Dancer Neena Prasad has expressed angst in a social media post over an incident where her Mohiniyattam performance was stopped by police, after being allegedly directed by Palakkad district judge Kalam Pasha, on Saturday evening, March 19. She was performing at the auditorium of Government Moyan Lower Primary School in Palakkad when the alleged incident took place.
Neena’s performance was part of the cultural evening, which was organised by Sekharipuram Grandhasala for the Ithihasangale Thedi book release. The book is written by Sreechitran MJ, who has also conceptualised the concert. The Mohiniyattam concert was based on a special thematic presentation of ‘sakhyam’, choreographed by Neena herself. Mohiniyattam (literally interpreted as the dance of ‘Mohini’, the celestial enchantress of the Hindu mythology) is the classical solo dance form of Kerala. ‘Sakhyam’ is a theme that portrays the strains in the relations between Krishna and Arjuna.
According to reports, the district judge Kalam Pasha, who resides behind the school, ordered to stop Neena Prasad’s Mohiniyattam show at around 8.30 pm on Saturday night, stating that the concert was becoming a nuisance for him. The performance, which was planned to be held for an hour, was stopped midway, and the senior artiste and her team left the stage in tears.
Neena Prasad, on Sunday night, March 20, took to social media and posted about the incident stating that it was an extremely humiliating experience and this was the first instance of artistes, including herself, having to experience something like this. “My team comprises artists from several parts of Kerala. Professional artists like us rehearse to perfection for days and get ready for the event. When a district judge (Kalam Pasha, brother of retired judge Kamal Pasha) tells us that the event should be stopped immediately citing that the "noise is a disturbance", it can only be seen as an insult to the cultural artists who take up Kathakali and classical dance as a respectable, serious profession,” she said.
Stating that the artistes are slowly coming out of the crisis caused due to the pandemic, she also questioned if “artists should perform in the face of such unjust and inappropriate personal preferences? Or is it enough that even cultural activity can be conducted according to the personal interests, tastes and orders of judges and officials?”
Meanwhile, the president of Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangham Shaji N Karun, on Monday, put out a statement on their Facebook page, condemning the incident. Stating that “religious terrorist groups have come to power in many parts of the world and in India who are most intolerant of art and literature”, the post states that “this intolerance is the breeding ground of anti-democracy and has affected the minds of people”.
“Those at all levels of power have to keep one thing in mind: that the Indian constitution respects art, creativity and individual freedom,” he said. Police had said that they had no choice when asked by the judge to stop the show.
The All India Lawyers’ Union staged a protest in front of Palakkad district court condemning the interruption in Neena Prasad’s programme.