Let it be the struggle to restore the rights of artistes

The movement for Rabindra Bhawan

Tridib Dutta

(Mazdoor Bhawan, TRP Road, Jorhat, Assam)

In 1954, after India’s independence, the Government of India established several institutions  so that artistes and litterateurs could enjoy freedom with dignity. These were the Lalit Kala Akademi, the National Gallery of Modern Art, the Sangeet Natak Akademi, and the Sahitya Akademi. The purpose of creating these bodies was to allow Indian artistes and writers to freely express themselves through their works of art and literature. For building a modern India, this initiative of the government was extremely significant.

These institutions were necessary to ensure that in matters of artistic and literary freedom there would be no political interference, that free thinking could flourish, and that scientific ideas could be advanced. To safeguard the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India, the government granted these institutions autonomous status so they could independently promote India’s art, culture, and literature.

On 6 August 1954, while inaugurating the Lalit Kala Akademi, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the then Education Minister of India, said in his speech, “No education can be complete unless proper importance is given to nurturing and developing emotions and sensibilities. Sensitivity can be developed through the pursuit of fine arts, and this is possible only with proper facilities and training. Artistic education refines the subtle aspects of personality; along with advancing skills and perception, it deepens sensitivity. From the perspective of inspiration and development, skill and creativity are essential conditions of art and unique components of education.”

He also emphasized that the government’s role in the development of art should be secondary. The government must indeed extend support, and its goodwill is undeniable, but true flourishing of art requires a strong non-governmental organisation. Based on this vision, the Lalit Kala Akademi was established as an autonomous body to work independently for art, free from government interference, though created by the state, and made into a central hub of inspiration for artistes across India through membership of artistes themselves.

In 1961, during the centenary celebrations of Rabindranath Tagore (Rabindra Jayanti), the Government of India decided to house these autonomous bodies in one place. For that purpose, Rabindra Bhawan was constructed at Mandi House, New Delhi, in memory of Tagore. The offices of the Lalit Kala Akademi, Sahitya Akademi, and Sangeet Natak Akademi were placed there, along with a central library, art gallery, and literary archives. Around it were also established the National School of Drama and the Kathak Kendra.

In the same spirit, state governments were encouraged to establish their own academies. Following this proposal, the Government of Assam created the Assam State Lalit Kala Akademi and the Assam Sangeet Natak Akademi and, with central financial assistance, built the Rabindra Bhawan in Guwahati to house both academies. From then on, the offices of the Assam State Lalit Kala Akademi and Sangeet Natak Akademi functioned from Rabindra Bhawan, situated by Ambari, Guwahati. This Rabindra Bhawan was established solely for these two institutions – it was never the property of the Government of Assam itself.

On 5 May 1959, the Assam Lalit Kala Akademi was inaugurated by Debeswar Sarma, the then Education Minister. The Assam Sangeet Natak Akademi was formed at the same time. The present Rabindra Bhawan is actually the joint heritage of these two institutions, not a state property. In 1987, the Assam Government created the Cultural Affairs Department, separating it from the Education Department, and temporarily started its office in a part of Rabindra Bhawan. Over time, this encroaching department stopped the funding previously enjoyed by the academies. This arbitrary decision of the then nationalist government dealt the greatest blow to the artistic community of Assam. The AGP-led government of the time unlawfully occupied Rabindra Bhawan, trampling upon the constitutional protection of artistes, stripping them of democratic rights, and destroying both academies.

At that time, only the ‘Lalit Kala Shilpi Samitee, Assam’ protested strongly. Chief Minister Prafulla Mahanta refused even to listen to the voices of artistes.

This anti-art and anti-culture stance of the government harmed visual artists the most. With the shutting down of programs organized by the Assam Lalit Kala Akademi, artists of Assam lost the recognition, dignity, and facilities they once enjoyed. In this vicious cycle, all government support for visual artists dried up – yet successive governments also ignored this issue. The only facility left was the State Art Gallery (Rajyik Kala Bithika) attached to Rabindra Bhawan, where artistes could, even by paying rent, display their works. But even that was shut down for no reason in the last three years. After the retirement of officials posted there, there is no one responsible for preserving the invaluable artworks of Assam’s legendary artists stored there. Tragically, today there is not a single official in the Cultural Affairs Directorate to represent visual artists. As a result, students of the Government College of Art and Crafts have been the worst sufferers. In contrast, other states of India have enabled their artistes to advance through their state academies. Kerala, for instance, by allocating the highest share of its state budget to its Lalit Kala Akademi and Sangeet Natak Akademi, has achieved international recognition in cultural spheres. Similarly, artistes in Gujarat, Punjab, and Rajasthan have prospered through institutional support.

Now, conscious artistes of Assam are protesting against the closure of Rabindra Bhawan in the name of renovation. Although a “Sanskritik Aikya Manch” (Cultural Unity Forum) has been formed to protest, it seems they view only the auditorium as Rabindra Bhawan. They appear hesitant to include visual artists in their movement, which is why the Art Gallery (Kala Bithika) has been left out of their agenda. But this must become a united movement. This struggle should not merely be for saving the auditorium – it should be a struggle to save the very existence of Assam’s artistes. It should be a struggle for the revival of Assam’s art and culture. It should be a struggle to restore the rights of artists.

The history of Rabindra Bhawan includes not only that of theatre artistes but also of visual artists, musicians, dancers, and others. Let artistes of all disciplines join hands against the fatal blow dealt by Assam’s so-called nationalist governments. Let the main demand of this movement be the restoration of artists’ freedom and the re-establishment of the Assam State Sangeet Natak Akademi and Assam State Lalit Kala Akademi.