When people of Odisha were grappling with the dangers of Covid-19 pandemic, awareness programmes through cultural programmes such as plays, road shows, street plays and comedy shows played a key role in delivering effective messages to people to help them stay protected from the deadly virus.
‘Ranga Tarang--- Connectivity through Covid-19’, an initiative by Taranga Plus team, left no stone unturned to reach out to people in various parts of the State to spread awareness about the pandemic and on how to keep Covid-19 at bay. The team through its performances presented untold miseries and sufferings of people due to the pandemic in the state. It also highlighted multiple sacrifices of Covid warriors that included doctors, para-medics, police and scribes and many others who did not care for their own safety and wellbeing of their families.
With minimal costumes, powerful songs, content, dance and comical presentations, the group succeeded in raising the awareness level among people on the imperatives of vaccination and adherence to Covid-19 norms such as social distancing and wearing of face masks.
The team, through music, drama and actions, drove home the fact that the mankind would bounce back from the disaster and life will again come back to normal---something that put life back into the hearts of the distressed people. Its performances also delivered powerful messages like what the mankind has learnt from the pandemic and how it’s imperative for all to strive for peace and harmony in society. With unity we can win over natural calamities like Covid pandemic.
Among the prominent members of the group are artistes Ranjan Satpathy, Saroj Kumar Nayak, Somnath Panda, Elina Samantray, Sabyasachi Mishra, Archita Sahu, Budhaditya Mohanty and Alaka Satpathy, all actors, as well as singers Aseema Panda, Satyajit Pradhan and Santanu Kumar Sia and comedian Jojo. The group took up the challenge of educating masses on the need to adopt Covid-appropriate behavior through its programme ‘Ei Mati Ei Jibana’. They were on a mission to minimise the damage that would have been otherwise caused by the pandemic.
As per reports, the shows and the awareness programmes made a big difference in checking the Covid-19 spread and the casualty in Odisha. The eastern state had fared much better than many major states in the country on Covid infections and toll counts. Programmes like ‘Ei Mati Ei Jibana’ are responsible for the state’s low infection and casualty during the Covid pandemic.
Its unique lyrics, music and presentations glued people to its shows. The group’s ingenuity to create and extemporize content went a long way in making its shows successful. These artistes performed in many areas including in Covid-19 hotspots, urging one and all to adopt Covid-appropriate behavior to win over the pandemic.