Folk artistes and professional stage actors who had recently revived their careers after enrolling as volunteer teachers in the Illam Thedi Kalvi (ITK - Education at the Doorstep) scheme of the Tamil Nadu government’s School Education Department, are staring at another dry spell in the wake of the pandemic-induced lockdown and restrictions on public gatherings.
Designed to bridge the knowledge gaps created by irregular classes since the first lockdown, ITK offers two hours of evening lessons for children Grades 1 to 8 of government schools, using folk and drama performers as part of the volunteer teaching team.
Pilot projects of ITK were launched in October last year in Cuddalore, Dindigul, Erode, Kancheepuram, Kanyakumari, Krishnagiri, Madurai, Nagapattinam, Nilgiris, Thanjavur, Tiruchi and Villupuram districts.
In Tiruchi district, the six-month scheme was expected to benefit over three lakh children studying in 1,269 government and 363 government-aided schools.
However last week’s closure of physical classes for school students of Grades 1 to 9, and of colleges until January 20, in view of the rising number of COVID-19 and Omircon variant cases, has caused uncertainty among the volunteer teachers, especially those from the performing arts.
M. Thangavel, 55, coordinator of the eight ITK groups in Tiruchi district, said, “Fresh restrictions or lockdown will impact many people, especially artistes, all over again as public celebration of festivals and gatherings will be banned. We have already suffered untold misery in the past year and a half. I have spent 32 years in the service of the arts, and have turned down steady jobs in order to follow my passion. But I do not know how long artistes like me can sustain themselves without professional work.”
“I have been a drama artiste for over four decades, and life has been tough since the first lockdown was declared in March, 2020. Volunteering for ITK was my first big break after a long period of unemployment. I have participated in at least 45 programmes since the initiative was launched, but now don’t know if this opportunity will come again once the schools close down,” Suganthi, 62, told The Hindu . “I am not qualified to work in any other field, so staying jobless at home will be a painful decision,” she added.
Life is a little easier for artistes who have developed alternative careers. S. Shanthishree, 46, a classical dancer and Valli Thirumanam exponent, said that she had joined the ITK scheme in a bid to give something back to society. “Lockdown will definitely hit people who rely purely on the entertainment business for their livelihood. I have been able to survive the slowdown thanks to the Bharatanatyam classes that I run from home, plus my tailoring skills. But ITK has given me a fresh perspective on learning and teaching. It would be a tragedy if it is stopped abruptly,” she said.
