Draupadi

DRAUPADI
ACT ONE SCENE ONE
SURJA SAHUS HOUSE
It is the story of Bakuli village in Bribhum. The second year of drought has
ravished lives. Surja Sahu, the upper caste landowner has two tube wells and
three wells. The lower caste tenants of the village work in his land and
cultivate his land with crops. The tenants approach Surja Sahu to draw
water from his wells.

DULNA (with folded hands)

Sahu Sahib, drought has totally shattered our lives. Our fields and land
are drying up without water. Please get the water with the canal tax.
Everything around us is burning up. Save us from this heat wave.
SURJA SAHU (with contempt and hatred in his eyes)
You want me to pay the water tax? You want half the paddy for
sharecropping! I dont accept your Panchayat nonsense. Huh! Everyone
is happy with free paddy! Why should I provide you with water for
cultivation? From here on I will not do any good for you. Get out of
here!
JUGAL (A little agitated)
But what good have you done to us so far?
SURJA SAHU (Annoyed by this question)
Havent I given drinking water to your village?
DOPDI (Sharply)
Only to your kith and kin, your people, your caste. We untouchables
havent received a single drop of water
SURJA SAHU Get of my house

Draupadi

Surja pauses for a while and thinks. He always had an eye for Dopdi
and he decided to make use of this as an excuse to get to sleep with
her. Surja looks towards Dopdi with eyes filled with lust
Leave this woman here with me if you want water!
DULNA (Lunges towards Surja with clenched fists)
How dare you?
DULNA (A harvesting scythe in hand)
Let me strike the first blow brothers. My family has suffered for two
generations of bonded slavery to repay the debt of a handful of rice my
great grandfather borrowed from him.
DOPDI (with fire in her eyes)
Let me pluck out his eyes. The eyes which dared to insult me
Darkness again. Noises of anger, shouts, blows, and cries resonate
through the night. A final shriek tears through the night. The sound of
feet running can be heard in the backdrop

Draupadi

ACT TWO SCENE ONE

Surja Sahu has been killed. Ironically, unlike the numerous deaths and
murders of the poor, the death of the cruel landlord shakes the system.
Bakuli Village has been burnt down by the Army. The villagers have been
massacred. A group of farmers including Dulna and Dopdi escape. They are
on the run from the army and the police. The massacre has almost killed
everyone in their tribe. A few of them have decided to rise up in rebellion
against the oppressive forces of the state. The leader of the rebels is Arjit.
They meet under a tree in the forest.
ARJIT (in a loud voice)
Comrades! Most of our friends have been encountered by the police. In
these six years, the law of confrontation has devoured thousands of
our comrades. The army has been given full power to crush down any
form of rebellion. They have no value for human life and treat us like
dirt. They keep hitting the prisoners mindlessly till they are turned to a
pulp. Bones are broken at the slightest provocation; private parts
become wounds oozing blood. Ironically, you would find an insignificant
news article in the corner of the least important page: Body of an
unknown person found in the ditch Age 20 Killed by police in an
encounter And the chapter is closed
A long pause
Comrades! We have to be more careful. The law of the land has no
concern for us. We must ensure that we are always on our guard. If
anyone is caught, the others must change their hideout. We must take
an oath not to reveal our secrets even under pain of death. No
comrade will let the others be destroyed for his/her sake.

Draupadi

ACT TWO SCENE TWO

FOREST
Dulna is going back through the forest towards the secret hideout of the
rebels. Each of the rebels take a different route through the forest to avoid
being caught together. Dulna is very cautious of his surroundings and reacts
sharply to each and every sound.
FIRST SOLDIER (spits at the corpse)
These brutes use code language. Now, what is Ma-ho?
SECOND SOLDIER
I dont have an idea. But let us wait. Well hide in the trees. Im sure
someone will come to bury the corpse. We can kill some more then.
The soldiers wait for the whole night but no one comes to bury the body of
Dulna

