While stringent criticism is arising from various corners against Judge Kalam Pasha for stopping a classical Indian dance performance by famed dancer Nina Prasad, the All India Lawyers Union staged a protest in front of Palakkad court in Kerala. While slamming the incident, lawyers alleged that the action was undemocratic.
The Judge’s action is considered widely as intolerance of classical Indian artforms which is alarming in Kerala which is heading towards becoming a Muslim majority state. The judge’s action is condemned also because, after Covid restrictions, artists are struggling to meet both ends finding a few opportunities for performing their artforms.
Nheralath Harigovindan, famed Sopana Sangeetam (temple music) artist, while condemning the act said that the judge should apologise to all artists in the state for his arrogance. It is unfortunate that when he maintains silence when it is about staging massive public programmes by political parties etc, the judge stops an artist from performing an artform which is considered divine in Hindu religion.
It was on last Saturday, famed Classical Dancer Nina Prasad asked to stop the performance of Mohiniyattam, a classical dance form rooted in the Natya Shastra – the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text on performance arts, in Kerala by district judge Kalam Pasha.
In a moving post on Facebook. the dancer wrote that she felt humiliated. “As an artist, I had an experience I had never had in my life. The incident took place during the Mohiniyattam on Saturday evening as part of a cultural program. The programme was stopped by police as per the direction of Justice Kalam Pasha,” she wrote.
As per reports, the judge, who is staying beside the house complained of the ‘noise’ of the famed classical dance form. In order to continue the show, the audience was seated very close to the stage and the dance was performed by playing the music in low voice.
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