Speech by Hon'ble President of India, Shrimati Pratibha Devisingh Patil, at the Award Ceremony of Sangeet Natak Akademi for the Year 2008

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to be present here and to confer the Sangeet Natak Akademi Ratna Awards to Smt. Sitara Devi, Shri Khaled Choudhury, Shri R.C. Mehta and Shri Bhupen Hazarika, all eminent personalities who have set high standards of excellence in their respective fields. Through their dedicated work, the art chapter of our country has been enriched. I would also like to congratulate the Akademi award winners and applaud their work in music, dance and theatre.

These awards while undoubtedly recognizing individual excellence also serve to remind us of the richness, variety and profundity of our cultural heritage which is the product of a civilization that has existed over millennia. From the beginning, music invoked the divine and hence has been associated with spiritual quest. As history unfolded, performing arts increasingly found a place in our festivals, social occasions, ceremonies and rituals. The sounds, beats and rhythms of dance and music began to portray the joys and sorrows of life. Melodies and tunes became the expressions of the ecstasy of fulfillment or the agony of losing the loved one. They also reflected sociological developments and over a period of time, became a rich collection of musical and dance compositions. Such a varied and such a vast cultural heritage is a fortune. We, as the inheritors of this very exceptional and distinct cultural legacy, have a duty to preserve it.

The Sangeet Natak Akademi, as the apex body of performing arts in the country, has the responsibility of playing a lead role in this. I would like to congratulate the Akademi for its work over the last more than fifty years in encouraging performing arts and in preserving some of the art forms and traditions, including by building archival material through documenting and recording performances. Such a valuable archive can be excellent reference material for practitioners, art scholars and art lovers here and around the world. The Akademi must consider exploring options like setting up a digital library to provide people easy access to this wealth of material. This would encourage scholars to undertake studies on Indian culture. The Akademi should also establish linkages with other similar Academies to promote exchange of ideas and enrichment of techniques for the revival and preservation of folk music, dance and drama.

In today's world of multiple choices and options, the challenge is to ensure space for traditional arts, music and dance. The Sangeet Natak Akademi can create interest in the performing arts by finding imaginative and attractive ways of hosting performing arts events across the country. The Akademi could interact with the seven zonal cultural centers in the country in this regard. The visibility of the performing arts must also be increased. Different media like the internet and multi-media systems can be used, in addition to innovatively using the electronic media for promoting the performing arts.

It is the Akademi's mandate to focus the attention of the people on our cultural heritage and create an appropriate climate for artistic appreciation. Art cannot exist in isolation. People must become admirers and patrons of arts. As Gandhiji said and I quote, "a nation's culture resides in the art and the soul of its people". Unquote. As long as the people of India are bonded with the culture and values of the Indian ethos, they will always have the motivation and commitment to keep it alive. However, it must be remembered that culture is a living tradition and if art in this country has to flourish, the gap between the taste of the people and its portrayal must be bridged, which is not difficult given that our arts have been dynamic and creative, as well as innovative and willing to experiment. Therefore, in the 21st century dance, music and drama must demonstrate the same vibrancy and resilience, even while retaining its civilisational essence.

In India every generation has not only made a contribution to the performing arts but has also ensured that our traditions are passed on to the next generation. This is a very important aspect of keeping art forms alive. We should give the youth of our country the opportunities and facilities to learn performing arts. In our current education system much priority is not given to art and art appreciation. A change in this approach is necessary and would require efforts on behalf of practitioners to make teaching interesting and on behalf of the education system to accord priority to performing arts. Nowadays exchange of culture and arts is becoming an important part of foreign policy. Schools, colleges and universities can consider incorporating courses of Indian performing arts in their curricula. There could be scholarships for young artists, who have talent, but do not have adequate financial resources.

I would like to emphasize that the traditional masters of these arts must be helped and sustained. I call on the Akademi to identify these masters, who today live in meager conditions and extend them support. They are the repositories of the Guru-Shishya parampara, oral traditions and the various gharanas - all unique to India and whose perpetuation is essential for keeping alive various aspects of the cultural legacy of our nation.

Dance, music and drama even have a social responsibility. They can be powerful channels for creating awareness about social issues and portraying the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence. Art with its harmonizing influence and inspirational influence, can be an instrument of bringing harmony in society and strengthening national unity. All artists can contribute to the national integration process and to national progress as well as to eradicate social evils by creating awareness amongst the people through dance, drama, music and folk arts. They can thus become the harbingers of social change.

I once again congratulate the Akademi award winners and wish them great success. I am sure that all the artistes we have honoured today will be a source of inspiration to the younger generation. I also extend my best wishes to Shri Ram Niwas Mirdha and other members of the Sangeet Natak Akademi for their work in encouraging and promoting the performing arts.

I am grateful Shri Ram Niwas Mirdha and the Akademi for inviting me. This has provided me with an opportunity to meet all of you.

Thank You,  
JAI HIND