The Observer, Edition 26, Volume 22

Sweat, but don’t fret: The sorry narrative of MGNREGA workers

Contrary to govt claim, a large number of them have not been paid

By Siddhi Chauhan

Ihave been waiting for the wage that I was supposed to get five months before”, said a tall, bony figure with a pair of sunken eyes. When asked his name, the 58-year-old replied in a calm tone:”Andanappa.

He was carrying an empty tub that had remaining fodder stuck to its corner. He was drawn towards a group of people who were expressing their discontent with the government.

Andanappa and the group of people who were discussing their problems belong to Rajur, a village in Kukanoor taluk. Like thousands of Indians, they were employed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The Act guarantees 100 days of work for every rural household in a fiscal year.

A press release by the Union Ministry of Rural Development stated that 99 per cent of wage seekers received their wages and a total of 11.37 crore households availed of employment. The press release also said, a total of 289.24 crore person-days of employment had been generated. But the reality seems different from the government’s claims.

According to an article in Down To Earth, 2021-22 was the second year when the Union government delayed the payment of wages to workers employed under the Act. According to data issued by Management Information System, the amount for the previous year stood at Rs 8,794 crore. In February 2023, Union minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti

disclosed that the government is yet to pay Rs 6,157 crore to 14 states, including Rs 638 crore to Karnataka. The reason mentioned by her was that the government had stopped payment for the same due to corruption and violation of rules.

Asked about his family, Andanappa informed The Observer there are 12 members in his household, of whom he is the sole bread-earner. In all there are 12 people in his team, of which three are children who attend school, while the rest support him in his work.

Asked about the problems he has faced because of delays in payments, Andanappa replied: “It is very difficult to manage with the small amount that we earn when you have to feed 12 members. My family’s financial condition has always been unstable due to which I worked in Gadag for 12 years. I recently moved to the village to earn and feed my family members.”

When The Observer asked why they do not complain to higher authorities, there was an agitated response. The calm tone of Andanappa changed to a rather pungent one. A smile intact on his face, he said: “These people don’t listen to us. I feel like we should even move and settle in Gujarat to draw some attention to us and our needs. Even MLAs don’t bother about us. It has been five years since he was elected but nothing has been done.”

Andanappa and five other people were employed for 15 days under the Act to build a Krishi Kund. Five months on, he has received only Rs 6,000 and is waiting for Rs 10,000.

M.M. Hassan, assistant agriculture officer, district panchayat, informed The Observer that the MGNREGA scheme also employs workers in order to create bunds in the semi-arid area. A large number of workers in the taluk create bunds and tanks to ensure farmers do not have to

struggle during a drought.

Shashikala Devi, a 50-yearold who joined the conversation, faced a similar problem when she constructed a bund along with other women of the village. She worked for 30 days (15 in November and 15 in December) but didn’t receive any payment.

Asked if they took the matter to the panchayat, she said: “Yes, we did, but nothing happened. We asked various questions about it, which resulted in a huge ruckus. They refused to answer any questions and locked the door.”

According to the MGNREGA scheme, if work is not provided within 15 days of it being demanded, the worker will be entitled to a daily unemployment allowance. But this is not the case in the villages of Kukanoor.

Asked about unemployment allowance, Shambhu Hosamani who lives in Adur village, said: “People of the village don’t have a clear idea about various schemes and as a result they are not aware of this thing. They think of MLA as a god against whom one cannot revolt.”

The Observer, while talking to the workers, learnt that in such cases the role of middlemen is crucial. Another article by Down to Earthsaid many times the manipulation in data deprives people of their entitlements.

Asked about this, Shambhu replied: “I have often seen that in these cases the middlemen take advantage. It happens that due to duplication many people lose their hard earned money on which they had the right to.”

Read the complete story on www.theweekelyobserver.in

News Briefs

Conrad takes oath as CM of Meghalaya

National People’s Party president Conrad K. Sangma on Tuesday took oath as chief minister of Meghalaya for a second consecutive term. Seven other MLAs from the NPP, two from the UDP, and one each from BJP and HSPDP were also administered the oath of secrecy as ministers by Governor Phagu Chauhan at Raj Bhavan. PTI

Imran’s party announces rally for Punjab polls

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party has announced a “historic” rally in Lahore to formally launch its election campaign from Wednesday for the upcoming provincial elections in Punjab. PTI

Champs Germany arrive in Odisha for Pro League

The German men’s team, winner of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup, arrived in Odisha for the upcoming FIH Hockey ProLeague 2022-2023. The matches will be held in Rourkela from March 10. ANI

