Provide opportunity, resources to artists whose livelihood hit by Covid: RSS body to govts

Claiming that various artists have been hit hard by the Covid pandemic and lockdowns, RSS-affiliate Sanskar Bharati has urged the Centre and states to provide proper opportunities and resources to help them recover financially.

In a resolution passed at its two-day meeting in Rajasthan last week, the Akhil Bharatiya Prabandhkarini of Sanskar Bharati has made a host of recommendations for the welfare of such artists which included filling up various posts lying vacant at various art institutes for long.

It has also urged the Central and the state governments to resume the process of awarding ''long-pending'' scholarships, fellowships, awards, honours and pensions to the artists.

The RSS body also pitched for resuming annual local festivals and other programmes, including fairs, in which folk artists participate and earn their livelihood.

''The artist fraternity was badly affected due to the pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns. Due to a ban on stage performances and other programmes, the artists are facing an existential crisis and loss of livelihood,'' the Akhil Bharatiya Prabandhkarini of Sanskar Bharati noted in its resolution.

Folk and theatre artistes, and village kirtan troupes are among those who are the ''worst affected'', it mentioned.

Even ''established'' artists could not escape the impact of the pandemic on their livelihood, the Akhil Bharatiya Prabandhkarini of Sanskar Bharati stated.

''The Prabandhkarini appeals to the Central government, state governments and art institutions to work on the suggestions made in the resolution giving them a priority and try to upgrade the art world,'' it mentioned.