Vijat Tendulkar, ”the angry young man of Marathi theatre”, protests against the various problems of his contemporary society.He once said-“As a social being,I am against all exploitations,and I personally believe that all exploitations must end”. His plays, such as “sakharam binder”,”kamala”,etc, are all violent attacks on the society with its cockroach –ridden customs and prejudices.In Silence! The Court is in Session, Tendulkar has depicted the plight of a young woman, who is betrayed by the male dominated society. A traditional male dominated society cannot relinquish its paralyzed values and customs. The society does not like to perceive or receive any social change. Tendulkar presents a treatment of those ugly ways of society in this play. It is a bitter satire against the social ills and an interesting attempt to criticize the follies that prevail in our society.Here,multiple themes are woven in the texture of the drama.
Benare,,a lively sportive woman,is subjected to different atrocities.From the outset, Benare is presented as a happy, communicative woman. She cultivates the acquaintance with samant as soon as she arrives at the village for the show. As a school teacher she is very punctual.she takes part in a play concerning the trial of president Johnson. But as they have plenty of time berore the drama, they decide to stage a mock trial.Benare is singled out as a culprit who is to be tried.she is charged with infanticide and unmarried motherhood. Benare gets dumb at the change of situation.Witnesses after witnesses heap charges against her, as they would peel the layer of an onion. The accusations against her are based on conjectures and hearsay,but they strike home.The accuser and the accused become one.The judge verdicts that the child in Benare’s womb should be destroyed.They spare Damle who exploits the gullibility of Benare and her body.
Tendulkar also hammered the contemporary judicial system.A judicial court is supposed to be a seat of Justice, seriousness and decorum. Through this play, Tendulkar also makes a review of the present day court procedures, and points out the problem of degradation and the loss of the dignity of the court. It is a matter of fact that a witness has to take an oath keeping his hand on the Gita or some such religious scripture, during the court procedures.In the play, the witnesses take oath touching the Oxford English Dictionary. What is more, Mr. Kasikar, the judge, also jumps into the witness box in violation of all court procedures and decorum, and declares his personal views from the witness stand: "A sinful canker on the body of society- that's my honest opinion of these grown-up unmarried girls."5 It reminds us the words of Lord Bryce,-“If the lamp of justice goes out in the darkness, then how deep is that Darkness.”
Tendulkar has criticized the middle-class morality that throttles the tender desires of Benare, a middle class woman, to mother a child in the play. Tendulkar seems to leave the play without suggesting any solution to the problem. None in the play is ready to sympathize with Benare. Only Mr. Kashikar, the judge, feels that they are going too far in their mock-trial but, then, he immediately silences his conscience. After all the Court is in session, and everyone is expected to keep silence! Tendulkar covertly pleads for sympathy for the victims of the society through this flash of humanity for a moment in the heart of Mr. Kashikar.
Benare,,a lively sportive woman,is subjected to different atrocities.From the outset, Benare is presented as a happy, communicative woman. She cultivates the acquaintance with samant as soon as she arrives at the village for the show. As a school teacher she is very punctual.she takes part in a play concerning the trial of president Johnson. But as they have plenty of time berore the drama, they decide to stage a mock trial.Benare is singled out as a culprit who is to be tried.she is charged with infanticide and unmarried motherhood. Benare gets dumb at the change of situation.Witnesses after witnesses heap charges against her, as they would peel the layer of an onion. The accusations against her are based on conjectures and hearsay,but they strike home.The accuser and the accused become one.The judge verdicts that the child in Benare’s womb should be destroyed.They spare Damle who exploits the gullibility of Benare and her body.
Tendulkar also hammered the contemporary judicial system.A judicial court is supposed to be a seat of Justice, seriousness and decorum. Through this play, Tendulkar also makes a review of the present day court procedures, and points out the problem of degradation and the loss of the dignity of the court. It is a matter of fact that a witness has to take an oath keeping his hand on the Gita or some such religious scripture, during the court procedures.In the play, the witnesses take oath touching the Oxford English Dictionary. What is more, Mr. Kasikar, the judge, also jumps into the witness box in violation of all court procedures and decorum, and declares his personal views from the witness stand: "A sinful canker on the body of society- that's my honest opinion of these grown-up unmarried girls."5 It reminds us the words of Lord Bryce,-“If the lamp of justice goes out in the darkness, then how deep is that Darkness.”
Tendulkar has criticized the middle-class morality that throttles the tender desires of Benare, a middle class woman, to mother a child in the play. Tendulkar seems to leave the play without suggesting any solution to the problem. None in the play is ready to sympathize with Benare. Only Mr. Kashikar, the judge, feels that they are going too far in their mock-trial but, then, he immediately silences his conscience. After all the Court is in session, and everyone is expected to keep silence! Tendulkar covertly pleads for sympathy for the victims of the society through this flash of humanity for a moment in the heart of Mr. Kashikar.
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