CBI questions Lalu in land-for-job scam case

A day after reaching former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi’s residence in Patna, the CBI has started questioning her husband Lalu Prasad in connection with an alleged land-for-job scam. The questioning is being conducted on the basis of a charge sheet that was filed in October 2022. ANI

Belarus court sentences exiled oppn leader

Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, charged with 12 crimes, including "conspiracy to take power unconstitutionally", has been given a 15year jail term. Another opposition leader, Pavel Latushko, has got 18 years in prison and three others were sentenced. ANI

Pourakarmikas reside in slums as they wait for houses to be allotted by the government | P 3

Andanappa still hasn’t received the full pay for the work he has done five months back under the MGNERGA act | Credit: Siddhi Chauhan

SOCIAL ISSUES

Private SHGs look to govt for help

State govt’s Ambedkar corporation lends money only once, whereas pvt banks lend often

By Yukta Mudgal

Vallistarts her day by sending her children to school. She constantly worries about how she would pay their school fees. “A self-help group (SHG) helped me a lot in managing my expenses, but it’s not sufficient,” she told The Observer.

Valli, who lives in a one-room rented house, said: “I have taken a loan from multiple private sources and find it difficult to pay them back with heavy interest.”

Most women who take help from SHGs spend the money on their children’s education.

Valli said the first person she saw in an SHG was her mother during the 1980s. “My mother used to make agarbattis and earn Rs 5 a month,” she said. Asked how an SHG works, she said: “Each member of the SHG saves Rs 500 and lends a member who is in need, with 2 per cent interest. The interest may or may not get divided among all the members of the group.”

Most government corporations lend SHGs money with a certain subsidy amount. Hemant Kumar, Deputy General Manager, Dr BR Ambedkar Development Corporation, said the corporation provides microcredit to SHGs to help them start their businesses. For a group of 10 members the loan amount is Rs 2.5 lakh and for 20 members, the loan provided is Rs 5 lakh. Each person gets an equally divided amount from the loan.

“Only 4 per cent simple interest has to be paid in 36 monthly installments. We give subsi-

dies as well, depending on the amount of the loan,” he said.

The criterion to avail of a loan, he said, is that the SHG should be involved in group activities like pickle-making, agarbatti-making or any other business. The group’s annual income should be Rs 1.50 lakh (rural areas) and Rs 2 lakh (urban areas). All members should have a BPL card, a caste certificate, a ration card, an income card and Aadhaar card, and should belong to scheduled castes. “We help them with various schemes like Panchratna and NMRL.”

He continued: “Not only us, but the women and child welfare department also helps SHGs. We’ve been working for 35-40 years, and have sufficient applications from SHGs.

He said, there is no hesitation from their side when it comes to availing loans. But it often happens that the SHGs don’t pay the amount back and we are helpless. It takes three months to complete the loan process. A committee headed by an MLA takes decisions regarding this”

When Valli and her team went to the corporation, they were denied entry inside the office. “We just went there to ask about certain schemes,” she said.

Smaller banks like Ujjivan charge 7 per cent interest, and sometimes more than 10 per cent interest. When The Observer approached, Ujjivan Bank informed The Observer, they cannot share any information.

The problem with loans from the Ambedkar corporation is

that it lends only once, whereas other sources and banks can lend any time after the repayment of the first loan.

Kausalya sends her sevenyear-old son to a school which costs her Rs 50,000 a year. Along with tuition fee, the expense rises to Rs 78,000. “The SHG has helped me to take care of my son’s education.” She says she wants to start her own tailoring business. “I can’t because I don’t have any savings to buy a sewing machine which costs between Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000.”

Jeeva, an old member of an SHG called Valarpirai Sangha, was once approached by a man who claimed to belong to a corporation. He asked her to take Rs 20,000 and give Rs 4,000 in return. She did. But after a few days, he asked her to pay Rs 650 as interest. She couldn’t do anything. Taking advantage of her poor academic background, the man made her sign various documents. Till now she is paying the interest every month.

Valli said government intervention is needed because working in an SHG is not easy. An SHG works on trust. For instance, if three people want Rs 20,000, there will be fights.

“Everybody has an SC certificate in our group, but still no loans are given to us,” she said.

SHGs meet every month with a leader making notes in two long books. The first book is called minutes book (to collect attendance, savings, account, interest, loan amount); the second book is used to makes notes on loan repayment.

