But there was more to come. In the same year, 1875, the Great National Theatre came up with a farce titled Gajadananda o Jubaraj (Gajadananda and the Prince), allegedly by Upendranath Das. This play was a satirical account of one Jagadananda, a barrister, who had entertained the visiting Prince of Wales in his house, allowing the womenfolk of his family to meet him. This was regarded a total violation of native custom that forbade the British from trespassing into the inner sanctums of Indian households, the world of women. In the play Jagadananda became, by a simple twist of syllables, Gajadananda, the native-supplicant, the bootlicker. After the second night, Gajadananda o Jubaraj was closed down promptly by the government. It was, after all, referring not to 'rogue' planters but to British royalty, the Prince of Wales himself. On 29 February 1875, Lord Northbrook issued the Dramatic Performances Control Ordinance. The Great National Theatre, in protest, launched a new production overnight, a farce - The Police of Pig and Sheep, ridiculing Mr Hogg and Mr Lamb, two high-ranking British police officials. This article is a stub. You can enrich by adding more information to it. Send your Write Up to content@indianetzone.com |