Sangita Kalanidhi for TM Krishna kicks up dust in Carnatic fraternity, artistes react

Carnatic musicians, who recently opposed the move of The Music Academy, Madras conferring musician Thodu Madabusi, better known as TM Krishna, with the Sangita Kalanidhi, have doubled down on their reasons for the same.

On March 18, TM Krishna was announced to be the 2024 recipent of the coveted Sangita Kalanidhi. Following this, several musicians in the fraternity decided to withdraw from the Music Academy's upcoming conference for 2024, or return their awards, from the Academy’s annual music season that takes place in December. So far, vocalist duo Ranjani-Gayatri, Harikatha exponent Dushyanth Sridhar, Vishakha Hari, Trichur Brothers Srikrishna Mohan and Ramkumar Mohan, and the 2017 Sangita Kalanidhi recipient Chitravina Ravikiran, have spoken up against the decision.

Ranjani-Gayatri spearheaded the protest with a joint letter addressed to The Music Academy, Madras. Taking to X to announce their decision, the duo shared, “He (TM Krishna) has vilified the Carnatic music fraternity that has collectively contributed millions of hours of artistry, hard work and literature (sic).”

To the sister-duo's decision, the Music Academy's president, N Murali, responded in a letter in which he stated he was “shocked by both its vituperative content, which is replete with unwarranted and slanderous assertions and insinuations verging on defamation, and its vicious tone against a respected senior fellow musician.”

Elaborating on their concerns against the academy’s decision to award the title to Krishna, the duo shares, “It’d be against our values and beliefs to present our music in a conference presided over by someone who is a powerful torchbearer of opposing views and glorifier of cultural enemies. We cannot endorse honouring a person who glorifies EVR (social activist Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy, or Periyar). EVR called for killing Brahmins consistently for decades, used vile profanities for Brahmin women and normalised filthy language in public discourse. Strange that this EVR is packaged and sold as an anti-caste, women-empowering figure with a sole political intent of attacking Brahmins. We can’t be a party to that.”

When asked about how they would respond to the criticism they’re receiving regarding their decision, they say, “Our withdrawal is simply our choice. Our opinions on TM Krishna are based on his actions over a long period and our stand on Periyar is based on truth and not on the politically packaged Periyar. For those who have a different view, our response is to ‘agree to disagree’. I am all willing to hear you out and open to change based on facts and rationale. There is another set of agenda-driven opposers. They are angry. They think, ‘You small powerless artist, dare you have an opinion and express it?’ We should respond differently to them.”

Ravikiran, a Carnatic musician who was awarded the Sangita Kalanidhi in 2017, has decided to return his award. Speaking to us about what drove him to take this step, he says, “This is not personal, it is ideological. The Music Academy is a private institution that holds a high profile in the world of Carnatic music, and we can’t tell them who to give their awards to. But they represent the music community globally and this move can mislead the younger generation that this is what they need to do to get the highest accolade. The bottom line for me is that there should be harmony and peace and if someone is doing something detrimental to that, then I believe it is unhealthy to society and it is an abuse of one’s popularity. We need to keep a check on who we are herofying and what their talk to action ratio is.”

Reacting to the backlash against the academy’s move, singer Chinmayi Sripaada responded to musicians withdrawing from the academy, writing on X: “I have not seen such an impassioned thread when scores of Carnatic Music students spoke about sexual abuse and harassment by multiple Carnatic Musicians in 2018.” Talking to us about the situation, the Odiyamma singer says, “I am in absolute shock with all this noise about returning awards and withdrawing from The Music Academy for a non-molester and non-abuser, receiving the Sangita Kalanidhi. None of these people actually cared when they were in the events during the Me Too movement when the molesters were outed. They didn't care.”

In 2018, during the #MeToo movement, several gurus and esteemed Carnatic musicians were accused and outed for sexual misconduct. The list of names also included musician Chitravina Ravikiran. However, no allegations have been confirmed so far.

Ask her about the anti-Brahmin accusation against musician TM Krishna that has come about following the incident and she says, “I have no clue what they even mean by ‘anti-Brahmin’. The Carnatic music community will never be inclusive, not with the flagbearers being who they are.”

Others that stepped up to share their support for the Music Academy's decision in honouring TM Krishna with the award include DMK leader Kanimozhi who took to X to share, “The hate he (TM Krishna) is receiving for his social beliefs or his engagement with Periyar is uncalled for. A basic reading of Periyar's ideas shows us that he is one of the greatest feminists the world has seen. He never called for a genocide.” Actor Swara Bhasker also posted on X following Krishna receving the award, saying, “Congratulations legend.”

TM Krishna was unavailable for a comment on the situation, as conveyed by his manager.