Poor waste management leaves Ramanagara dirty

By Arsha BS

Walking through the roads of residential areas in Ramanagara is easy until bad smell from drainage pipes assails one’s nose. The odour intensifies as one gets to the main road. Cows walking through piles of garbage is an everyday sight for residents of the town.

A stark difference can be noticed between solid waste management in residential areas and other public spaces. Half-hearted garbage clearance has made the lives of residents miserable. Municipal authorities ignore clearing up waste in public places, focusing on residential areas alone.

Krishna Naik, a resident of the town for 15 years, informed The Observer that nobody bothers to clean roads in the town. “The condition is terrible. Every kind of waste is mixed up. It is too bad. The authorities do not seem to

care to do anything.”

Somshekhar M, another resident, said: “Have you seen the roads in Thirumalai? They are filled with waste. I don’t know what we can do as residents to rectify the situation. The authorities have to work for it, I guess.”

The Observer noticed solid waste management being done efficiently by the authorities in residential and market areas.

Kusuma C.V., a senior health

inspector of Ramanagara’s municipal body, said she goes for an inspection every morning. “Our jurisdiction is between Thirumalai temple and Someshwar Colony. If you go and look at these places, you will be able to see the efficiency of our work. Our staff have been working tirelessly to make sure waste is segregated and cleared. R.R. Road, which is a market road, with a population of 2,000 people, is quite clean.”

Asked how the Directorate of Women and Child Department is helping private SHGs, Savitha YD, Senior Assistant Director, said it has a scheme called Streeshakthi whose benefits can only be availed by the government SHGs. She refused to share any further information with The Observer.

According to information put up on the website of Directorate of Women And Child Development, Streeshakthi Groups were formed to inculcate the savings habit in the members empowering the women economically. About 20 members who are from below poverty line families, landless agricultural laborers and SC/ST women join hands.

“My mother-in-law says if she gets a loan from the government, she would open a vegetable shop. My husband, who pays rent for the car he drives, can buy a car and do business. We have no other options but to rely on SHGs and local moneylenders who lend at a very high interest rate. The best part about corporation/government loans is that they provide subsidies. Construction workers use their labour cards to avail of certain benefits from the government but what about street vendors and drivers,” Valli said.

As per data shared by the Ambedkar corporation, the financial achievement of the corporation under the Microcredit Scheme was Rs 37.94 crore in financial year 2020-21, which dropped to Rs 5.25 crore in the financial year 2021-2022. yukta.m@iijnm.org

Citizen’s Voice

Sixty-three persons excluding pourakarmikas work to keep Ramanagara clean. Awareness programmes under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan are conducted regularly to make sure the residents know how to segregate dry and wet waste.

Kusuma said: “We have a WhatsApp group where we update and post pictures of the cleaning that happens every day. The staff also go to houses to make people aware of the process that they have to follow and also conduct meetings with pourakarmikas on the first week of every month to understand problems regarding the matter, if any. There’ve been a lot of reforms in the way we manage the waste as well. To clean wet waste, we have machinery support. We also came up with cleaning in the night, but it couldn’t be worked out because a lot of pourakarmikas were absent,” Kusuma said.

The Observer noticed that the temple area is not as clean as claimed by the authorities.

Drains in residential areas, filled with waste, stinks.

Full report on the website: www.theweeklyobserver.in

ChatGPT: Breakthrough or a replacement of skill?

The arrival of ChatGPT may seem like a new development in science, but what about the replacement of human skill it will cause? It is important for people to understand the drawback of AI. It is causing more harm than good to humanity.

Aakriti Srivastava

Despite tech, ancient Indian art is trending Maggam handwork, one of the old fashions, is still trending. People prefer hand maggam work despite developments in technology. Though the computerized sewing machine provides designs at lower costs, consumers still prefer the hand maggam work.

Navya Sruthi

Polluted air leaves people struggling to breathe

The air quality index of Bengaluru is quite bad. The air gets polluted due to greenhouse emissions from vehicles and industries. In areas like Bellandur and Marathahalli, people are facing severe health issues.

Yashwanth Baddi

‘Authorities do not seem to care about it’

Campaigns to promote waste segregation do not seem to have worked; lack of civic sense, one of the reasons |

Credit: Arsha BS

Women take help of the SHGs to secure their children’s future but not when it comes to pursue their passion | Credit: Yukta Mudgal

Pourakarmikas’ wait for houses under govt scheme is unending

Are forced to live in slums in awful conditions

By Vindhya Pabolu

The people who ensure the streets of Bengaluru are clean do not have their own houses.Pourakarmikasare still struggling for basic amenities like water, sanitation and housing. With no choice, they end up living in slums on rent.

