Anna Bhau Sathe
A profilic writer and a performer-activist who crisscrossed the ideological landscape of marxism and ambedkarism. Born in the year 1920 in village Wategaon of Satara district of Maharashtra in Mang community. His life journey is just not about a person who is devoid of higher education but still presents us with a cannon of work that spread across more than 30 novels, a travelogue
Mang caste has been placed in the lowest ebb of the caste hierarchy with untouchability imposed on them. They formed part of the Balutedar system that existed during the period of Peshwa. Also they were forced to do Vethbigari (forced labour). Mang-Matangs were below the hierarchy of the Mahars who during the colonial rule joined the British Army. Although Mangs revolted against the British. Lahuji Salve is an example. Mangs were declared as a criminal tribe by the Briteshers. Tamasha artisits. Many members of his community were tamashgirs or the performers.
Having walked with his father from Wategaon to Bombay in search of work, he ended up in Matunga Labour Camp where several others like them resided and worked in the Cotton Mills or as sweepers with the Municipal Corporation or in other factories and shops. Here n Matunga Labour Camp where the journey of his political education started and also gave him a platform to express his skills as a poet-singer. In late 30s, the members of the then Communist Party used to organise Study Circle at the Labour Restruant which exists even till date. One of his first play was a satire on the Plague disease and the world around it. Communists arranged for a shanty across the Matunga railway station where he could stay and write. An anecdote goes that Shankar Narayan Pagare, a communist party member would needle and cajole Anna to write for which he would pay him Rs 5 for every song and a shirt for every play he would write. Bombay also gave him the opportunity to sudy but them from the cinemas that he would regularly watch and the film posters became his books.
By the year 1944, Anna along with Shahir Amar Sheikh, D N Gavankar formed the Lal Bavauta Kala Pathak-Red Flag Artisit Troupe. He would write most of the songs that were sung by Amar Sheikh and plays that were performed by them. They used to be in the form of Tamasha that was by then known as Lok Natya and revolved around the themes of spreading ideas of marxism, a critique of congress’s nationalism and what communism meant. Most of the these were performed in the workers chawls or in rural maharashtra.
