Resign and start transformation: Ranjani sisters to Music Academy management

Chennai: In a strong response to The Music Academy in the row over honouring singer-activist T M Krishna with Sangita Kalanidhi award, Carnatic vocalists Ranjani and Gayatri on Monday said they would want to see a diverse inclusive crowd to listen to concerts but asserted that the “transformation” from the institution should begin from the top.

“Kindly start with the entrenched Executive Committee consisting of only Brahmins and royalty you have been heading for two decades,” the sisters said in a response to the institution’s president, N Murali, who had last week accused them of making “unwarranted and slanderous assertions” against Krishna.

Unlike serious handwork and the long journey it takes for artists to excel, the sisters said, the transformation everyone wants is achievable “instantly with a simple resolution and a bunch of resignations.” “Please consider leading by example, lest the world call it mere lip service and start branding you as a bigoted, casteist coterie,” Ranjani and Gayatri added.

The sisters said they never questioned The Music Academy’s prerogative to award anyone but only exercised their prerogative to withdraw from the December music season, and refused to be “implicit apologists for genocide mongers and filthy discourse.”

“With your verbose answer to questions we never raised, you are trying to build a convenient narrative and cast aspersions on us. Your statements to the press in this regard are immoral and dishonest. We were a bit surprised as to why your response reads like a release on behalf of the awardee, erasing the distinction between him and the Music Academy,” they said.

It became obvious when N Ram, Ranjani and Gayatri said, joined as an undeclared spokesperson, with his campaign branding us “bigoted, casteist coterie”.

“We immensely respect this hallowed institution and it will be the happiest day for us and for millions of people to see star performers emerge from underprivileged communities and dominate this stage. We want to see the day when the TTK auditorium is filled up with a diverse inclusive crowd from all communities and religious minorities,” the sisters said.

When sought his reaction, Murali told DH: “Whatever we wanted to say, we told them (Ranjani-Gayatri) in our letter on March 21. I don’t want to comment further and give more publicity to them.” The sisters had on March 20 announced that they will not perform at the annual music season in protest against the Academy's decision to confer Sangita Kalanidhi award on Krishna. Among the reason they cited for their decision was Krishna's praise of social reformer E V R Periyar, who they said, had called for a "genocide of Brahmins."