Mir Farhat
SRINAGAR, Mar 17:The students and faculty of Institute of Music and Fine Arts (IMFA) are reluctant to shift to the new building that has been rented by the University of Kashmir for them.
The Institute was running from a rented building in Rajbagh from the last decade but following the devastating floods last year, the owner has refused to allow it further.
Established in 1965, IMFA has got no campus since then. For 44 years, it was run by Academy of Art, Culture and Languages which failed to provide it a permanent campus. And from the last four years it has been taken over by University of Kashmir, that too has failed to construct a permanent building.
“The landlord in Rajbagh where we ran the institute has served us a court notice to vacate the building. Now, Kashmir University authorities have rented a building in Sadrebal. But we did not propose the building as it does not fulfill the needs which an arts institute requires,” Shiaqa Moni, Principal of the Institute told Excelsior.
Moni said they were seeking a space within the main campus of the university.
“I have taken up the issue with the Vice Chancellor of the University last week and am again meeting him tomorrow (Wednesday) in this regard,” Moni said.
Saqib Bhat, a second year student of Applied Arts, said that shifting to a new rented building does not alleviate their problems as the students have been demanding a permanent space to study and learn art.
“The new rented building has no infrastructure. It has small rooms which are unfit for any classroom activity. We need big studios which have enough space to paint and to make sculptor or learn to play music instruments,” Bhat said.
He said that it is such a big shame for the authorities that the future artists have no institute or space to hone their skills.
Around 100 students are enrolled in the Institute’s seven faculties -painting, sculptor, applied arts and music- and each department must have studios for students to practice, not simple classrooms.
“It does not make any sense to move from a building to another. Our demand is a permanent campus where we too can work and learn like students,” Bhat said.
Vice Chancellor of University of Kashmir Prof Khursheed Iqbal Andrabi admitted that the new rented building was not upto the institute’s requirement.
“We had shortlisted two buildings for the institute but only one matured. The new rented building is the best possible option we can provide under the given circumstances. It is better to have a building than having nothing,” Andrabi told Excelsior.
When asked about IMFA having no permanent campus, the VC said that the Institute’s management has not given any proposal to the varsity in the last four years.
“We will provide them a permanent building like other faculties of the varsity have. It will come up in phases. But first let them give a proposal for the building like other faculties do,” he said.
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