Shrinivas

This Foundation Project implemented by IFA engages eight grade students of the Government Model Higher Primary School in Doranahalli village, Shahapur taluk, Yadagiri district, with the history and local stories of the freedom movement in Doranahalli village. Students will explore the revolutionary history of this region through a series of artistic interventions and apply their learning to texts from their social science and language curriculum. Shrinivas will be the Coordinator for this project. 

Shrinivas aka Shrinivasa Kashetti Doranahalli is a theatre practitioner and director from Yadagiri district. He received formal theatre education from Ninasam, Heggodu. Shrinivas has been working independently—directing and working on the local stories from his village and also serving as a theatre instructor across Karnataka. For the past eight years, he has been engaged in children’s theatre, college theatre, professional theatre, and amateur theatre, engaging in almost every aspect of stage performance. He has participated and performed in many theatre festivals and events across Karnataka. Given his experience, he is best placed to be the Project Coordinator of this Foundation Project of IFA. 

The Indian freedom struggle witnessed many movements and sacrifices, among which the Hyderabad Karnataka movement was a powerful one. After India’s independence in 1947, the region remained under Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan, who refused to join the Indian Union. His commander, Syed Muhammad Qasim Razvi, created the Razakar militia, which terrorised people through looting, assault, and killings. Doranahalli village faced repeated raids, including acts of sexual violence and extortion. When the Razakars returned to collect levy despite drought and poverty, the villagers rebelled, refusing to pay and attacking them. In retaliation, a large Razakar force attacked, sparking a fierce clash where about 15 villagers were killed — some shot, others burnt alive — while many fought back bravely with axes, sticks, sickles, and gunpowder. This uprising became known as Doranahalli Swatantryada Kicchu – the flame of freedom at Doranahalli.

This project will engage eight grade students and teachers of Government Model Higher Primary School in Doranahalli village with the study of history and the freedom movement at Doranahalli. The project will engage students with the series of interviews with Shivappa Nandikol – an eyewitness and participant in the struggle, Bussamma Malagonda – wife of the revolutionary leader Kalyanappa Malagonda, and the village elders and descendants of the martyrs. Further to this, project will facilitate interactions and discussions between students, historians, and local artists familiar with the freedom struggle in the region; organise field visits to historical sites, forts, and homes of the freedom fighters; collect and study existing paintings and artworks about the struggle to hold drawing sessions and workshops for students with trained artists. 

Alongside this, with the support from the villagers and resource persons the project will encourage students to write poems, stories, and plays based on the struggle after hearing real-life accounts; explore how local folk forms were used during the struggle, with live demonstrations by folk artists; conduct sessions on local inscriptions with experts to help students understand historical sources; collect songs, ballads, and poems about the struggle and have children recite and perform them; and collect old artistic artifacts from the village. The continuous engagement with the students will trigger curiosity among them to dig deeper on this subject which will then be connected to their curriculum in social science and language. 

Students will be introduced to local folk forms such as Bayalata, Doddata, Sobane pada, and Moharam pada. There will be regular classes and practice sessions throughout the project on these forms. The project will culminate with the creation of a short theatrical script by students connecting all their learnings and findings; and a short handbook with all their writings. Overall this project will strengthen the connection between school and the villagers; encourage students to become self-reliant, expressive, and historically aware; and reduce academic pressure through interactive and engaging learning possibilities.   

The outcome of the project will be a theatrical performance in the presence of school staff and villagers and a publication of a handbook containing stories, poems, and writings by students. The Project Coordinator’s deliverables to IFA with the final report will include photographs and video documentation of the entire project and a copy of the publication. 

This project suitably addresses the framework of IFA’s Arts Education programme in the manner in which it attempts to connect students and schools to the cultural knowledge of the regions they inhabit and communities they live in. 

IFA will ensure that the implementation of this project happens in a timely manner and funds expended are accounted for. IFA will also review the progress of the project at midterm and document it through an Implementation Memorandum. After the project is finished and all deliverables are submitted, IFA will put together a Final Evaluation to share with Trustees. 

This Foundation Project is made possible in partnership with InterGlobe Foundation.