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[Note from the Hindu Vivek Kendra: It is certain that the so-called intellectuals will not object to have a person like Shri Mirdha to head such a national level body. For them it would go against the practice of secularism in India. All that they are interested in is that anyone who was appointed by the previous NDA government should be shown the door. It does not matter to them whether the person is capable or not.]
The government on Tuesday conceded the demand of Mr Harkishen Singh Surjeet for the removal of the renowned danseuse Sonal Mansingh as the chairperson of Sangeet Natak Akademi. But in the process it has hoisted on the Akademi a retired Congressman, Ram Niwas Mirdha, whose links with ‘natya sastra’ is, at best, a state secret as its new head.
The government seems to have followed the same old modus operandi to get the Left to raise the public demand for the removal of the NDA appointees and then get the Congressmen in.
Mr Mirdha is an ageing Jat Congress leader from Rajasthan who handled various ministries during the days of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. He was also chairman of Joint Parliamentary Committee appointed in the 1990s to go into the securities scam. He was chairman of the central election authority of the Congress till few months back.
For the last couple of month Ms Mansingh has been facing a campaign against her from the Left-inspired members of the Academy who had charged her with ‘autocratic and undemocratic’ style of functioning.
Several artists had resigned from
the Akademi in the last few months and had complained to the government
over the state of affairs in the Akademi.
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