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Vocalist Duo Ranjani Gayatri Give Polite But Stinging Response To N. Murali’s Letter

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The internet was abuzz with the row over the Sangita Kalanidhi Award being given to Carnatic vocalist with leftist leanings TM Krishna. At the centre of the storm was the vocalist duo Ranjani Gayatri. 

To jog our readers’ memory – after the awards were announced, Ranjani Gayatri wrote a letter to the Music Academy intimating to them of withdrawal from the programme later this year. They also shared the same on their social media handles. 

They accused TM Krishna of causing irreparable harm to the Carnatic music world. “He has caused immense damage to the Carnatic music world, wilfully and happily stomped over the sentiments of this community, and insulted most respected icons like Tyagaraja and MS Subbulakshmi. His actions have tried to spread a sense of shame in being a Carnatic musician and has been exhibited through his consistent denigration of spirituality in music.“, the Carnatic sisters said in their statement.

They also slammed TM Krishna’s glorification of anti-Hindu ideologue EV Ramasamy Naicker (hailed as ‘Periyar’ by his followers) saying,

“It is dangerous to overlook Mr TM Krishna’s glorification of a figure like EVR aka Periyar who

1. Openly proposed a genocide of ‘brahmins’

2. Repeatedly called/abused every woman of this community with vile profanity

3. Relentlessly worked to normalize filthy language in social discourse”

Several other artistes followed in Ranjani Gayatri’s steps and withdrew from the concert. Artists like Chitravina Ravikiran and the family of Palghar Mani Iyer announced that they were returning their Sangita Kalanidhi awards to the Academy. 

Subsequent to this, the President of the Madras Music Academy N Murali wrote an intimidating letter to the sisters stating that the letter was “replete with unwarranted and slanderous assertions and insinuations verging on defamation, and its vicious tone against a respected senior fellow-musician.” 

Replying to the letter shared by N Murali, the vocalist sisters wrote, 

“Dear Mr Murali,

We thank you for the courtesy of providing a response to our letter dated 20 March 2024. We’d like to clarify that our letter to you was only a notification of our withdrawal without any request for your decisions or actions. We did not post the letter on social media, but merely informed our fans on the same subject. Now we realise, this didn’t help you manage the optics and we are sorry about it.

Did we question your prerogative to award anyone? No

Did we exercise our prerogative to withdraw? Yes

Did we refuse to be implicit apologists for genocide mongers and filthy discourse? Yes

With your verbose answer to questions we never raised, you are trying to build a convenient narrative and cast aspersions on us. Your statements to the press in this regard are immoral and dishonest.

We were a bit surprised as to why your response reads like a release on behalf of the awardee, erasing the distinction between him and the Music Academy. But it became obvious when Mr. N. Ram, media hegemon, joined as an undeclared spokesperson, with his campaign branding us “bigoted, casteist coterie”.

We immensely respect this hallowed institution and it will be the happiest day for us and for millions of people to see star performers emerge from underprivileged communities and dominate this stage. We want to see the day when the TTK auditorium is filled up with a diverse inclusive crowd from all communities and religious minorities. 

This transformation should begin at the top. Kindly start with the entrenched Executive Committee consisting of only Brahmins and royalty you have been heading for 2 decades. Unlike serious hardwork and the long journey it takes for artists to excel, this transformation is achievable instantly with a simple resolution and a bunch of resignations.

Please consider leading by example, lest the world calls it mere lip service and start branding you as a “bigoted, casteist coterie”.”

Director of Kasturi & Sons Ltd, Former Chairperson of The Hindu Group, and the former Editor of The Hindu, Malini Parthasarathy also came out in support of the vocalist sisters. On her official X handle, Malini wrote, 

“This transformation should begin at the top. Kindly start with the entrenched Executive Committee consisting of only Brahmins and royalty you have been heading for 2 decades. Unlike serious hardwork and the long journey it takes for artists to excel, this transformation is achievable instantly with a simple resolution and a bunch of resignations”

Excellent points made by @ranjanigayatri. to the Music Academy President. Must be heeded!”

It is noteworthy that The Hindu’s N Ram (whose brother is the President of the Music Academy), wrote a scathing post on his social media handle to the sisters. He said, “Commend the firm and fitting response from The Music Academy and its President to the bigoted, casteist objections by a small coterie of set-up Carnatic musicians who can’t stomach the choice of an eminent, widely acclaimed, erudite, and articulate musician for the highest accolade in Carnatic music. If T. M. Krishna doesn’t deserve the Sangita Kalanidhi honour, then who does? And what explains Ranjani-Gayatri’s wild and scurrilous attack — charged with venom and demonstrable falsehoods — on Periyar Ramasamy (1879-1973), the father of the Self-Respect Movement in Tamil Nadu and a champion of women’s equality and rights? Who put them up to this?”

Earlier, TN BJP president K Annamalai and ADMK’s spokesperson voiced out their support for the vocalist sisters and all those who decided to boycott the conference. 

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