WE are just a couple of days past the Republic Day celebrations of the Indian community which is the largest in number among expat groups in Bahrain. Sprawling, vibrant, colourful and extremely active socially and culturally, the community is like a large family – it requires no guests from outside to throw a party and its numbers make it self-sufficient.
That, if you ask many of us, is an advantage as well as a drawback. While it means we are well-represented in extra-curricular activities, it is also a reason why many Indians rarely look beyond their own tight circle of community friends for inspiration and to share cultural sustenance. And so, the ghetto-isation of a group is instituted.
Mind you, things are more straitjacketed today than they were a couple of decades ago. I remember a time when ambitious projects like a historical musical was staged at the Arad Fort and all the recording of the sound-track, featuring a dozen gifted local artistes, was recorded in the Radio Bahrain studio, then in Adliya.
It meant a not-for-profit cultural show could access expert technical support pro bono. Those were also the days when government school premises used to be rented out for a nominal fee for expat clubs to hold cultural functions and charity bazaars. With their central location and large auditoriums, these were a boon for cash-strapped clubs.
What changed?
Today there is no question of recording even a small jingle in a radio station, let alone an hour-long soundtrack. And, even expat community schools have to jump through many hoops before they get permission to play cultural shows, so the question of government schools does not even arise.
I get that we have to balance cultural activities so that local culture, art and crafts are also showcased, learnt about and integrated into expat club activity.
We do have some amazing work being done that fuses Bahraini and expat cultural touchpoints – very respectfully and without cultural appropriation.
Kaneka Subberwal’s Tarakeeb (their designer Bani Jamra linen is a winner) and Kavita Sharma’s Kala Design (A’ali pottery kulhars or Indian-style clay teacups and beautifully crafted Bahraini leather footwear in Indian styles) are examples that come to mind.
But we have to reflect where we are heading and reawaken the earlier ties that bound us.
One of the first things we need to do is give respect where it is due. By that I mean, if a local club or school comes forward to lend their performance space with us, we must take it upon ourselves to ensure that we present shows which are culturally-appropriate and pleasing and also enforce a strong civic sense in our audience.
Just last week, an Indian organisation head, whose club has a spanking new auditorium in the heart of Manama, was bemoaning the fact that even though the club tried to charge a minimum rental for its hall, they were forced to charge separately for cleaning. That’s because we all tend to be unknowingly messy and leave behind so much rubbish even if we are only enjoying a classical concert and not a rambunctious pop show.
Cleanliness, we should know, comes before culture. If we respect others’ property we can once again build the trust to work again.
The ‘cleanliness before culture’ mantra
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Representational Image
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