Draupadi

ACT TWO SCENE THREE

ARMY CAMP
Next day, the soldiers enter the camp. One has a paper with a list of the
most wanted tribal.
FIRST SOLDIER (Reading out from the paper)
Name DOPDI MEJHEN, Age 27. Husband Dulna Majhi (deceased)
Domincile Cherakham, Bankranhjarh. One hundred rupees for
information whether dead or alive and/or assistance in arrest
SECOND SOLDIER (Taking the paper in his own hands)
Whats this? A tribal called Dopdi? The list I had brought yesterday had
no such name!
FIRST SOLDIER
They always change their names to deceive us. But how long can they
escape the bullet? The new combat specialist Mr. Senanayak knows
their ways better than they know themselves know. He will address the
Special Forces shortly. Look, here he comes
SENANAYAK (with confidence and command)
Soldiers, do not underestimate your enemies. They are experts in
guerilla warfare. Their
weapons are primitive. They kill not by modern weapons, but by
hatchet, scythe, bow and arrow etc. The Army despises this
primitiveness
Pause
Soldiers, it is your sacred duty to kill on sight any such people who
involve in this form of warfare. So, be bold and take a pledge to wipe
out this barbarism. Capture Dopdi Mehjen and she will lead us to the
other rebels.
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Draupadi

Soldiers take the oath and return to the camp. Senanayak is left alone. He
moves to and fro and starts talking to himself
SENANAYAK
It is the secret of victory. In order to destroy the enemy, become one.
To understand and demolish the other, one has to respect the other. So
whatever my practice is, I respect them in theory.
Pause
In future, I will write a book about practice. I am getting rid of the
youths by means of apprehension and elimination. I will eliminate the
gentleman and highlight the message of the harvest workers
Senanayak has an ironic smile on his face and muses to himself
The world has a very weak memory. It forgets the lessons of blood and
murder very quickly. It will forget my bloody deeds too. Moreover, the
world changes its colors and if I change my color accordingly, Ill be
able to get respect in its each and every color.
Thinking of the future, he amuses himself and starts walking toward the
camp

Draupadi

ACT THREE SCENE ONE

JHARKHANI VILLAGE OFFICE
Dopdi is standing before the panchayat office. She is unaware of the search
warrants taken out against her. She is looking at a notice in a very confused
and puzzled manner. She is illiterate. Mushai Tudus wife joins her.
MUSHAIS WIFE
Whatre you looking at?
Glances at the notice
Who is Dopdi Mejhen? Money if you give her up!
DOPDI (A little concerned)
How much?
MUSHAIS WIFE (Fearful)
Two Hundred!
DOPDI (Taken aback)
Oh God!
Both start walking
MUSHAIS WIFE
A lot of preparation this time. All new policemen. Dont Dont you
come again!
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Draupadi

DOPDI
Why?
MUSHAIS WIFE (Looking down at the sad with sadness all over her face)
Tudu says that Sahib has come again. If the catch you, the village, our
huts
DOPDI
Theyll burn again.
MUSHAIS WIFE (Terror is visible in her eyes)
Yes
They become silent for some time. Dopdi is deeply absorbed in her thoughts.
Then she suddenly declares.
DOPDI
Look, you go home. I dont know what will happen, but if they catch
me, I dont know what they will do to me
MUSHAIS WIFE (worried)
Cant you run away?
DOPDI (determined)
No. Tell me, how many times will I run away? How long will I keep
running? What is worst that can happen if they catch me? They will kounter
me. Let them!
MUSHAIS WIFE
We have nowhere else to go.
DOPDI (softly)
I wont tell anyones name. I know what I have to do. If mind and body
will give away under torture, I will bite off my tongue
They reach Mushais home. Mushais wife gives Dopdi some cooked rice
which she knots into her waistcloth and starts walking towards the forest. It
is late in the evening. She has almost crossed the entire village. Suddenly
she hears someone calling her name.

Draupadi

VOICE
Dopdi!
DOPDI (Dopdi does not respond. Here she is known as Upi Mejhen. She
keeps walking without looking back)
VOICE (Footsteps follow her)
Dopdi!

