In Jana Sanskriti’s sprawling Madhyamgram centre, Louis Pinto’s Belgian identity is merged with that of a victim and an oppressor at the same time. As he struggles to assume the identity of a “rape victim”, Sanjoy Ganguly, the founder member of the “first forum theatre group of the country”, eggs the Belgian social worker on to relate to the emotions of the rapist too. “Its easier to assume the role of the victim because we can all empathise with them. But when we are asked to deal with the complexities of the oppressor’s emotion we sometimes feel ill-at-ease,” says Pinto who is in Madhyamgram to attend a week-long Forum Theatre workshop, where 25 participants from nine countries of Europe, Latin America and North America, shares common grounds to “liberate” themselves.

“Forum Theatre” or the “Theatre of the Oppressed”, an idea conceptualised by Augusto Boal, a Brazilian, in the early 1970s, was perceived as a social and political platform for the oppressed to express themselves. Ganguly’s Jana Sanskriti takes that very idea forward. “There is a need for a democratic platform where victims and oppressors alike can give vent to their frustrations and address their problems. The aim of Jana Sanskriti is to build up a socio-cultural movement to combat oppression,” says Ganguly.

Using different case studies— that of domestic abuse, rape and sexual harassment and even workplace problems —Ganguly reinforces the importance of including the audience in the meaning-making process of the play. “The audience is not a passive viewer in forum theatre. The actors of this kind of theatre involve the audience in the proceedings of the play. The audience generally tend to be victims of oppression, and through this medium they are urged to present their reality. Today we are training these people to sensitise themselves to the whole scenario. They have to deal with their own demons before they reach out to help other people,” says Ganguly.

The work of Jana Sanskriti in rural Bengal has considerably changed the attitudes of the people. “We are a significant presence in rural Bengal. Even in Nandigram and Singur we have tried to help the villagers raise a voice. They trust us and take part in our plays as it gives them the opportunity to talk about their own lives and problems,” he says.

Pinto, when he returns home to Belgium, hopes to help the Arab immigrants in his country deal with oppression more proactively. “Through role playing, I understood that the process of oppression is not a simplistic one. Even the oppressor has a story that has to be told. To combat oppression everything has to come out in the open,” claims Pinto.

Similarly, Marion, a young theatre person from France, feels Forum Theatre can prove to be an important tool for combating domestic violence that is ripping families apart in her country. “It will help both the victim and the abuser question their stand. That is the most important thing about this form of theatre, it makes you self-introspect,” sums up Marion.