Controversies over judgement that had clouded the second day of the District School Arts Festival marred various events on Friday, the third day, too.
The declaration of results of Keralanadanam (HSS Girls) led to strong protests from the guardians of a participant. They alleged that the result had been fixed by one of the judges. They demanded that the result be cancelled and the competition held again so that their ward got her due. “She reached here from the sub-district level after appeal. There is a bid to sabotage her chances. She won second A grade in the State-level contest last year.” The police arrived on the scene to calm frayed tempers, and urged the guardians to complain with the officials concerned.
Other parents too alleged flawed judgement and called for action.
Another parent alleged that the CD stopped working during her daughter’s performance. They said they had checked the CD and it was working fineThe contestant was allowed time to make up for the “technical” issue. The parent said allegations of rigged judgements had been raised in events such as Bharatanatyam HSS and Keralanadanam HS the day before. “The same judges are present here today too.”
The contestant, who had reached the State level in the past two years, was given low scores so that even an appeal could not be filed, the parent said.
Other parents alleged that one of the judges nodded off during performances, and used mobile phone in between.
In the folk dance HS boys’ event, a contestant escaped falling down a number of times when the carpet on the stage bunched up.
The carpet was removed for later performances.
The shifting of venues five and seven too caused confusion. The events got off to a slow start in the morning itself, and in some venues, the delay extended to hours. The number of participants who performed on the strength of appeals did not help matters.
By evening, over 250 appeals had been received in the programme committee office, over a 100 from Thiruvananthapuram DEO itself. This did not include appeals allowed by the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the Lok Ayukta, an organiser said.
The valedictory of the arts festival will be held at 4.30 p.m. on Saturday.
Results
HSS
Tabla: Vishnu R.J., Government V&HSS, Vattiyurkavu
Vattapattu (Boys): Godson D. Robin, St. John’s HSS, Nalanchira
Chakyarkoothu (Boys): Ananthakrishnan A.R., St. Mary’s HSS, Pattom
Mookabhinayam: Bharath Chinchu, St. John’s HSS, Nalanchira
HS
Nangiarkoothu: Madhurima M., Nirmala Bhavan Girls HSS
Keralanadanam (Girls): Yashika S. Kumar, Govt. ernment HSS for Girls, Attingal
Patriotic song: Anagha Krishnan G., Cotton Hill
Vattapattu (Boys): Mohammed Anzar M., KTCT EM HSS, Kaduvayil
