KEEPING IN STEP: Folk artistes displaying Kalimatha Nrutyam in Guntur on Saturday. — PHOTO: T VIJAYA KUMAR

GUNTUR : The State Government lacks a proper policy for promoting folk arts and Telugu culture, which has led to the majority of folk artistes living in penury, Praja Natya Mandali president Nalluri Venkateswara Rao said.

Interacting with Telugu Association of North America representatives, artistes and local people at a workshop on `State of folk artistes and measure to improve their living conditions' at Sri Venkateswara Vignana Mandiram on Saturday, he said Government pensions alone would not help preserve those precious art forms.

The artistes cannot make their end meet with meagre pensions and that would not be productive, they must be made to bring in their progeny to adopt this profession and it was the responsibility of the Government to show them an opening for employment utilising these skills.

He advised the State Government to appoint senior folk artistes in the State Cultural Academy so that they could guide the Government on improving their living conditions. The Prajasahiti editor K. Ravibabu said TV and cinema had dealt a blow to the folk art forms of the State, but they could be made popular in the same medium if the artistes take up contemporary issues and project them through their medium of art.

Responsibility

Telugu University Janapada Arts Department head Ch. Krishna Reddy suggested to TANA members to provide musical and other instruments to folk artistes so that they could continue their profession in a small way. Retired professor of Acharya Nagarjuna University S. Gangappa wanted State Government and non-governmental organisation to take up greater responsibility of preserving these art forms for the posteriety.

The artistes honoured on the occasion were Eswar Reddy (Jatakolatam); Mahalaskhmi (Kalimatha Nruthyam); Surya Rao (Thapettagullu); G. Ramesh (Pulivesham); Surya Bhagavantham (Dappu Vinyasam); Mohan (pambakadha); Ramaswamy (Tamburakadha); G. Lakshaman and Simhachalam (Dasavatharalu); K. Papaiah (Pallesuddulu); and Dharma Rao (Chakka Bhajana).

The artistes presented two shows of Jaggudollu, Thapettagullu, Buttabommalu and Dappu.

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