OBSERVATIONS/COMMENTS MADE BY VARIOUS PERSONS ON THE APPROACH PAPER
MASS MEDIA / TV / FILMS 1. TV serials, documentaries and films should be made on important books, personalities, places, arts and festivals, to imprint them on the minds of people.
2. Art films should be imported from abroad and shown on Doordarshan as also adopted in Indian languages.
3. Film should be made on Saints, Philosophers, Writers, Artists, Singers, Sadhus, Gurus etc.
4. Mass media should not over emphasis superstitious stories conveying blind faith in magical belief system and super natural powers. These should be avoided.
5. TV should be fully explored by the Cultural Department for implementing its cultural policies.
6. AIR can and should devote more time to present good music and beam it during the largest chunk of its time as it is the most powerful media.
7. Doordarshan can use innovative methods to attract attention to classical music, like illustrative demonstrations by leading and outstanding exponents of respective Gharanas.
8. AIR does not retire artists, on its own, who are far beyond their prime. Their presentation gives wrong impression to younger generation, weeding them away from music. Similarly, good senior artists who are reluctant to give test are not elevated without having to sit for examination before their juniors, and this result in their bycotting AIR. This lacunae is effecting general standard of classical music on AIR.
9. Audition Committee should comprise of one artiste from every Gharana. Instrumental music should be judged by experts in their respective fields. Alternatively, the Station Directors should be given powers to recommend artists so that any injustice could be easily contested at local level and appealed for redressal at higher level.
10. The propagation of aesthetics of different languages of the country is best made through music-songs on various national and social themes and should be taught to children through AIR/TV.
11. Composition of great patriots like Tagore, Bharathi & others should be translated and musically structured set to common music so that we have a wide repertoire of national songs which could be broadcasted on AIR/TV. A fixed time slot of minimum 30 minutes should broadcast the above songs through AIR/TV during school hours--like the prayer class/scripture class etc.
12. The approach paper has ignored the Indian T.V. altogether. It can be or rather could have been-a powerful vehicle for the spread of culture.
13. The provision of weekly art and culture page/news bulletin should be made compulsory for all the reputed News Papers. Similarly on TV & Radio, atleast a weekly news bulletin of 15 minutes duration should be introduced on the pattern of sports news, which is a daily affair on Radio.
14. While agreeing that any culture to remain vibrant has to imbibe new ideas, the NPC's main focus is to see that this non-variable component of our culture is not allowed to be eroded or overshadowed by the variable one-a healthy balance is to be maintained. A very careful planning, therefore, is needed because media (print and audio- visual) is a very potent factor in influencing a culture. We ourselves are a witness to this attitudinal change, particularly in the urban society.
15. If the Department of Culture can ensure more suitable programmes on the Doordarshan and AIR and encourage production of better films and if the CPWD is by law prevented from raising eyesores all over the country, the Department of Culture would have done more for the culture of this country than all Parishads and Academies put together.
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16. Cultural policy needs dynamic inter-ministerial co-operation to immediately - stop spreading of violence, sex, indecency and criminal behaviour through mass media-particularly films and still more Television and Video programmes (and posters, banners).
17. The constructive and Destructive potential of audio-visuals cannot be overstated in respect of moulding the character and culture of people.
18. An immediate inter-departmental action is needed for channelising the Mass-Media, particularly the Television and Film sectors-to positively ensure that depiction of violence and vulgarity as also anti-national and anti-social behaviour is totally banned. Censorship needs to be more strictly guided to social psychologists and educationists to safeguard values of universal and permanent nature. The powerful mass media must be used more constructively for providing healthy entertainment and purposeful enlightenment with aesthetic flavour.
19. The role of Doordarshan which is most popular miracle of science and can promote communal harmony and national integration has not been adequately emphasised in the Approach Paper. It can also create a sense of brotherly feeling, fellow feeling and sympathy. Of all the faculties possessed by men eyes are the most sensitive and are capable of imprinting a lasting impression on the mind. A large majority of us are illiterate or are ill-informed of the variegated heritage of India, its people, manners, customs and religions etc. and we can know & learn these and understand them better in a proper perspective on the IV.
20. Films should also be made on Vedic, epic and mythological themes with explicit relevance to contemporary life.
21. Both TV and AIR should generate programmes on customs and practices, conduct of festivals, spiritual practices, ritual and ceremonial music of various religions. This would promote mutual understanding, tolerance and appreciation of their religions and thus, national Integration.
22. Present AIR audition system for music is rife with malpractice and inconsistency, especially in relation to upgrading procedures. Double auditioning for upgrading to 'A' must go. The world of music, both in the South and the North is replete with many highly talented and deserving younger musicians who am frustrated and helpless because they are not properly recognised and encouraged with justice in upgradation. An authority must be set up to receive appeals and redress grievances.
23. An alternative to upgradation by audition is for an S.D. to recommend a candidate who has stabilised in a given grade with consistent good performance for one year to a higher grade on the basis of a programme, selected by himself/herself. The S.D. should consult two experts to make such recommendations.
