Kendrapara: Once he regaled Jatra lovers through his comic roles, but now he is struggling for survival.
With his humour in he entertained audiences for around four decades and won laurels for his comic roles in around 100 Jatra plays. But once he became old and left the world of opera due to ill health he started struggling to make both ends meet.
Meet Gobinda Barik, a resident of Matha Sahi in Pattamundai block. He is the father of two daughters and a son.
Gobinda married off one of his daughters, but his unmarried graduate daughter is staying with him and he is struggling to get her married. As a child, Gobinda developed an interest in plays and left home for acting in dramas. He later came in touch with Shyam Mohapatra, the owner of the well-established opera troupe Sarua and started learning acting in 1972.
Gobinda used to act in Jatadhari, Jagabalia, Gopalpur, Rajeswari, and Sata Sankha opera troupes. Later, he joined Tulashi Gananatya, a leading opera troupe and worked there for 25 years as a comedian.
He earned laurels by performing comic roles in hit yatra plays like Masanifula, Sundari Jhianku Duru Juhar, Michha Samparka, Panatakani, Patibrata, Bandha Padichi Mo Baha Mukuta, Dahani, Jete Gori Sete Story.
Gobinda was also felicitated several times for his comic roles by many organisations in and outside the state, and also had a huge number of fans.
While working in Eastern Opera, he became sick, and was forced to say goodbye to the career three years back after working as a comedian for 43 years.
After he returned home, he struggled to maintain his family, marry off his daughter and take care of his mentally ill son.
Gobinda had to use all his savings to run his family, and solemnise the marriage of his mentally ill son.
He is now running from pillar to post to maintain his six-member household, including his son’s family.
“When parents become old sons take up responsibilities. But I am unfortunate as my only son is ill. I and my daughter-in-law are forced to maintain the family,” said Gobinda.
“My daughter-in-law Parvati Sahu took a loan for goat rearing and the family has been maintaining itself by rearing goats. As we don’t have land we became share-croppers, and took up paddy farming,” said Gobinda’s wife, Manju Barik.
As Gobinda is now unable to act in yatra troupes nobody from the opera fraternity comes to his house.
Earlier, Gobinda was enrolled with IAY and was getting old age pension. A day back when the matter came to the notice of the administration, the BDO of Pattamundai gave Gobinda the Kalakar Bhatta (artisan pension) of Rs 1,200. But that is not enough to run his family or even buy medicines for him.
“In the world of Jatra, a person is wanted only if he is performing, but after that he is considered useless. I am old and have age-related diseases. But I have no money for treatment. My mentally ill son is also not getting disabled pension,” lamented Gobinda.
The old art form, Jatra, has not been accepted as literature by the culture department, and its artistes have not got recognition from the government.
Most Jatra artistes are suffering from diseases forcing their families to fend for themselves. The government should help Jatra artistes, said the former comedian.
Collector Dasarathi Satapathy said he came to know about the plight of the veteran Jatra artiste Friday, and that he had directed the district social security officer to visit his house and help him.
The district administration would also try to provide financial help from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund or the District Red Cross Fund, the Collector added.
PNN