Karnataka has neglected its daughter Kamaladevi, Sonal Mansingh says

BANGALORE: Has the Karnataka government neglected Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay — social reformer, freedom fighter and the renaissance woman of handicraft, handlooms and theatre in independent India — Yes, says dance icon of India Sonal Mansingh.
In an interaction during the recent The Times of India International Folk Festival, Sonal said Karnataka hasn't recognized Kamaladevi despite her contributions to various fields."Kamaladevi is the mother of the Indian renaissance of dance, music, handicraft, etc. In fact, she rejected an offer to join Jawaharlal Nehru's cabinet, saying 'I will not be under any political system'. Many places are named after Nehru and Indira Gandhi as if nobody else exists. Kamaladevi is the greatest Indian and it is sad that she hasn't been recognized at all," she said.
Referring to the presence of both National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) and Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts in Bangalore, Sonal said, "Why do you want to duplicate or triplicate art centres? They can be brought under an umbrella and named the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay Culture Centre."
Born in Mangalore in 1903, Kamaladevi was the fourth and youngest daughter of Ananthaya Dhareshwar, then district collector of Mangalore, and Girijabai. In 1964, she started the Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography. She was instrumental in setting up the All-India Handicrafts Board and was its first chairperson. She died in 1988.
State's culture hasn't got its due
Karnataka's culture hasn't got its due despite having its own identity, Sonal said. "You have traditions in veena and yakshagana, and people like Veena Doreswamy Iyengar and the great K Venkatalakshamma. Where are their names?"
"Kannadigas are known to be very cultured and civilized, and not aggressive. But their culture has failed to get recognition," she rued.
What happened to documentary?
Sonal, who performed her arangetram (debut performance) at Raj Bhavan in Bangalore in 1961, wanted to know the fate of a black-and-white documentary on her that was shot in Halebid and Badami. "When S Nijalingappa was the chief minister, a government department shot a documentary on me in Halebid and Badami. I don't know what happened to it. I have some black-and-white photographs taken during the shoot which show what costumes I wore at that time," she said.