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Journalism of Courage
Was the Delhi High Court being ageist last week in ruling in favour of Indian Council of Cultural Relations ICCR versus dancer Komala Varadan?
Her plea in 1997, at age 56, was to continue being sponsored by ICCR despite its range of 18 to 45 for dancers sent abroad for stage performances.
Not really, given the fact that older dancers can officially be considered for lec-dems, seminars and workshops abroad: too old to rock 8217;n8217; roll, too young to die. But of the thousands empanelled on ICCR8217;s rolls, only the few with the ICCR
director-general8217;s ear or the political lung power with which to breathe down concerned collars manage to get these coveted tours. Moreover, it is shocking, when the body is the metier of dance, that some senior dancers pay little attention to keeping themselves in shape.
Truly, the late, legendary Balasaraswathi did the performing arts a huge disservice by being so brilliant despite her bulk. Everyone thereafter has obviously felt entitled to binge on the butter, as if indeed the 8216;Navaneet Chor8217; Krishna they frequently depict.
ICCR, therefore, has a right to set standards. Meanwhile, the issue of patronage is highlighted again by this ruling. Why do dancers persist in this sickeningly feudal mai-baap relationship with the sarkar? It hurts to see artists grovel to bureaucrats.
Dancers today are mostly well-educated and perhaps all they need do is work the internet. A dozen major international dance festivals are held around the world, always looking for fresh faces.
If our dancers posted their particulars and liaised with festival directors themselves, or hired someone to do it for them, they might well discover that ICCR can help through travel grants, with which to fly to Prague, Berlin or Sao Paulo.
But they need to come up with creative ideas first. More, they need to set a value on themselves instead of being beggars in a hurry.
