By Sunil Kumar

BHANGRA: the most popular vigorous folk dance of Punjab, Considered being the venture of able bodied youth, Its brisk and natural steps require considerable Workout and lots of physical energy. Persons of tender constitution are often held in awe by its Vigorous steps. On the other hand, for viewers, it is always a pleasure 10 watch a bhangra performance, it is, however, heart wrenching when this performance is by a Group of handicapped artistes.

The first ever bhangra group of handicapped persons, Bhangra Nemaanea Da, owes its origin to the City Beautiful. Presently comprising seven handicapped artistes, this group came into existence about two years back and today It Stands out as a unique bhangra team of its kind. It has put forth a number of stage performances and has had the occasions to perform tm front of Doordarshan cameras, Moreover, the name of this nonpareil group is under consideration for inclusion in the Limca Book of Records for being the first ever dancing troupe of handicapped persons.

‘This team is a direct result of the persevering efforts on the part of its captain, Mr Harinder Pal Singh. Born to a middleclass family, HarinderPal Singh hails from Guru Gobind Nagar, Malaut Mandi in Faridkot district of Punjab, and is presently working with Architecture Department, Punjab, Chandigarh, as a draftsman.

‘The crippling of his right leg by polio in early childhood was a traumatic experience for him Haunted by a dark future, he always did his best to acclimatize himself to his misfortune but was never firm enough to counteract the magnetic pull towards bhangra. The bhangra steps evoked a response in his heart to do the same, but his crippling Ieg always left him stranded, Moreover; no team was daring enough to give chance to a handicapped person. But this did not let his aspirations down and through practice he mastered various bhangra steps.

Harinder recollects the day when he happened to be at Punjab Kala Bhavan, Chandigarh, and came to know that one member of a bhangra team, whose show was scheduled for that evening, was not present. He talked out to the manager of the team, who, after his trial asked him to dress up for the show. A few difficult steps were dropped from the performance. Attired in a colorful garb his joy knew no bounds and perhaps it would have been the happiest day of his life. But soon his joy ended in smoke when the original member of the team returned, what hurt him the most were the member’s sarcastic comments and his mocking at his Teg.

‘Then came the saga of invoking dormant willpower and determination. He realized that begging for a place in a team would not do. ‘Thus began his hunt to get hold of handicapped persons with zest and which finally ended in the formation of the first ever bhangra team of handicapped persons.

At the outset there were only four members in the team Ramesh ‘Thakur, Piara Singh Rahi, Jagdish Singh and Harinder himself who under the guidance and assistance of Mr J.S. Duggal (youth coordinator, Nehru Yuya Kendra) started their mission. They rehearsed in a locked room.

Aptly adaged, when skill and talent are there, opportunities cannot be far away. It was Kapurthala Sainik Bhavan which first witnessed the heat of their grandeur, the show was a great success and the public stood wonderstruck at the miracle. The thundering applause of the amazed audience still reverberates in the cars of Harinder Pal Singh.

Since there has been no looking back and a number of stage performances followed in quick succession. During the last quarter of 1992, three new members Dalbir Rawat, Charanjit Singh and Harbans Singh were inducted into the team, Gurinder Singh, Narinder Sharma and Biru Ram (not handicapped) assisted the team as singer, coach and “dholi”.

No concessions need to be given to appreciate the talent of these handicapped artistes. They are well up to the mark in all steps. Till date, numerous stage performances stand to their credit. At the National Folk Dance Festival and the National Trade Fair they won accolades for their vivacious bhangra. With their artificial limbs and polio ridden legs, they bagged the first prize in the folk dance competition held in Kerala. Their performance was ranked much well than the already known bhangra. At the Prof Mohan Singh Memorial, Cultural Fair held at Ludhiana too, they enthralled the audience with their bhangra numbers. At Tagore Theater, Chandigarh regaled with their pulsating rhythm and movements, Dr Kewal Krishan, Finance Minister of Punjab, announced a special prize of Rs 2,000 for the team.

‘These physically disabled men, forgotten by the almighty, are well aware of their social existence and responsibilities. It was this sense of responsibility which prompted them to give stage programmes in aid of flood victims of Patiala. Apart from bhangra, the contribution of Mr Piara Singh Rahi, a team member. In the field of Punjabi literature is worth quoting His two poems collections “Neepire Rukh” and “Tuttia Vanga da Kachh” have been published so far. Many of his Punjabi songs form a part of various audiocassettes available in the market, Harinder Pal Singh feels contented with the overall achievements of his team. He says, “A handicapped person can also achieve a good social status and lay his hands on fame. The only requirement is the quality of grit and determination.”

Article extracted from this publication >>  September 16, 1994