The Hindu : National : Move to remove Sonal Mansingh wrong: Karnad

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Thursday, Apr 28, 2005

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National

Move to remove Sonal Mansingh wrong: Karnad

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: Playwright Girish Karnad has warned against removing Sonal Mansingh as chairperson of the Sangeet Natak Akademi. Mr. Karnad, who was the Akademi chairman from 1988 to 1993, said that once a person was appointed to the post she or he was removable only if proved guilty of criminal misdemeanour.

``If the chairperson were to be removed from office on the basis of emotive criticism or mere difference of opinion on matters of policy or on grounds of political affiliation, it would bring the Akademi to a grinding halt,'' Mr. Karnad said in a letter to the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

``Once such a tactic succeeds and the authorities act upon it, it will become a precedent and every chairperson in future will be threatened with it. Instead of acting fearlessly and with conviction, she or he will either have to yield to outside pressure or face harassment,'' he said.

The ``rich productivity'' of the Akademi had been made possible only because the chairperson, once appointed, had been allowed to plan ahead for a full five years , Mr. Karnad said.

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