Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 4: The former cultural diplomat of India Balwant Thakur today met the Chief Secretary at the civil secretariat and apprised him about his larger cultural concerns.
Balwant Thakur informed the Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo that in the absence of a defined cultural policy in Jammu and Kashmir, the entire movement is in shambles. “Being an autonomous institution, it should run its activities and programmes in a defined manner under the guidance and direction of the top experts representing respective fields of art, performing arts, literature, tribal, ethnic and folk arts but on the contrary the entire art activity is being handled by the vendors and contractors who are eating up 85 to 90 percent of the budget in the name of tents, chairs, light and sound,” he added.
Thakur told Dulloo that the ethnic, traditional and folk art practices are at the verge of extinction. He said there is neither any policy nor any initiative for its preservation and promotion. Great masters of different art forms are totally neglected and there is no policy in place to preserve their legacy by engaging younger generations to learn the dying arts from them, he added.
“Time is not far when J&K will be devoid of all the traditional art forms and practices. Instead of reducing this institution to a song and dance company, a major revamping is required so that the burning concerns of arts, culture, literature and artists/litterateurs/scholars are addressed in the right earnest. Majority senior artists of J&K who dedicated their entire lives in the service of arts are currently striving for their survival,” Thakur informed Dull with utmost concern.
He appealed the Chief Secretary to address the burning cultural issues he shared with him on priority. On the occasion, he also presented the Chief Secretary a book on him which was published in Mauritius and was internationally released by the President of the Republic of Mauritius.
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