Ramleela sans religious divide

CHANDIGARH: When it comes to performing Ramleela, there is no religious divide.

Mohammad Shehzad Alam

, 24, has been associated with Navyug Ramleela and Dussehra Committee in Sector 7 for the past 13 years. "I developed a craze for Ramleela as a kid while watching it with my parents. The fact that there is no religious discrimination towards us has made me stay. There is a lot of team spirit, motivation and positive energy here." Nowadays, he is the main dress manager and also takes charge of the stage set up.

Religious harmony is seen as actors belonging to all religions, including Hindus, Muslims and Christians have been performing for Ramleela for years. Shehzad was even more motivated by an incident as a kid when he was part of the Hanuman Sena but did not have a "gada". "I had been chosen as a part of the Hanuman Sena as a kid but did not have a gada. It was noticed at the last moment when Sena was climbing the stage and I was pushed down from the stage by some senior artist. Sanjay Kumar, assistant director at Navyug Ramleela and Dussehra Committee handed me a gada and made me get back on the stage. This had a huge impact on me. This is a time when all religions come together to celebrate," said Shehzad.

For Narci, a Christian, who has been a part of the group for four years, the task demands many changes in lifestyle for nine days. "We take a pledge and firmly abide by it because we respect the tradition. I sleep on the floor, abstain from alcohol intake and eat only vegetarian food without onion and garlic".

Narci

is an executive member of the Sector 7 Ramlila committee and also the main make-up artist. The twenty-three year old was fascinated by Ramleela performances when he was in Class III and visited the venues with his parents. "I am very happy to see religious harmony and now I understand Ramayana very well," he said.

Kamal Naseem Khan, 22, works for a private company and his association with Ramleela is five years old. "Religions bring us together. We all perform as actors and no one is bothered about our backgrounds. It is the happy faces of the audience that bring me peace," said Naseem who plays

Kaushalya

and Shatrughan.