The orphaned arts

Our mythology and epics bear out that the performing art forms had the pride of place in courts and in commoners’ places. There are legends galore, eulogising the significance of these arts in the socio-economic life of the people. Monarchs, kings and feudal lords set aside huge chunks of revenue for supporting artistic activities. Thus came into being the immortal monuments of literature, architecture and sculpture, which we rely upon to trace our deep-rooted cultural heritage.

It was not the banquets that were important for the purpose of honouring royal guests nor the gold and jewellery offered to them. It was rather the performing art and the artistes who entertained them that were the proud symbol of the prosperity of the kingdom. A single natya performance was believed to have the effect of performing hundred yagnas (sacrificial rituals).

Were these monarchs and feudal lords fools to support art and artistic activities which must have drained their treasury? They were leaving a legacy for the coming generations to emulate. They were keeping a culture alive and paving the way for a life of peace and prosperity.

“When samskara declines, art declines too”, so goes the ancient saying. The decline is what we are experiencing now. Samskara or culture is an identity for each human race. Aping the West, in the name of globalisation, we are slowly losing our identity. Modernists will probably call it progress. Materialistic progress, however, does not measure humanist attitudes and artistic activities. All around us now we hear a clamour for values, character, and discipline. A major reason for the degeneration in human life can be found in the role of rulers or policy-makers who care little for arts and artistic pursuits.

Natya –exalted by some as the essence of the Vedas — is claimed to have been revived in all its splendour. The revival has taken place only at the superficial level of a showpiece. In the government’s list of priorities, art and culture rank the lowest. This is related to the education system that contrasts with the age-old system of art-oriented integrated education that gave a student a culture-governed approach to life.

Dance and music are relegated to the position of a museum piece. While everyone speaks of the greatness of our art and artistes, do they really know how badly the art and artistes are treated today?

Consider some tell-tale facts and figures. Senior stalwarts sitting as examiners for the government’s cultural scholarships to select talented artistes are given the status of a Grade IV clerical staff. They are offered a sitting fee of Rs 100 for a whole day of interviewing 30 to 40 candidates. The normal travel allowance to accompanying artistes is Rs 60 per day and second class sleeper fare. Doordarshan offers an eminent guru accompanying a dancer Rs 600 irrespective of the status he or she holds in society. The Padma awardees enjoy no privileges unlike sports and military awardees.

Look at the media. They have the least space for classical dance and music. Our Doordarshan and other electronic media channels have liberal space for non-cultural entities. The media contention is that classical art has no commercial value and is, therefore, pushed to the lowest slab.

For all practical projections of the dignity and heritage of our country, the best means of official resort are still our classical dance and music. When foreign dignitaries visit, they are entertained with classical dance and music. No auspicious occasion is complete without a dance or music concert. The tourists are attracted to this country with the slogan and pictures of art, artistes and cultural venues. They are taken to the art and cultural institutions, where the beauty of our creative arts is sh-own off. But just ask the government how much of funding is allocated for the development and upkeep of these classical arts which preserve the cultural identity of this land. Negligible is the quantum of the funds and, if at all the paltry sum mentioned is really made available, it mostly flows into the hands of undeserving entities.

A lot of fuss is made of sportsmen, cinema, beauty and fashion celebrities and the like and so much of money is pumped into their activities by not only corporate bodies but also by government organisations. Do the fund-givers think of how much these stars contribute to the cultural and moral uplift of our people? If all these activities do indeed speak of the progress of this country, why not entertain the dignitaries from foreign lands with a cricket match, a film show or a fashion parade?

Our printed and electronic media are responsible for much of the degeneration of our values in the name of commercialism. Yes, agreed, they need money, which classical arts cannot promise. Yes, classical dance may have less of a viewership than what the media prefer to patronise. But, still, no one denies the importance of the classical art forms. Do they not have a responsibility towards the land and its heritage?

For them it is all cinema now. Yes, it does provide attractively made-up faces and glamorously presented figures in alluring postures. Yes, cinema is a big-money-making industry, and probably earns considerable foreign exchange. All sorts of reasons can be cited for the industry’s special importance. It also pays a huge amount to the printed media in the name of advertisement. But it also contributes much to the corruption in society in many forms. Can this be said of classical dance and music? No.

It is our art and artistes who hold our flag aloft in the international scene. Neither our sportsmen nor film celebrities give the land any credibility, but artistes like several of us in the field of classical dance and music attract to this country people who, then, carry to the rest of the world the cultural message of India. The artistes who uphold India’s image more than anyone else are a neglected lot.

The government, the corporate world, the press and the media do not care for them, with the exception of a few privileged ones. But, the people do care. This is why dance and music still survive all onslaughts.

The writer is president, Bharata Kalanjali, Chennai