24. Both AIR and Doordarshan should generate programmes on reviews of books, discs, cassettes of music of the past and present. They should also generate music and dance appreciation programmes which explain and illustrate excellences in style, technique, form, structure, spontaneous realivity, musical instruments, sculptures in music and dance etc.
25. Both AIR and DD should engage in continuous dialogue with contemporary cultural ideas which are in vogue both in India and abroad, constantly applying the test of consistency with historical continuity.
26. Cognisance, in a concrete manner, must be taken of the present status of cultural outputs through mass communication media of the country and devise programme policies as corrective, measures. For instance, programmes on traditional art forms are never telecast at prime time, or, technical expertise and telecasting time given for sports events exceed by-far that which is given for ritual/art events.
27. You see the Doordarshan culture as it is in Delhi. The miserable melange of this culture and the mindless basket of entertainment in cinema and recorded music prove the incompetence and worse of both public and private institutions in this frighteningly-potent area. This is also a sensitive field for foreign information and cultural penetration. Doordarshan and Akashvani should be part of the public institutional organisation of culture and systematically sensitive to public opinion expressed through recognised channels. Once again a deliberate spread of decentralised endeavours in electronic culture will push Doordarshan and Akashvani towards more accountability and democracy. A system of community radio and TV, with responsibilities delegated to grassroot bodies, may mark the beginning of a different electronic culture.
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28. While considering the electronic media like the Television, Video, we should try and fit these devices wherby we could formulate programmes that include their advantages.
29. Television and Cinema should be used effectively whereby meaning, programmes could be screened/ televised in order to monitor the activities/growth of people. Educating the masses through the media should be given top priority. Films in their turn should be screened and effective censorsing be done so that the films do not portray excessive violence and obscenity.
BHARTIYA SANSKRITI PARISHAD 1. The role of proposed Parishad should be clearly defined.
2. The plan to set up a Parishad to preside over the public spending on culture, can hardly be described as a step towards decentralisation. How and by whom will the experts on the body be selected? How can they be prevented from functioning in the same high-handed and cliquish manner as the cultural czars and czarinas of old?
3. Cultural development is undoubtedly the central business of Government and the idea of Bhartiya Sanskriti Parishad is not going to work.
4. The paper also talks of merely catalytic, arm's length, non- interventionist role of the State with all grant giving responsibilities entrusted to the Parishad. We can not surely have both-a hands-off policy and a hands---on reality.
5. There is no indication about the proposed funds of the Parishad. It might be necessary to give an idea in the proposed policy paper about the sources of funds of this body in order to make it a really catalytic agent for bringing about the realisation of the policy objectives.
6. The approach paper talks of only "Arm's length" intervention, with the Government acting as a catalysing force, may be belied if a body like the proposed Bhartiya Sanskriti Parishad is armed with vast powers. It can become the instrument of Government's cultural domination. To prevent this, it is essential to have as many autonomous centres of cultural activity as possible, and to preserve scrupulously the autonomy of the existing academies, particularly the Sahitya Akademi which has done excellent work over the past several years. The proposal to set up the Parishad should therefore be seriously reconsidered.
7. The Bhartiya Sanskriti Parishad should not be set up as it will definitely effect the autonomy of the Academies, Museums & other Bodies who will become answerable to such a body which could have un- foreseen implications.
8. It would be fruitful for the Bhartiya Sanskriti Parishad to have its activities in six or eight regions whereby genuine works and funding requirements can be monitored.
9. The name proposed to the Council itself makes a non-Hindi speaking person feel alienated as the name sounds to represent a sect of Indians. The Council should be named as `Indian Council for Culture' which shall be the fountain head of all Cultural institutions including the three national academies, the archaeological survey, national museum, etc. which would then be the real apex body in its true sense.
10. The Council shall not consist of experts from various fields as the decision making would be a problem. The respective artistic personalities representing the council would be responsible for all the decisions relating to their subjects. Such decisions would be subjected to public opinion.
11. The Council should have various cells to perform various functions of organisations like SPICMACAY, ICCR, Akademies. In nut shell, the Council shall be the one and only apex body with various organisations functioning as the various cells of the Council. The Council shall choose artists for various Zonal Cultural Centres on rotation. Artistes shall be given money directly rather than by "Zonal Bosses" manning the financial affairs. The creation of the Council be in the Concurrent list of Constitution of India. The modus operandi of the Council needs elaboration that is not found in the approach paper.
12. There is already a Parishad in Delhi working for the last 20 years in the name of `Bhartiya Sanskriti Parishad' (Registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 at 7, Jantar Mantar Road, New Delhi-1). Setting up a statutory body of identical name is violation of law and is not fair. Name of the body, intended to be set up, may be changed.
13. For preservation and documentation of tribal and minority culture, a wing within Bhartiya Sanskriti
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Parishad should be created and certain proportion of total resources should be ear-marked for these groups.
