BJP supports artists protesting against Sangita Kalanidhi award to T M Krishna

Chennai: The controversy over The Music Academy’s decision to confer Sangita Kalanidhi award to Carnatic vocalist T M Krishna and the opposition to it turned political on Friday with Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai alleging that the 98-year-old institution has come under the threat of “disintegration by divisive forces.”

Annamalai, in a statement, said the BJP stands in solidarity with Ranjani and Gayatri and other musicians who have withdrawn their participation from the December music season in protest against the Academy’s decision to bestow on the honour on Krishna, who has been critical of the Academy and the music world in the past.

“The Music Academy, revered as the Temple of Carnatic Music and spiritual consciousness for more than nine decades, is under the threat of disintegration by divisive forces detrimental to the sanctity of the organisation,” Annamalai said.

The party supports artists, who have collectively raised their voices against the “inimical approach” of the present authority of the academy and strive to maintain the sanctity of the pristine institution.

“The last refuge for proponents of defunct propaganda & ideology of hate & division cannot be the temple of Carnatic music,” Annamalai added.

The strong statement comes after at least seven musicians decided to boycott the annual December music festival in protest against the decision of the Academy.

Ranjani and Gayatri, in a letter to the Music Academy President N Murali which they released on social media, said they were withdrawing from their December 25 concert as the music season will be presided over by Krishna, who they said, has caused “immense damage” to the Carnatic music world, and “wilfully and happily stomped” over their sentiments.

Accusing Krishna of insulting respected icons of the fraternity like Tyagaraja and M S Subbulakshmi and “vilifying” the Carnatic music world, the sisters said it was dangerous to overlook the singer-activists’ glorification of a figure” like EVR Periyar who they said “openly proposed a genocide of Brahmins.”

Murali wrote a strong letter to Ranjani and Gayatri expressing “shock” at its “vituperative content” replete with “unwarranted and slanderous assertions and insinuations verging on defamation” against a respected musician.

About 3,000 vocalists, musicians and other exponents perform at the Margazhi season (mid-December to mid-January) in Chennai.

Krishna had received support from DMK MP Kanimozhi who said the hate the musician is receiving for “his social beliefs or his engagement with Periyar is uncalled for.”

“A basic reading of Periyar’s ideas shows us that he is one of the greatest feminists the world has seen. He never called for a genocide. This hate, similar to the hate filled speech given by the BJP politician in Karnataka recently. Maybe they don’t believe in freedom of thought and expression that our country believes in,” Kanimozhi added.