Madurai: Condemning the State government for not taking steps to constitute a welfare board for folk artistes, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Monday observed that the authorities are patronising classic arts like Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music in government functions, but they are not showing the same concern for the welfare of folk arts.
“Do you want the folk artists who have been preserving our traditional art forms for generations, to die in poverty,” Justice S Nagamuthu asked. The talent of these folk artistes was recognised by foreigners, but our government is least bothered to pay attention to the subaltern art forms. For instance M Perumal, a famous Kalamkaari artist from Kumbakonam district, had trained many foreigners till he breathed his last recently, said the judges.
The division bench comprising Justices Nagamuthu and M.V. Muralidharan expressed their anguish when Gunasekaran, deputy director of department of art and culture admitted that the government is yet to nominate 9 members to the Tamil Nadu Folk Artiste’s Welfare Board.
The MBMHC bar association filed a writ petition stating that folk arts such as Kummiattam, Madattam, Mayilattam, Puliattam, Pambattam, Kavadiattam, Urumiattam, Uriattam, Silampattam, Kolattam, Oyilattam, Thevarattam, Parayattam, and Thaoppattam are fast disappearing and the folk artistes are living in abject poverty due to the indifferent attitude of the government. On hearing this, the court asked the government to submit the status report.
The status report submitted in the court does not provide the details of the welfare assistance distributed to the folk artistes for the current financial year.
Moreover, when the report does not specify any concrete measures introduced by the government for their welfare, the judges said, “Unless you pay immediate attention to their well-being, these art forms will soon become extinct. Then you will see the folk arts as artefacts only in the museum,” said Justice Nagamuthu.
When Gunasekaran told the court that they are providing 10-day training on fork arts and eminent artistes are awarded every year and 25 folk artistes are trained on dummy horse dance in Thanvajur to encourage these art forms, the judges asked, “Is 10-day training sufficient to preserve the folk arts?”
While the court asked the government to form a welfare board at the earliest, it also directed the officials to submit a report on welfare assistance distributed to artistes in the current financial year on November 21.