Fathima, employed in BBMP’s segregation department, lives in the Pantharapalya slum with her three sons and her aged mother, paying a monthly rent of Rs 2,500.After her husband left her, Fathima has worked for BBMP for more than 20 years. She still awaits a house to be sanctioned under the state government’s Gruha Bhagya Scheme.

“I applied long back but still haven’t received any documents about a house being sanctioned. I submitted all my documents back in 2002,” Fathima shared.

Explaining her family situation, she said: “I have three sons. I have to get them married. I myself don’t have a house.Who will give their daughters to my sons, who don’t have financial support? It’s an extremely tough situation for us to through.”

According to a Hindureport, a total of 16,000 pourakarmikas workunder BBMP.

An All-India Central Council of Trade Unions tweet said BBMP is responsible for constructing and maintaining reside

Pourakarmikasare still struggling for basic amenities like water, sanitation and housing. With no choice, they end up living in slums on rent | Credit:

to stay. After marriage, all of them will move on to lead their individual lives. What about them at that time? Should they continue to live in slums?”

The Observer noticed that the house they are living in is 15 feet in length and 7 feet in breadth. The house has a small living room, a bedroom, a kitchen, and a washroom. The house does not have any facility for drinking water. The area smells like stagnant water and rotten eggs. The water they use has dust and algae floating on its surface;shirt buttons have sunk to its bottom. The tank in which the water is stored is rusted and smells musty. The walls were covered with gutka stains.

People The Observer interviewedsaid they walk about 2km daily to buy drinking water. Rarely do municipal water tankers come to the slums.

As per a Hindustan Times report, pourakarmikas raised slogans during their state-wide indefinite strike demanding regularization of their services, dignified working conditions, post-retirement benefits, and other welfare measures.

2007, we came to know from our senior officials that we could get a house, so I applied for it. We still haven’t received anything so far. Our head did not respond to our complaints. It was five years ago that a group of people conducted a survey, collected all our information and copies of our Aadhaar cards, and disappeared. We are still waiting for the reply from the authorities.”

Salma, Shahima’s 22-year-old daughter, said: “I grew up watching her struggle to feed me. Due to our financial condition, I had to stop going to school. Since then, I have got married, and my children have started to go to school, but my mother still has not received a house. We still live in a rented house.If she gets the house she applied for, she can save the money she is paying for rent. This will allow her to save for her future needs.”

Wonders of the World

ntial quarters for pourakarmikas in accordance with Section 58(24) of the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976. This has been violated by BBMP. The violation of the mandate was sanctioned in the year of 2020 BBMP Act, which deleted this provision and made no mention of houses for pourakarmikas. anywhere in the mandate.

Fathima’s mother Zareena, who was once a pourakarmika, agitatedly said: “I have five children, all working in BBMP. One house will suffice for all of us to

In a series of tweets, former chief minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah said: “Our government constructed houses for 3,165 pourakarmika beneficiaries under Pourakarmika Vasathi Gruha Bhagya Scheme. We also ensured housing for the remaining eligible beneficiaries through other housing schemes.”

Zareena’s friend Shahima, another pourakarmika, applied for a house along with Fathima but hasn’t received one yet.

Shahima,46, a single mother, who works in the plastic segregation section at Rajarajeshwari Nagar, shared: “I have worked since 1997 under BBMP. In

The state government launched the Gruha Bhagya Yojanafor permanent pourakarmikas who had completed 10 years of service. Under it, a house with an area not exceeding 500 sqft will be constructed with 80 per cent financial assistance from the state government. The balance is to be borne by the beneficiary. The houses will be constructed on land owned by the urban local body.

Shahina further said: “You can check with my details whether I was alloted house from the BBMP or not. If you are not able to trust my words check it by yourself. There is nothing from my end to hide I can give you my details you want like identity card, allotment letters etc .”

If a pourakarmika owns a site, BBMP will give him/her financial assistance to builda house.

Santhosh P, assistant executive engineer,solid waste man-

agement, BBMP, said: “We already gave houses to permanent staff. The BBMP is working on this. At the moment, we are dividing them into batches. At present, 3,100 people have been taken in and we are still considering taking a few more.”

The official remained silent when asked when the houses promised would be given to pourakarmikas.

