Murder in the world of art

The 12% GST imposed on artists will stifle a community whose existence is already under threat.

The year 1791 marked the death of one of the greatest composers in the world of music. Ironically, he died a pauper leaving no money for his own funeral. His body was thrown into a common grave.

The tragedy of Mozart haunts artists even today. Artists who spend a lifetime bringing joy to others, but who continue to be society’s outcasts. Filmmakers, writers, dancers, musicians or painters, they are a hounded tribe forever fighting for survival in a world that needs them, yet rejects them. Their profession is always precarious because of its uncertainty.

It is no different in India where we see yesterday’s glamour boys leading lives in penury and dejection. The loud applause which they received in their prime becomes just a faded memory.

Lack of opportunities, money and sponsors have made our painters, sculptors, musicians and other performing artists a sad lot.

The few who have reached the top of their trade shudder to think of what will happen when they can no longer perform. Others who are scrambling to reach the top have no time to think of the future.

We have many theatre personalities who moved from the glitz and glamour of the stage to abject misery. In Karnataka, T P Kailasam who revolutionised Kannada drama and created a new genre of theatre that entertains audiences even today, was a sad victim of social indifference and neglect.

Practising art in a society that exploits its artists is a fine art in itself. It takes courage and stubbornness to not give up. The latest blow directed at artists in this country in the form of three capital letters calls for more courage and stubbornness to persevere in a profession that takes a lot and gives little in return.

The 12% Goods and Services Tax (GST) imposed on them seems specifically designed to stifle a community whose existence is already threatened by an uncaring society. Those who are still struggling to find their feet will be the worst hit.

Taxing not only performers but also their sponsors, performing spaces and the equipment that goes with them will cause an unprecedented setback to theatres, music sabhas and art galleries.

It is understood that audio equipment like microphones and sound recording systems will be heavily taxed. So too will digital devices like CDs, USB drives and DVDs.

If artists are deprived of performing spaces and their accessories, their audiences too will be punished, while their art will limit itself and die a slow death.

Strange that a country like ours that had a rich tradition of art — especially culturally diverse folk art — should deliberately kill a precious legacy by even taxing musical instruments and all art accessories when other countries are sparing no effort to preserve and encourage their art and artists.

Short-sighted policies
In November, the British government sanctioned a grant of £ 300 million to schools in order to encourage young students from different backgrounds to benefit from the study of the arts.

The US has understood that the arts are a good public sector investment since they offer a host of benefits like creating jobs, attracting tourism and increasing state revenue. China has even announced a 10-year tax holiday to its artists. Whereas India’s short-sighted policies will surely kill small art businesses and entrepreneurs. 

Talented workers who make musical instruments, like the iconic veena makers of Tanjore, will not be able to survive this jolt to their age old profession from a government that screams “Make in India” and does everything to make that dream impossible.

While other countries have wisely understood that art businesses and entrepreneurs are critical to their economy, we are deliberately killing them along with their talented workers. The folk arts of India with their myriad creations are our most precious assets which GST will surely destroy. Future generations will also be deprived of this unique culture and tradition. 

Artists in India, who have always been viewed as second-class citizens, are already a threatened lot. Whether it is a writer, painter or musician, society assumes the right to judge and condemn them.

Attacking painters, singers and filmmakers by self-styled moralists who question an artist’s right to communicate without fear has become an everyday occurrence.

Artists being punished and ostracised by society is nothing new. But, if the government itself punishes them by taxing the very source of their livelihood, it is unpardonable. It could not have chosen a better method of killing them.

Fortunately for art, it is near impossible to kill an artist. His instinct for survival is unbelievable. As the hero in Mozart’s brilliant opera, Don Giovanni, bravely sings: “I’ll not be called a coward, I’ve never been afraid.”