THRISSUR: On the sidelines of the 64th Kerala School Arts Festival in Thrissur, TNIE caught up with General Education Minister V Sivankutty. In a candid talk, the minister shares his thoughts on the mega art festival in the land of the pooram.
How was the theme for the arts festival, ‘Responsible Kalolsavam’, arrived at?
We wanted to organise an art festival that could spread the message of the importance of being responsible. Responsibility towards not only fellow human beings but also the environment and nature. And I think that the festival has, to some extent, achieved this by instilling these values in children.
Is that the reason why the venues have been named after natural elements, like rivers, and this time, flowers?
Well, nature is the purest of all. So, if we are able to get the children to associate more with nature and its entities, we will be able to wean them away from the bad influences of the modern times. The aim is to instil the value of discipline and respect for others. We want to highlight that winning isn’t everything. The person who lost is not a loser. They might have lost that particular event but they turn winners through their attitude.
Can you elaborate on the bad influences?
Bad influences like drugs, mobile addiction, and other things that technology has brought along with it. You might have heard of the case of a 12-year-old who jumped from the top floor of a building because he was not allowed to use his mobile. Such reactions and tendencies can be prevented to a great extent if we have our children engaging in creative activities like dance, music, drama, writing, and sports. The school and college arts festivals act as conduits to achieve this goal.
It has been noticed that over the past few years, be it the sports meet or the arts festival, the general education department has invited students to pen the theme songs. Why?
Why shouldn’t we? We are conducting an art festival for the students with the aim of giving them a stage to showcase their talents. We want them to hone their talents and not keep them suppressed. So, isn’t it apt that the students themselves be given an opportunity to come up with the lines for a festival that is theirs? The professionals don’t fit here.
Are there any plans to include more tribal dance forms in the coming fests?
No, we have already included six.