Kalakshetra incident: art institutes need open, equal culture
A legendary institution in Chennai has been roiled with agitations and allegations of sexual misconduct, moral policing, colourism and casteism. Murmurs of issues at the Kalakshetra Foundation, which runs the Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts, came to the fore late last year and exploded into student protests late in the night on the streets after the youngsters felt the administration was not paying their complaints any heed. The sexual misconduct allegations have focused on four individuals—a faculty member and three dancers. After matters came to a head, the institution suspended the faculty and terminated the contracts of the dancers.
The faculty has been arrested. The institution’s internal complaints committee (ICC) had initiated an inquiry into the faculty member’s conduct but had given him a clean chit. Many students told reporters they felt the process had been an eyewash. Meanwhile, the faculty member’s supporters have alleged that other faculty members instigated the complainants and protesters. Even as the police pursue the investigation, other problems at the institution have come to the limelight through accounts of students and alumni to reporters.
Classical arts in India are taught in a guru-sishya tradition that mandates veneration of and obedience to the teacher. This may amplify the already skewed power dynamic in favour of the teacher. Further, the teachers are influential artists in their own rights at the institution. With great power comes the great potential for abuse of that power. At Kalakshetra, this dynamic is also imbued with a quasi-familial colour (teachers are referred to as akkas or annas—elder siblings), which could contribute to the blurring of boundaries while further enmeshing students in obedience and compliance. While the institution’s supporters argue that this is the traditional way in which arts have been taught, the reality is that Kalakshetra is a Central government entity that must comply with the rules and regulations governing other institutions of learning.
The Madras High Court on Wednesday told the institution to frame an appropriate policy on harassment and reconstitute the ICC, including parents and teachers. The police probe, too, continues. The institution and its well-wishers must embrace this opportunity to examine its culture with fresh eyes and build one that is safe, open and egalitarian, keeping with the aspirations of its students.