Pourakarmikas are fighting for other issues like an increase in salary. According to a Times of India report, in his last budget, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai announced pourakarmikas would be paid Rs 2,000 monthly as a hardship allowance. But activists claim that pourakarmikas are getting this allowance intermittently, while many are not even aware of this provision.

Shanth Kumar, who lives in a slum and has been in touch with pourakarmikas, informed The Observer that he has not received any information regarding the scheme.

Venkat Ramana Iyer, managing trustee of the Swabhimaan Trust, shared: “Pourakarmikas deserve more than they have now. Imagine the pourakarmikas not cleaning our city for one week. The city will sink in garbage. they are improtant. Most of them are women. Governmentshould provide themhouses at the very least…. But the pourakarmikas have to fight and win their own battle.”

Fathima and Shahima stillhope that one day they will receive the promised house. They do not want it for them but for their children. “We hope that the lives of our children will be filled with happiness. If we get a house, our children can have something for them.”

vindhya.p@iijnm.org

Located on the banks of the Malaprabha River, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is a testament to the richness of Chalukyan architecture during the 7th and 8th centuries and is renowned for its intricately chiselled temples. The temples in Pattadakal bear testimony to the richness and timeless splendour of the Chalukyan architecture. It has a cluster of 10 major temples, which showcase some striking architectural features. The world-famous geographer Ptolemy (150 AD) has documented the town as “Perti gal”. It was even used as the ceremonial centre where kings were crowned and commemorated. Pattadakal has temple architecture from Dravidian, Aryan and a mixture of both styles in its temple complex; probably making it the only one of its kind in India. There is a sculpture gallery maintained by Archeological Survey of India within the Pattadakal temple complex.

Source: Karnataka Tourism

Did you know?

From 1912 to 1948, the Olympic Games held competitions in the fine arts. Medals were given for literature, architecture, sculpture, painting, and music. Naturally, the art created was required to be Olympic-themed. According to the founder of the modern Olympics, Pierre de Frédy, the addition of the arts was necessary because the ancient Greeks used to hold art festivals alongside the games. Before the art events were eventually removed, 151 medals were awarded.

Tweetcasm

There’s confusion whether Holi is on 7th or 8th. The last time some people had confusion between 7 & 8, CSK had a terrible IPL season. @sagarcasm

Quote of the Week

If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.

Margaret Thatcher

Weather

Temperature: 31°C

Max UV Index: 4 Moderate

Wind : E 24 km/h

Wind Gusts: 51 km/h

Humidity: 13%

Visibility: 8 km

Vindhya Pabolu

Pourakarmikas are fighting for other issues like an increase in salary | Credit: Vindhya P.

Veeragase not commercialised, performers find the going tough

They have to wait for Kannada & Culture Department to offer them events to perform

By Yashaswini Sri

Nayana B, 20, a resident of Bengaluru, recalls the first time she witnessed the glory of the Veeragase dance form. She was six years old then. Her festive-season memory is embedded with the fiery moves of Veeragase artistes.

Veeragase is a traditional Hindu dance that originated in Karnataka. The Deccan Herald reported that the artistes have been committed to keeping intact the traditional features of the folk dance – headgear and cloth, saffron shirt and wraparound (‘panche’), rudraksha in the ear, ‘vibhuti’ on the forehead and metal ornaments with designs of the snake god, a sword in the right hand and armour in the left hand. The artistes dance to the tunes of ‘karadi vadya’ during the procession and recite ‘Veerabhadrana Vadapu’.

Nayana shared: “It was magnificent to witness an epic narrated with such vigour and grace. Every year, we witness this glory in our village. It is an essential part of our tradition.

Harshitha N, a female Veeragase performer, explained the situation of Veeragase in Bengaluru to The Observer: “In the past few years, there has been an increase in the number of trainees who want to learn and perform Veeragase. But, unlike any other classical dance form, Veeragase is not commercialised. To perform, we have to wait for the Kannada and Culture Department to offer us events. Performers should submit an application and other documents to the department to be recognised as Veeragase artistes. After that, they screen a certain number of artistes and offer events accordingly. With a growing number of artists and a limited number of events, it’s extremely difficult to make a livelihood by only performing Veeragase.”

Vishwa Prasad, a Veeragase artiste from Kumbalgodu, Bengaluru, said: “Over the years, Veeragase emerged as a cultural dance form that narrates through emotions and graceful dance moves. While we do not get any financial aid from the government, we are lucky to be performing at cultural events organised by the government. My brother and I perform the dance form together. For generations, our family has tried to preserve this tradition. We do our finest to let the world witness the beauty of Veeragase and listen to the saga it narrates. All we want is a little support and encouragement from the government.”

