: A team of music teachers and parents staged a protest at the venue of the tabla competition (High School segment) at the CSI Parish hall here on Sunday alleging that the panel of judges lacked the required qualification and professional experience.
Tension in the air
Tension prevailed at the venue for some time as the protestors engaged in a verbal duel with the officials and threatened to boycott the festival with their students. They also complained that the selection of judges was made in a very casual manner, and no consideration was given to senior instrumental musicians. Police officials led by Deputy Superintendent of Police T.C. Venugopal rushed to the spot as the protestors were about to barge into the competition hall and interrupt the programme.
They complained to the police that “the list of judges was prepared without checking their previous history of judgements and the public protests against it. The police asked them to file a written petition to the Education Department. “We will take up the issue seriously after the festival. It should not happen again,” said a music teacher who was in the forefront of the agitation. Sudheer Kadalundi, a Guinness world record holder in tabla performance, too was present at the spot alleging that the panel of judges was finalised giving room for malpractice.
Officials who were present at the spot claimed that the judges were enrolled as per the terms and conditions prescribed by the Education Department. “The protesters can certainly approach the higher authorities for an enquiry,” they said.
