May 17, 2014
India has decided. Historic mandates, sweeping victories
for the Narendra Modi led BJP party and 100 million young
new registered voters have helped transform the electoral
visage of Indian democracy. Even though half a million
citizens exercised their NOTA (none of the above), it was
a wave for one man and a total rout for one family that
has held control for most of India's 67 year old history
as an independent nation. While AMMA (Jayalalitha) has
returned with imperious dominance in my homestate of
Tamilnadu, we, who work in the CREATIVE INDUSTRIES need to
contemplate deeply and vigorously about how this COULD and
SHOULD affect our cultural policy.
First, does India have a cultural policy? Many have asked
me when I travel and I have not been able to answer
articulately. Having served on several national level
committees on culture over the past 18 years, I can say
that Delhi seems to be very far away from the rest of
India. Watching power and resources concentrated in one
city and many in positions of power clueless about what is
emerging in the visual and performing arts in the South,
West and Eastern parts of India, these elections signal a
change for a reality check.
Online and social media managers for the winning party
were all under age 40, many moving to India 18 months ago
from UK and the USA to trigger the youth wave for the
saffron party. Today, young India does not care who has
been educated in Oxford, Harvard or Yale. India wants and
demands change and good governance. A 'chaiwallah'
has marched to the capital city and already world
leaders who stood on their own moral high ground about
denying a visa or refusing to meet with this "tea-maker"
have all sent messages, phone calls and open invitations
to visit.
Let’s not get too optimistic. Remember the seminal novel
THE ICARUS AGENDA, a 1988 political thriller novel by
Robert Ludlum. It tells of the morbid and cynical web that
surrounds all global leaders. They are but puppets in the
hands of larger business interests. That, all results are
engineered, managed and staged. The American hit TV series
SCANDAL and HOUSE OF CARDS are reminders that all is never
what it seems.
What we artistes need to do is ENGAGE. Engage in
discourse, dialogue with maturity and rigour. There is no
point in standing aloof, feigning boredom and distance.
This is the time to acknowledge that we live in fluid
times... "We live multiply and fluidly" (articulated by
cultural theorist Anjana Raghavan). To ignore that
will be at our own peril. The hegemony of the classical
arts may well intensify if the artistes in that world
allow themselves and their art to be co-opted by political
interests. India's 'soft power' is in a chatterati mode.
It does not sing with the power and vigour of an art form
that has stunned the world for so many centuries. It
stutters, mutters and whispers in the corridors of power.
Will we see a decrease of cronyism in the corridors of
Culture Ministries? Will undeserving people continue to
get awards? Will the gifting of saris and expensive gifts
to wives, husbands and significant others of ministers and
their offspring continue? Let’s not be naive... Those
deeds may well continue and increase.
Will Hema Malini, Sonal Mansingh and Pratibha
Prahlad - all three dancers who have been aligned with the
BJP party be given prominent posts in Culture? All these
are questions up in the air. The larger question for
Culture is - WHAT IS THE WAY AHEAD? Will Modi and his
party really care about India's cultural fabric?
Engaging with politics is very necessary for cultural
workers more than ever. Our work is cut out before us.
Sanjana Kapoor of PRITHVI THEATRE / JUNOON has
written a very important and must-read paper about the
future of India's cultural policies. (As I write this, I
have requested a copy from Sanjana and will share it with
readers soon.)
Meanwhile, as India celebrates, I join my citizens and those
around the world who have watched an amazing democratic
moment play itself out.
India- you continue to inspire, amaze and delight!
Dr Anita R Ratnam
Chennai
Twitter: @aratnam
Facebook: Anita R Ratnam
Instagram: @anitaratnam
Blog: THE A LIST / anita-ratnam.blogspot.in
|
