Sharma : And they saw a ray of hope in the national movement?
Chavan : They saw better opportunities.
Sharma : You were telling us about the role of the theatre in the propagation of the ideals of the Satyashodhak Samaj. Was such a thing done in the 1930 movement by the Congress also ?
Chavan : Not exactly, because in 1930 instrument were different. In those days public meetings and prabhat pheries used to be organised. But I don't think we had to resort to tamashas in the 1930 movement, not at least in my district.
Sharma : Do you recall if there were some poems at that time?
Chavan : oh yes, Now I have forgotten most of them. Prabhat pheri songs were quite popular in those days. Early morning, by 4.30 or 5 O'clock people used to come out, say some slokas and move practically in all the lanes of the town in which I was living. Those were inspiring songs and slokas, in which there was a call to the people to be united and to have faith in Gandhiji and his principles of non-violence and discipline to fight the bureaucratic government.
During Ganesh Chaturthi in out place, melas, as we called them, used to be held, where singing parties in different localities were formed and most of the songs were parriotic songs, full of partiotic stories, history etc. but not tamashas during the 1930-32 movement.
