The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Abhivyakti Abhiyan threatens stir

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Sep 01, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Abhivyakti Abhiyan threatens stir

K.N. Venkatasubba Rao

National theatre status sought for language theatres
‘Vested interests’ in NSD blamed for lack of progress

Bangalore: With the backing of many theatre troupes across the country, the Karnataka-based Abhivyakti Abhiyan has decided to launch a countrywide satyagraha if the Centre fails to accord national theatre status to theatre in all the 18 scheduled languages and include theatre training in the school curriculum before November.

The warning has come in the wake of what the abhiyan has termed the inordinate delay on the part of the Union Ministry of Culture and deceptive attitude of the National School of Drama (NSD) authorities in establishing autonomous regional centres, particularly in Bangalore, where a regional centre has been functioning since 1994, as promised by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Ambika Soni in January.

Letter to Minister

The noted theatre person Prasanna, who observed an indefinite fast in Bangalore in January, in a letter on August 25, drew the Minister’s attention to the promises she had made. “The nodal agency, NSD, has neither bothered to visit Bangalore nor answered queries,” the letter said.

Although Ms. Soni was keen on establishing regional centres on priority, vested interests at the NSD were stalling. It was not certain whether the Union Ministry of Culture had apprised the Minister that the Karnataka Government had already issued an order to provide adequate infrastructure at Guru Nanak Bhavan temporarily for a regional centre, sources said.

Vested interests blamed

According to sources close to the NSD, vested interests at the Delhi-based institution are responsible for the delay, fearing dilution of their powers, benefits and perks if autonomous NSD regional centres become a reality, particularly in Karnataka.

When Mr. Prasanna was on fast in Bangalore, Ms. Soni promised him that the Centre would establish NSD centres during the 11th Plan in Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, Manipur, Karnataka and Maharashtra. She said that the Centre could not establish all 18 centres simultaneously owing to financial constraints.

In March, National School of Drama Director D.R. Ankur met Karnataka Minister for Kannada and Culture H.S. Mahadeva Prasad in Bangalore and discussed the matter in detail.

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