KOCHI: “My birth is my fatal accident. I was desperate to start a life... I’m not sad. I’m just empty. Unconcerned about myself. That’s pathetic. And that’s why I am doing this — Rohith Vemula, the Dalit PhD student at Hyderabad Central University, before ending his life. “I’m unable to stand this torture. I’m putting an end to my travails. Let there be an art world devoid of caste discrimination. The chairperson and secretary of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi (KSNA) are responsible for my plight — RLV Ramakrishnan, a dedicated Mohiniyattom exponent and brother of the late actor Kalabhavan Mani before attempting suicide on Saturday.
Ramakrishnan has just returned home from hospital after escaping the clutches of death. But the mental agony that forced him to take the extreme step refuses to die down. Kerala boasts of being a reformed society, but Ramakrishnan’s travails expose the ugly underbelly of caste discrimination prevailing in the state.
“Being the brother of Kalabhavan Mani was an honour and the identity helped me in building my career. Despite that, my Dalit identity has been posing hurdles in pursuing my dreams. I’m passionate about Mohiniyattam and have been performing for three decades,” said Ramakrishnan.
‘What I faced was gender and caste discrimination’
“In spite of being a PhD holder, KSNA refused me a stage. At Kalamandalam, I was asked to leave the auditorium many times,” Ramakrishnan told TNIE. “There is no transparency in the selection of artists for programmes organised by KSNA. I’ve applied for a chance to perform at the Akademi many times, but they always denied me opportunity. Secretary Radhakrishnan Nair even stopped me from entering the office of chairperson KPAC Lalitha,” he said.
Ramakrishnan had met Lalitha at her office in Thrissur recently, seeking an opportunity to perform at ‘Sarga Bhoomika,’ an online event. But she allegedly dismissed him saying Mohiniyattam is a dance form of women and if a male artist performs, it’ll invite criticism. “She said people will allege favouritism if I’m given an opportunity which pained me,” Ramakrishnan said.
However, the denial of opportunity triggered a row and Leftist organisations like Progressive Arts and Literary Organisation, an association for arts and letters, came to Ramakrishnan’s support. Two days later, the Akademi issued a statement denying allegations and charging Ramakrishnan of spreading lies and attempting to defame the government. Unable to stand the humiliation, he consumed sleeping pills attempting to end life. Ramakrishnan had his PhD research paper on ‘The contributions of men in dance’ (Aattathile Aanvazhikal).
“What I faced was gender and caste discrimination. They say only women can perform Mohiniyattam, but men have been teaching the dance at Kalamandalam from the beginning. It was Guru Krishna Panikker Asan who revived the art form. Poet Vallathol played a crucial role in reforming and making the dance enchanting. He wanted it to be known as Kairali Nritham. While other dance forms across the country underwent changes, the feudal mentality of Keralites posed hurdles and denied opportunity for men to perform Mohiniyattam,” said Ramakrishnan.
“The concept that women should perform lasya or feminine grace and men should perform thandava or the dance of masculine energy is wrong. An artist should be able to perform both these emotions according to the situation. I’ve been trying to perform masculine characters all these years by bringing some changes, especially in costumes, he said.While expressing disgust at the Akademi’s attitude, he said renowned artists Methil Devika and Neena Prasad have encouraged him and provided him with a platform at the Nishagandhi Dance Festival.