The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Yakshagana Academy approved

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 02, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Yakshagana Academy approved

K.N. Venkatasubba Rao

The proposal was forwarded because of public demand for over a decade

The proposed academy will have 19 public representatives
It will receive annual grants on a par with
other academies

Bangalore: The Government has reportedly approved the proposal to constitute a separate Yakshagana Academy.

At present, the Yakshagana faculty is part of the Janapada and Yakshagana Academy, which receives an annual grant similar to the ten other academies under the Department of Kannada and Culture.

The proposal was forwarded by the Department of Kannada and Culture following public demand for over a decade. The erstwhile Janata Dal (Secular) and BJP coalition Government had earmarked Rs. 20 lakh for the proposed academy in its Budget pending its constitution.

Proposal

The department, in its proposal, had recommended that a separate Yakshagana Academy could be facilitated on the lines of other academies such as the Sahitya, the Nataka and the Shilpakala academies. The proposed academy would have 19 public representatives, including the chairperson, and a six-member staff, one being the registrar. It will receive annual grants on a par with other academies from the coming fiscal.

Although the Government had been promoting and responding to the interests of Yakshagana, through Janapada and Yakshagana Academy, there were complaints that Yakshagana was not getting due attention from the Janapada faculty.

It was argued that justice had been denied for many forms of art that come under the purview of Yakshagana.

Growing demand

The Government’s decision to launch the popular Janapada Jaatre “ignoring” those concerned in the Janapada and Yakshagana had attracted sharp comments even by the noted Yakshgana exponent and Academy Chairman, Keremane Shambhu Hegde, and had only accentuated the demand for a separate academy.

However, the long-pending demand for a separate academy was first made by another big name in the faculty, Kumble Sunder Rao.

On the question of whether the Government had the powers to constitute a separate academy in the absence of an elected Government, sources in the Department of Kannada and Culture told The Hindu that it could do so through an executive order, and there was no need to bring in fresh legislation for the purpose.

It should be noted that the previous elected Government had earmarked the annual grants for the proposed academy.

Appointing the chairperson and nominating the members before the elections would be a sensitive issue as the elected Government might nullify the very constitution of the academy, sources said.

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