Popular in northern parts of Karnataka, this dance form is celebrated during the months of Shravana and Karthika, especially during Dasara. Veerbhadra, a Hindu warrior from the state of Karnataka, inspired the name of the dance. The devotees of Lord Shiva, who learn and do the Veeragase dance, are known as Lingadevaru, or people from the Lingayat community of Karnataka.

Neha Valentina, 22, an analyst at Goldman Sachs, said: “I have never heard about Veeragase or witnessed any performance. This is because it’s not performed frequently or more frequently than the well-known dance forms. I’m a resident of Bengaluru and my mother is a classical

However, Bangalore has become a commercial place and culture got pushed to the back seat. It should be promoted more and supported by the government as it defines our culture. People around the country should know about this dance form and learn to appreciate it..”

Ravi Theja, 24, an employee at Ather Energy has never heard about Veeragase either. “I have been living in Bengaluru my entire life, yet I have never come across this dance form. My family and I live a fast-paced life and I couldn’t concentrate on cultural and spiritual things.”

Mysooru News reported that a Veeragase performance was organized to mark the 80th birthday celebration of former chief minister stalwart B.S. Yeddyurappa at the BJP office in Mysuru on February 27, 2023. The artistes presented the legacy of the politician T.R. Gokul, a trainee analyst working in Cognizant, recounted: “I watched it when I visited my village, Thathanur, to celebrate Mahashivaratri with my family. In my village, it is a tradition for Veeragase artistes to perform at every festival, es- pecially

with the culture our parents grew up in. It is significant for us to be part of this rich culture but somehow dance forms like Veeragase are slowly but surely being lost.”

Rama R, a Bharatanatyam teacher who runs a dance school named Varanika Nrityashalay, said: “Bharatnatyam is a commercial form of art. It is not bounded by any community. Everyone is free to learn. Veeragase, on the other hand, is not commercialised. That is the reason why most people do not know about it. If artistes performed it more, people might start appreciating this dance form.”

Bharatanatyam dancer. Therefore, I am interested.

during Ugadi and Dasara. Without their performance, the festival seems incomplete.”

Asked about Veeragase performances in Bengaluru, he replied: “I have not witnessed it in the city. Most of my friends are not aware of this dance form. I wish Veeragase artists performed more in the city as well. I would love to watch them perform.” Similarly, Aditi M, a Bharatnatyam dancer, said: “I have a faint recollection of watching a Veeragase performance. I’ve watched it on TV multiple times. Our generation has lost touch

Over the years, Veeragase emerged as a cultural dance form that narrates through emotions and graceful dance moves. While we do not get any financial aid from the government, we are lucky to be performing at cultural events organised by the government. Our family preserved this tradition

— Viswa Prasad

Niranjana Murthy, a Veeragase artist with more than 35 years of experience who teaches this dance form to more than 200 students, shared: “More and more youngsters are interested in learning and promoting this dance form. If the government supports this and provides financial aid to the artistes, people around the state will be aware of this dance form. They will appreciate it thoroughly. Though we receive our cultural events from the government, payment has always been an issue. Right when people are showing interest in performing, if money becomes an issue, the interest might dilute.”

Ashok Chalawadi, Joint Director of Bengaluru Zone, Kannada and Culture Department, was unavailable at his office. When The Observer tried to reach him on the phone, he did not answer or return any calls.

According to a Times of India report, to preserve Veeragase and promote it among the youth, several mainstream filmmakers are going back to explore its roots. A team of newbies is ready to present a film that pays a tribute to Veeragase. Titled Paramvah, the film also explores a father-son relationship, It’s a crowd-funded film, with over 200 people investing in the movie. yashaswini.s@iijnm.org

The Observer

Kengeri hobli, Bengaluru 560074.

Editor: Siddhi Chauhan

News Editor: Yashaswini Sri

Copy editors: Yukta Mudgal, Vindhya Pabolu, Arsha B S

Photo editor: Hamsaveni N Other IIJNM publications

l The Beat magazine

l CityCast

l The SoftCopy

More and more youngsters are interested in learning and promoting this dance form. If the government supports this and provides financial aid to the artistes, people around the state will be aware of this dance form. They will appreciate it thoroughly. If money becomes an issue, the interest might dilute.

— Niranjana Murthy

“