14. The concept of Bhartiya Sanskriti Parishad-the statutory body--should function like an Akademi. It should be autonomous and have State-wise branches whose Members will be representatives of all aspects of culture.
15. The Parishad may be patterned after the `British Arts Council' in Britain. It should be an Apex institution overseeing the functioning of the three Akademies, NSD and all the Regional Cultural bodies instituted by the State or Centre. The president of the State Academies should be nominated by the Bhartiya Sanskriti Parishad to have an effective control over the functioning of these Academies in order to avoid political interference.
16. The suggestion on setting up of Bhartiya Sanskriti Parishad has been made so that the State does not intervene directly in the promotion of culture. Since the Parishad will. administer through funds provided by the State, it is unlikely to serve any purpose other than that of a conduit for State aid to culture. Such an institution Will, in all likelihood, limit the role of the Akademies. It would be more useful to revamp and rejuvenate the Central and State Akademies than create a new Czardom of Culture.
17. There are apprehensions and uneasiness moment the Government feels obliged to set up a statutory body which will bring a vast areas under its purview and try to evolve a well thought out system of valuation of works of the various grant receiving intitutions and also to devise strategies to promote the development of the various forms of creative expression. There are dangers entailed in the vary nature of the Council.
18. Each institution should be assured of freedom and autonomy and all apprehensions of remote control by the Government should be removed. If the Government wants to identify a particular area to extend its patronage to it, the best procedure would be to be guided by the recognised experts in that area instead of having a supreme council consisting of a fixed number of people deliberating on every issue that council feels to undertake.
19. The Policy Document while on one hand preaches the avoidance of direct State intervention in culture, on the other it intends to set up a Parishad which can pull off the plug of life-supporting grant for any institution with which it does not see eye to eye.
20. The Ministry intends to capture the power of distributing State largesse through the proposed Apex Council which will threaten the autonomy of not only Central but also State organisations receiving grants.
21. It is critical to workout a satisfactory relationship between the Centre and the States for implementation of policies. In a pluralistic society and a federal constitution where many subjects covered under Culture are for legislation purposes either State or concurrent, one can feel that the National Cultural Council will have a role only of formulating Policy programmes and monitoring them besides dispensing funds. The activities to be undertaken by the Central and State agencies as also the voluntary agencies have therefore to be clearly spelt for meaningful realization of the objectives. Equally important is to ensure that the system of dispensation of funds and he controlling mechanism should not in any way affect the functional autonomy of the institution. The role of the Council should be to enhance the quality of professional output.
22. The proposed Parishad must have eminent practicing photographers in its supreme decision making bodies, as inputs provided by the photographers will be invaluable in giving it a modern and dynamic thrust.
23. The Bhartiya Sanskriti Parishad should have its zonal sub-centres for coordinating activities at the grassroot level suggested in the Plan of Action.
24. All institutions, whether Central, State or Autonomous should be funded by the proposed Parishad.
25. The proposed Parishad should include all major cultural trends and forms of India. The ever neglected hill and mountain culture should get adequate representation in the Parishad so that traditional cultural heritage of these regions could be preserved and promoted.
26. The putative high body "Bhartiya Sanskriti Parishad" raises some doubts. In the present conditions it
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is difficult to sustain such a body unless its structure is made fool proof by its human excellence like that of French Academi. Very stringent test such as the individual Member's record of absolute independence in his own language group or sphere of activity; membership by unanimous vote and; no nomination by State/Central Politicians would have to be framed and scrupulously applied.
27. While giving autonomy to All-India Council of Culture, care must be taken to put competent Administrators, Thinkers and Educationists in that body to reduce the chances of conflict and jealousy among different groups and Gharanas.
28. Right persons should be selected to head this body and given enough funds.
29. The BSP can have a General Council of about 85 to 100 persons from all over India and can meet twice a year. Each of the ZCCs can nominate 15 persons and there can be 15 ex-officio members and the President of India can nominate 10 most eminent persons. The BSP will be the apex policy making body with inter-disciplinary coordination, governing Education, Archaeology, Doordarshan, AIR, the National Academies, the ZCCs, ICCR, Indira Gandhi Centre, Museums, Libraries, UGC etc.
30. The Cultural Parishad may be designated as Indian Academy of Classical Science, Arts and Culture (IACSDC).
31. Under the proposed Academy, we may establish Directorates of Education in classical science, Arts and Culture in all our States, financed right from this national source with freedom for the State Governments to develop appropriate to their context. Necessary guidelines may be offered by the National Academy for follow-ups so as to maintain the Pan Indian character of our culture.
32. The National Academy should accord a due place on the programme for the research and development of Vastu Shilpa Traditions as it has been the scientific and technological tradition of Indian origin from the very remote past. Their contribution to the Culture and Civilization of India as also outside her frontiers is substantial. The mystery surrounding this technological tradition should be removed and its legitimate status restored.