By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: Badungduppa Kalakendra on Monday observed the eighth death anniversary of its founder and noted theatre practitioner Sukracharjya Rabha with a day-long programme at Rampur in Assam’s Goalpara district.
The observance began with traditional remembrance rituals, including Farkanti and Sankirtan, followed by the inauguration of the programme by Goalpara West MLA Prabhat Kumar Rabha.
A memorial lecture was delivered by Manabendra Sarma, retired professor of English at B. Borooah College. As part of the programme, Badungduppa Kalakendra staged Rakher Bahi, a theatre production directed by the late Sukracharjya Rabha.
Members of the organisation also reflected on Rabha’s contribution to theatre and the movement he initiated through the Under the Sal Tree theatre festival, which was launched in Rampur and later gained recognition beyond the state.
Rabha, a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi’s Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, was known for promoting a theatre practice centred on minimal resources and community participation. His work emphasised jontrohinata, or the absence of technological dependence in theatre productions.
Through this approach, he established Under the Sal Tree in Rampur, creating a platform for community-based theatre that drew participation from theatre groups across India and abroad.
The programme was attended by theatre practitioners, cultural activists and local residents, who paid tribute to Rabha’s contribution to the performing arts and his role in shaping contemporary theatre practices in Assam.