It is not just the school students who look forward to the State School Arts Festival every year. The three-tier festival is the major and sometimes the only means of income for hundreds of artistes in the State as well.
“We actively participated in relief operations during the floods. But with this decision, our families will be in a state of disaster. We would be the ones who would need rescue,” said Ajay Kallai, a mimicry artiste who has been training students in mimicry events for arts festivals for years.
For dance teachers, the income during the season, which spans from September to January, is all they earn a year. Most artistes make some quick buck during Onam. But with all celebrations cancelled, that door also is shut for them.
It is not just the artistes who teach dance, theatre, or mimicry who suffer, but light-and-sound technicians and people who set up stages and design dance costumes too. “Our dreams have been shattered,” Mr. Ajay said.
However, they say that even when the arts festivals have been cancelled, many other celebrations got the green signal.
“There is no restriction on the cricket match to be held on November 1. The bars, the Bevco outlets, are all open. The State is slowly coming back to normal. Only our livelihood is affected,” Mr. Ajay said. A group of artistes from all over the State have petitioned the Chief Minister, Ministers for Education, Culture, and Labour, and the Director of Public Instruction to reconsider the decision.
As for the expense incurred for organising the festival, they claim that the government earns double the amount through appeals every year.
