Context |website=Prime Minister of India |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713165212/https://www.pmindia.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Extracts-of-the-Committee-of-the-Report-Vol.I-.pdf |archive-date=13 July 2021}}</ref> | ||
==References and bibliography== | ==References and bibliography== | ||
{{Reflist}} | {{Reflist}} | ||
*Bhatia, Nandi. ''Acts of Authority/Acts of Resistance: Theater and Politics in Colonial and Postcolonial India''. University of Michigan Press, 2004. | *Bhatia, Nandi. ''Acts of Authority/Acts of Resistance: Theater and Politics in Colonial and Postcolonial India''. University of Michigan Press, 2004. | ||
*Mukherjee, Sushil Kumar. ''The Story of the Calcutta Theatres--1753–1980''. Kolkata: K.P.Bagchi and Company, 1982. | *Mukherjee, Sushil Kumar. ''The Story of the Calcutta Theatres--1753–1980''. Kolkata: K.P.Bagchi and Company, 1982. | ||
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[[Category:1876 in law]] | [[Category:1876 in law]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Acts of the Imperial Legislative Council]] | ||
[[Category:1876 in India]] | [[Category:1876 in India]] | ||
[[Category:1876 in British law]] | [[Category:1876 in British law]] | ||