Editor’s Note: Cultural unemployment…

Cultural unemployment- Looking for oxygen

Cultural unemployment is one of the biggest threats to Indian art and culture.  At present, we are reading about Indian culture in the books and listening about it during a public talk by dignitaries from the podium. But in reality, on the ground, nobody is taking steps to protect and propagate it for future generations. When we observe, in the last few years, governments at both Central and State have been coming up with different policies to aid unemployed youth with some qualification. The question that many people have been seeking is why aren’t these governments thinking about unemployed Indian artistes similarly? Why aren’t they taking measures to support them and reduce unemployment? 

Many artists have been well versed in Indian folk, traditional and classical art forms both in music and dance. Most of their lives depend on their particular art form, the governments should provide minimum facilities and financial help to struggling artistes until they find proper employment. This would help them continue practicing these Indian arts. This way, the present generation can safeguard and present our rich cultural heritage to posterity. It would be an impossible task to rejuvenate an art form or a tradition when it dies. Certain art forms are already on the ventilator, and we must provide some oxygen to revive them.

Jai Hind!

BR Vikram Kumar