Public Unrest / Chaos at Jatra as Chairs, Bottles Hurled at Artists in Odisha

Binika, Sep 26: A disturbing trend of audience violence has surfaced in jatra performances across Odisha, with incidents of chairs and bottles being hurled at artists during stage plays.

The latest episode occurred at S. Rampur under Dunguripali block in Subarnapur district, where the ‘Dhauli Opera’ troupe was staging a play titled Love Jihad.

Midway through the performance, a section of the audience expressed anger over a particular scene, leading to chaos. Chairs, water bottles, and other objects were thrown towards the stage, forcing actors to halt their performance temporarily.

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Some agitated spectators even climbed onto the stage, heightening tensions. The situation was eventually brought under control after senior members of the organizing committee intervened and pacified the crowd.

This incident follows similar unrest reported earlier. On September 18, at Athagarh, chairs and bottles were flung during another jatra show. More recently, at Tigiria Nuapatana in Kataka district, the ‘Sanatani’ play staged by the Yajnaseni Opera troupe witnessed violent protests.

During a conversion-related scene, spectators objected strongly and resorted to throwing chairs and bottles at the performers, including actress Tamasa and villain Sandeep.

So far, neither the jatra committees nor the artists have issued formal statements regarding these disruptions. However, the recurring pattern has raised concerns about safety and discipline at cultural events.