Dhakis~ a forgotten tale?

SILIGURI, Oct. 3: Unlike the yesteryears when dhaks and dhakis were an integral part of Durga pujas, their demand, for the past few years, is on the wane. No wonder, the dhakis of north Bengal are turning into a vanishing tribe.There are still many dhakis left in the region and neighbouring Bihar, and when they come to play in Siliguri, they earn as much as Rs 600 per day at a big puja. But that is an exception. For, the normal rate is as low as Rs 50 per day. Besides, the puja season is limited and once it is over there is nothing much to do. That is why the current crop of dhakis may well be the last generation of the drummers. For, the younger generation is no longer attracted to the profession of its forefathers. Drummer Rajinder Das of Barsoi said that the members of the over 20 dhaki families in Barsoi pull rickshaws or work as labourers throughout the year as they get work only during the festival season. According to Jyotish Chandra Hazra of Ranihat many dhakis in his area could not even earn two square meals day. Drummer Khitish Rabidas of Ratua in Malda and Shankar Hazra of Hazrapara in Dhupguri held that dhakis have suffered mainly due to the growing popularity of bands, cassettes, CDs and downloaded music from the Internet. Ashoke Das of Haldibari in Jalpaiguri pointed out that the same organisers, spend huge sums to hire singers, dancers and musicians from different parts of Bengal to entertain crowds at their pandals.Sahu and Hari Narayan of Mahanandatola, who felt that most puja organisers were eager to spend more on idols, pandals and illuminations than on dhakis, said: “Very soon dhakis will become extinct if the state government does not take measures to preserve this traditional art and protect its exponents,” they felt.
n Parag Biswas
source: the statesman