BHUBANESWAR: Fissures in the four-decade-old Bhubaneswar Music Circle (BMC), one of the unique institutions of the country engaged in promotion of classical music and dance, over its collaboration with the corporate sector for resource mobilisation has taken an ugly turn with unruly scenes in BMC's annual general body (AGM) meeting followed by the "resignation" of its president S.K.Tamotia.

Requesting anonymity, a few members of BMC said the AGM of the 238-member body was held in a city hotel here on Sunday to elect the new executive body where a section of the members opposed the proposed move of the BMC to sign an MOU with the London-based Vedanta Resources group to host the annual national music festival in the capital. Their contention was that BMC is losing its identity by being tied up with the Vedanta. They further opposed the financial offer from the corporate body to build up BMC's own office building in the city that they felt would "overshadow BMC's image," the sources revealed.

Financial support

In fact, BMC has already hosted the first Vedanta-BMC music festival in the city earlier this year availing a financial support of Rs.8 lakhs, the sources said. And ironically enough, Mr. Tamotia happens to be the president of the BMC and the director of the Orissa wing of the Vedanta Resources as well that is set to sign the MOU for five years. Those who favoured the MOU cited the example of several similar events being hosted elsewhere in the country in collaboration with corporate and business houses like the WILLS, ITC and Manikchand Group.

The rift over the matter affected the election process of the members of the executive body and the office bearers of BMC, the sources stated and added that drifting away from the tradition of accepting the names of the office bearers as suggested by the outgoing executive body, there was a demand from some members for voting that followed by raising hands.

Secret ballot

And yet, there was another demand for secret ballots by some others that resulted in several unruly scenes forcing the election officer to postpone the election process, the sources. Contacted, Mr.Tamotia declined that that there was any reservation from the members over the Vedant-BMC MOU. "It was a demand to hold an annual festival independently by the BMC," he explained and clarified that the elections will be held in due time after observing the formalities. "I continue to be the president of the BMC as I have been elected by the members," he added.

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