News Tamil Nadu

Artistes In TN Join Ranjani-Gayatri In Taking A Stance Against Music Academy Awarding TM Krishna Who Had Glorified Anti-Hindu EVR

March 21, 2024
The Commune

Musician sisters duo Ranjani Gayatri withdrew from participating in the highly anticipated Music Academy’s conference slated for 2024. Additionally, they have also pulled out from presenting their scheduled concert on 25 December 2024. Following this, several music exponents and artistes put forth their stances on the issue. 

Vedic scholar and Upanyasika Dushyanth Sridhar posted on his social media handles that he had conveyed to the Madras Music Academy that he would not be performing on 1 January 2025 (after the sadas). He attached a copy of the letter he wrote to the Academy. Explaining the reason for his decision, he wrote in the letter, “I have had a sea of ideological differences with the Sangita Kalanidhi designate of 2024 – Sri TM Krishna. I have no authority to question the selection of his name for the award. I am pained by many of his public statements on Dharma, Ayodhya and Sri Rama, and more. I am guided by the life and teachings of Bhagavad Ramanuja, Vedanta Desika, and Kanchi Paramacharya. I will prove disrespectful to their values if I perform immediately after the sadas (where he will be awarded). I would hence withdraw from performing on 1st January 2025.”

Hari Katha exponent Smt Vishakha Hari also shared her thoughts on the issue. She wrote on her Facebook page, “By Guru’s grace, I have been following the principle of “Mind your own business and stick to your core values and principles”. But this time I have decided to move away from that stance as my core values are threatened by certain actions in the recent past. This year’s Sangeetha Kalanidhi designate awardee has engaged in a lot of slandering previously, hurting the sentiments of many tremendously and willfully. He has not been a regular performer in the institution for years, either. I (as many others) believe that values and virtues are as important as the music – as what Sri Thyagaraja, Sri Muthuswamy Dikshithar, Syama Sastri– our beloved Music Trinity also believed and lived by. This whole journey of Nadopasana is intended towards divinity. I wonder if the late Sangeetha Kalanidhis like Ariyakkudi or Semmangudi or Palghat Mani Iyer would accept this decision if alive today. What would their stance be? Also, would even the present Sangeetha Kalanidhis accept this decision? Awards may come and go. But setting the right role models for posterity is what is important.”

Chitravina Ravikiran announced that he was returning the Sangita Kalanidhi award conferred upon him in 2017. On his official X handle, he wrote, “RETURNING SANGITA KALANIDHI AWARD from ACADEMY: I’ve taken this step after careful consideration as principles much larger than all of us are at stake. However, I’ll always remain deeply grateful to the org for its role in my career from childhood”

He also attached a copy of the letter he wrote to the President of the Madras Music Academy, N Murali. In the letter, he enumerated the reasons for his decision to return the award. 

Yet another musician duo who caught the rasikas by surprise with their decision was the Trichur Brothers. In a post on their official X handle, they wrote, “Formal announcement that we are pulling out of the Annual Conference 2024 of The Music Academy, Madras, for obvious reasons. 

To participate in a conference presided by Mr TM Krishna would make us outright hypocrites in our own eyes. 

Sincerely, 

Trichur Brothers”

Netizens and rasikas alike hailed the decisions made by the musicians in protest of TM Krishna being bestowed the Sangita Kalanidhi. 

About TM Krishna

TM Krishna belongs to a family that boasts of a hoary and extremely wealthy past. His grand-uncle is TT Krishnamachari, son of a Madras High Court judge TT Rangachari during the British Raj.

TM Krishna is known more for his ‘activism’ than his music. He often courts controversy with his leftist views and plays second fiddle to the tunes of Dravidianists. He had also participated in the blatantly anti-Hindu global conference titled “Dismantling Global Hindutva“. Before that, he had felt sad when the 26/11 Mumbai attack terrorist Ajmal Kasab was hanged.

He has hailed EVR and has even sung songs revering him. Recently, he released a song titled “Sindhikka Sonnavar Periyar,” which means “EVR told us to think,” in contrast to what EV Ramasamy Naicker told his Dravidar Kazhagam followers. EV Ramasamy Naicker always wanted his followers not to think and just follow his orders like a military organization.

He had also written a hitjob piece on the revered carnatic singer Bharat Ratna MS Subbulakshmi for rabidly leftist rag The Caravan. He has even distorted Carnatic music to display his secular credentials by singing Islamic songs in Carnatic tunes.

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