DOPDI (Thinks to herself)

Who calls her by this name? No one knows me here by this name. So, I
am caught today. But Ill not enter the forest with a cop on my tail
She turns and starts walking toward the army camp
VOICE (Footsteps are still following her)
Dopdi!
DOPDI (Thinks to herself)
I know what I have to do, I will never betray my blood, my cause and
my comrades
VOICE
Halt!
Dopdi stops. The steps behind her come around to the front. It is Surja
Sahus brother, Rotoni Sahu. Two more figures come forward Shomai and
Budhna
DOPDI (Dopdis eyes are ablaze with fire. She spits at Shomai and Budhna)
Oh the shame of Santhals! You treachers! You betray your own people?
She spreads her arms, raises her face to the sky, turns towards the forest
and ululates with the force of her entire being. Once, twice, thrice. At the
third burst, the birds in the tree at the outskirts of the forest awake and flap
their wings. The echo of the call travels far.

Draupadi

ACT THREE SCENE TWO

ARMY CAMP
It is about 8.30 PM. Dopdi was apprehended at 6.53 pm. She has been
questioned for the past one and a half hours. Senanayak enquires the
soldiers of the results of questioning.
SENANAYAK
So, has she opened her mouth?
FIRST SOLDIER
No, Sir. We have tried our best. But she is not ready reveal anything.
SENANAYAK (Thoughtfully)
Make her! Do the needful!
Senanayak gets up and leaves for dinner

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ACT THREE SCENE THREE

ARMY CAMP
It is about 1:30 AM. Dopdi has been raped continuously for several hours by
several men. She is naked. Dopdi stirs a little.
DOPDI (Thinks to herself)
It appears as though a billion lunar years have passed.
Notices sticky blood under her ass and waist. A tear trickles out of the corner
of the eye. Her eyes see her breasts. She seems to have been mutilated and
ravaged by men.
How many came to make me? Indeed, I have been made up right! My
breasts are bitten, the nipples torn. How many? Four-five-six-seven-?
She closes her eyes. Sounds of approaching footsteps. A guard leans on his
bayonet and leers at her. The process of making her begins.

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Draupadi

ACT THREE SCENE FOUR

ARMY CAMP
It is morning. Senanayak is having breakfast and reading a newspaper. A
guard stands by attend to all of his needs.
SENANAYAK (commanding)
Bring her!
With a Yes Sir the soldier moves towards tent where Dopdi is imprisoned.
When he enters the tent, he finds Dopdi is lying on the straw
GUARD (He throws her a piece of cloth over her body)
Hey, You! Move! Cover your body!
DOPDI (sits up)
Where do you want me to go?
GUARD
To the Burra Sahibs tent
DOPDI
Where is the tent?
GUARD (points towards it)
Over there
DOPDI
You go, Ill come!
GUARD (Commanding)
Cover your body!
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Draupadi

Dopdi stands up and tears the piece of cloth with her teeth
GUARD (Terrified)
Have you gone crazy?
The guard runs out to inform Senanayak. Senanayak walks out surprised.
Dopdi is walking toward him in the bright sunlight with her head held high
SENANAYAK (Stunned)
What!
Dopdi stands before him, naked. Thigh and pubic hair matted with dry blood.
Two breasts, two wounds
SENANAYAK (Puzzled and confused)
What What What is this? Whats happening?
Dopdi comes close. She confidently stands in front of Senanayak with hands
on her hips and laughs.
DOPDI (Laughs)
The object of your search, Dopdi Mejhen. You asked them to make me
up, dont you want to see how they made me?
SENANAYAK (To the guard)
Where are her clothes?
GUARD
She wont put them on Sir. She keeps tearing away all the clothes with
her teeth.
DOPDI (In a terrifying and sky splitting voice)
Whats the use of clothes? You can strip me, but how can you clothe
me again? Are you a man?
She laughs with an indomitable laughter. Her ravaged lips start bleeding. She
spits a bloody gob on to Senanayaks white bush shirt
DOPDI (Thundering)

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There isnt a man here that I should be ashamed. I will not let you put
my clothe on me. What more can you do? Come on! Kounter me!
Dopdi pushes Senanayak with her two mangled breasts and for the first time
Senanayak is afraid to stand before an unarmed target, terribly afraid.

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