Saddened By Judgement, Expected Kinder View: Artistes On Delhi High Court Verdict On Eviction Notices

Ordered by the Delhi High Court to vacate their government-allotted residences in the national capital within two months, a group of leading artistes on Saturday said they had hoped that the court would take "a kinder view" considering their financial conditions and old-age. "We are not like film personalities, earning big money... The government-allotted accommodation has been the mainstay of our survival and depriving us of it at this old-age is unfortunate," said noted Mohiniyattam dancer Bharati Shivaji. The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed a batch of pleas by several Indian Classical artistes, including Shivaji, Kuchipudi dancer Guru V Jayarama Rao and Dhrupad singer Ustad F Wasifuddin Dagar, challenging the eviction notices issued by the Centre in October 2020.

The court said to enable all the petitioners to make alternative arrangements and be able to exit the premises with dignity, it was granting a two-month grace period to them from the date of this order to hand over the possession of the accommodations. Reacting to the verdict, Shivaji said, "I don't know about our next plan of action. We have to consult lawyers and other artistes. We were very confident and hopeful that the HC will take a kinder view and also give us some more consideration. Unfortunately, it is very sad that the attitude of the whole judgement has been that we must leave. But then I think our dignity is also very important, and if we have to move we have to move." The Padma Shri awardee lives with her 98-year-old mother, also an artiste, in a government-allotted accommodation at Asian Games Village. Noting that the government this time looks "very very adamant" to get them out, Shivaji is "hoping against hope". "We are not like film personalities, earning big money. We don't have any kind of regular income at all. So whatever we have gained is entirely because of government patronage, and we are eternally grateful to them for that. But depriving us of this facility at a time when most of us are in our 60s and 70s is really really unfortunate," she added. Among the artists, dancers and musicians who filed the plea are Jatin Das, Mayadhar Raut, Rani Shinghal, Geetanjali Lal, KR Subanna, Kamal Sabri, Devraj Dakoji, Kamalini, Pt Bhajan Sopori and Rita Ganguly.

With no provident fund, pension or regular income, affording even a rented house where they can live and work is a "very big problem", said Kuchipudi dancer Vanashree Rao, the wife of Kuchipudi dancer Guru Jayarama Rao in whose name they were allotted a house at Asian Games Village in 1987. "We are in a very big problem. The government has always helped us in the past and these are just 10-12 houses. Plus we are not living for free. Sports personalities get enough rewards and earn more than enough to survive throughout their lives, but dance is the lowest earning profession in our country. We have worked tirelessly to promote Kuchipudi across the world. Are we, who the country calls as their 'cultural ambassadors', asking too much from them?" said Rao. Fearing the worst, Rao, with no option left and a heavy heart, has been giving away much of her belongings, including dance costumes and books, since the day they got the eviction notice in 2020. She even donated the duo's 500 awards and as many books to two separate colleges. Most of them claimed they pay Rs 16,000-Rs 18,000 a month currently for their accommodations that they received under artists' quota. Expressing his gratitude to successive governments for extending the allotment of houses, Dhrupad vocalist Wasifuddin Dagar said he wonders why these 10-15 houses are bothering the present dispensation so much and if there is any larger agenda to it. He also pointed out that the current dispensation was not asking them to vacate the place for other artists, something which the singer said he would have understood as well. "We'll sit and see what we can do (after the Delhi HC verdict). It is clearly not easy to afford a house in Delhi for a person like me...But I don't really understand why these 10-15 houses are bothering them (the government) so much? What is their larger agenda behind it? We, the artists, on our part have always stood for the government, the national cause and represented India as cultural ambassadors in international platforms," said Dagar, adding that they will discuss their future course of action during a meeting on March 2 or 3.

In October 2020, a total of 27 eminent personalities were sent notices by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to vacate their government-allotted accommodations across Delhi by December 31, “failing which eviction proceeding will be initiated as per Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act”. The notices were stayed after the petitions were filed. Among the people who were served notices, Kathak legend Pandit Birju Maharaj died in January this year and eminent art historian Sunil Kothari passed away in 2020.

PTI Inputs