Thiruvananthapuram: With allegations of nepotism and corruption marring many district level school Kalolsavams, directorate of public instructions (DPI) has decided to keep off judges who had faced such charges from the panel of this year’s state youth festival.
“We are confident that such allegations would not surface in the state youth festival as we have taken enough precautions. The experience also showed that allegations of nepotism and corruption had been minimal against state kalolsavams when compared to the district-level,” DPI M. S. Jaya told Deccan Chronicle.
“We have also decided not to include persons who have served on the judges’ panel continuously for the past three years for the state Kalolsavam.”
The allegations over judgments, especially relating to dance items, had marred many district-level youth festivals this year also.
For example, during the Thiruvananthapuram district level youth festival held at Neyyattinkara, those who participated in the higher secondary level folk dance competitions had organised a dharna alleging corruption in judgment.
The allegation was that students of an Attingal-based dance teacher were getting all the prizes in the event.
The protesting participants staged a dharna in front of the main venue in the afternoon disrupting the Kalolsavam for many hours.
As the organisers failed to reach a consensus in the talks initiated, the police had to intervene and remove the protestors.
Kalolsavams in the previous years have also been no exception. Complaints against judgment have come up even before the anti-corruption bureau and High Court in the past.
One of the reasons for manipulation of judgment was that students will win 30 grace marks in the annual exams if they get high grades.
As parents blame judges of malpractice and favoritism, judges are not allowed to talk to anyone or even use phones while the contests are going on.
During the last Kalolsavam held at Kozhikode, the authorities had even asked the vigilance and anti-corruption bureau (VACB) to keep a watch on the judges.
Many students arrive with orders from district courts, education department, Lokayukta, child rights commission and the HC.
The allegations about judgments got credentials because in the past, for some events, contestants with appeal emerged as winners while top performers from the district fail to impress.
Dancer Dr Bobby Krishna, who was state school Kalaprathibha in 1997, said the difference of standards between performers at the top level is small. There are chances of individual perceptions to influence judges.
“I find nothing wrong with it. The problem is that sometimes, those who have performed badly end up as winners. This is when people suspect external influences. I am not sure whether corruption is involved in such cases,” he said.
He said that as people in the field of dance are known to each other, elements of personal prejudice is high.
The problem is when somebody deliberately chooses to ignore a good performance or unnecessarily help an underperforming artist.
“Sometimes manipulation undoubtedly happens. I don’t know whether corruption was involved in such cases or whether it was just due to personal contacts or political interference.”
“Anyway, such manipulations though isolated should be avoided,” he said.
Sreekumar Mimers, a theatre artist and mime performer who have been a judge to various Kalolsavams has this to say: “Once I had been asked to be on the panel of a district youth festival for mime. Then an organiser came to me with a strange request.
"As one of the judges who have been roped in for Margamkali has failed to turn up, he wanted me to become a judge. I refused, as I did not have any knowledge about the event.”
“However, one of my fellow judges On the mime panel told me that there was nothing to worry. ‘You just have to award marks to ensure the victory of the team I suggest’. I did not agree to the suggestion. For the past many years, I have stayed away from judging Kalolsavam events. This was after DPI officials once asked me to submit an application showing my credentials to be a judge.”
“I found it offending. It was not for me to judge my credentials. It has to be done by a third person,” he said.
Capital all set for gala event
The Kalolsavam tents put up at Poojapura stadium have been decked up with illumination and so is the case with around 19 other venues across the city, including the main ones at Putharikandam and S M V School.
As on Thursday, around 70 per cent of the preparations is over for the week-long fest beginning January 19, claimed education department officials.
Deputy Speaker N Shakthan presided over the Kalolsava Vilambaram on Thursday with Education Minister Abdu Rabb also conducting a recce of venues.
“About 9,000 participants are expected to throng the city and the figures could go up depending on the number of appeals. Traditionally not many people turn up to watch events in South Kerala unlike in Malabar where venues are filled,” said Kalolsavam coordinator K P Santosh Kumar.
The educational department will get control of school buses in the city to commute students between the venues. Apart from this KSRTC will ply buses frequently between destinations leading to the venue.
The food court set up at Thycaud will provide a wide menu that will be changed from day to day.
Food and Safety officials will monitor the quality of food in the venues and conduct special raids across hotels to avoid incidents of food poisoning.
