TIRUNELVELI: Folk artists staged a protest in front of the office of the Department of Art and Culture here on Monday demanding the state government to form district-level committees to provide them with opportunities to stage their programmes.
The protest, which was presided over by Nayyandi Mela Sangam president Samuthiram, saw the participation of folk artists from Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi and Kanniyakumari districts.
"The state government should form district-level committees to offer opportunities for folk artists to stage their art forms such as Villupattu, Kaniyan Koothu, Nathaswaram, Nayyandi Melam and Tholpavai Koothu at government events. Steps must be taken to increase the honorarium paid by the government to folk artists, who teach arts for two hour-long sessions at Government Arts Colleges, from Rs 750 to Rs 3,000," demanded the protesters.
They further sought a simplified process for providing identity cards to folk artists. "Instead of obtaining a certificate from the village administrative officer (VAO), artists should be allowed to seek approval from their associations to get identity cards. Moreover, the state government should include folk arts in the syllabus of the arts courses offered at government colleges," they said, and urged the government to provide free patta land and pension for folk artists.
SP Muthulakshmi, president of Tirunelveli Villupattu Sangam, and Thottakudi Mariappan, secretary of Nayyandi Mela Sangam, were present at the event.