Kolkata: Artists in Bengal erupted in anger at a protest meeting held in Kolkata on Thursday, condemning the Centre’s abrupt suspension and cancellation of a large number of Performing Artists Grants without assigning any reason. They described the move as a deliberate attempt to silence artists and weaken independent cultural voices.Those who addressed the media on Thursday accused the Central govt of using policy and funding cuts to control dissenting expression and undermine the survival of the arts. According to the minutes of the meeting of Evaluation Committee under Guru-Shishya Parampara (Repertory Grant) for Grant Years 2024-25 and 2025-26, a two-year cooling-off period will apply to organisations that have received assistance under the scheme for five years, except those associated with Padma awardees or engaged in preserving folk, traditional and rare art forms.Such organisations, though recommended, will not receive assistance for 2024-25 and 2025-26 and may apply again under renewal/renewal plus enhancement for 2026-27. For fresh applicants, financial assistance will be admissible only from March 2026, subject to approval of the minutes by the minister of culture. Since 2024-25 already ended, organisations selected under the fresh category for 2024-25 and 2025-26 will be treated as recommended only for 2025-26, and only one month’s financial assistance will be released, subject to mandatory requirements and scheme guidelines. Thereafter, they may apply under renewal/renewal plus enhancement for 2026-27. Organisations not recommended may apply under the fresh category from 2026-27 onwards.For Grant Year 2024-25, the evaluation committee approved only 16 fresh applications from Bengal and rejected 124, while among renewal applications, 95 were approved and 143 were rejected. Additionally, 99 applications fall under the cooling-off period. For Grant Year 2025-26, only seven fresh applications were approved and 49 were rejected, while among renewal applications, 91 were approved and 135 were rejected. Additionally, 97 applications fall under the cooling-off period.Grant rejection is not new. Veteran theatre practitioner Meghnad Bhattacharya told TOI that he has faced rejection since 2022-23. “Those whom they can’t reject right away have been put in the list of cooling-off period. That includes Sangeet Natak Akademi awardees. They can apply for renewal. Those who were rejected earlier applied again. But they have all been rejected. Those who organised theatre festivals, including us, Nandikar, Purba Paschim and Mukhomukhi, were not given festival grants. These people think giving money to writers and artists is a waste of funds. They feel artists do not have any role in society. This is a big blow to the earnings of whole-time art practitioners. Only a few like Bohurupee have not been touched. Rest every group has been targeted,” Bhattacharya said.Theatre practitioner Soumitra Mitr told TOI this was a case of “being formally invited to insult.” “Ashit Basu, Poulami Chatterjee, Bimal Chakraborty, Sima Mukhopadhayay, Rakesh Ghosh, Sekhar Sammaddar, Bilu Dutta and I have spoken out against this decision. Artists are not beggars. We applied after seeing the advertisements. I have been put on the cooling-off list for two years. Even dancers Tanushree Shankar, Priti Patel and Sutapa Talukdar have been put on that list. We respectfully urge the ministry of culture and the authority concerned to clarify the present status of grants and funding cycles, reconsider the cases of affected repertory groups and artists and provide interim relief or alternative support mechanisms,” Mitra said.“Initially, people couldn’t understand the strategy behind replacing the words salary grant with Guru-Shishya Parampara. That was part of a strategy so that no rejected applicant can question why the salary is being stopped. We are amazed by this innovative concept of ‘cooling-off’ period. Who drafts all these new ways of depriving artists? Earlier Sangeet Natak Akademi winners were not touched. This year, they too have not been spared. This isn’t like a pause of grants but just a shrewd way of eliminating us phase-wise,” said Bilu Dutta of Shyambazar Mukhomukhi.Bhattacharya said there is a strategy behind who goes in the rejection and the cooling-off lists. “There is a divide-and-rule policy at work. Not all 300 applications are being outright rejected to avoid trouble. The carrot has been kept hanging in front of those in the cooling-off list. But most in that list understand that they too will be rejected after two years. It is just a matter of time. This is happening to all artists across India.”
