KA issue politicised by some artistes, says Gaude

Panaji: A day after Konkani dramatist Rajdeep Naik publicly raised issues with the infrastructure at Kala Academy, art and culture minister Govind Gaude said on Wednesday that the matter is being politicised.

“He is a well-known artiste, but I am starting to think that he could also be a politically-motivated artiste,” said the minister.

TOI reported on Wednesday that Naik highlighted a litany of grievances at the academy, ranging from inadequate sound systems to subpar lighting and malfunctioning facilities, and warned of potential street protests by disgruntled artists.

Gaude said that Naik should have communicated the same by speaking to Kala Academy’s member secretary or technical team. “Whenever tiatrists have raised any issue, I have assured them on the spot that their requirements would be fulfilled,” he added.

On the quality of sound, Gaude said that a world-renowned speaker brand has been installed, and that this was tested in the presence of various artistes. While he vouched for the quality of the product, he also said that requests have poured in for rented systems.

“Recently, a Goan classical singer who held a programme there insisted that sound systems be rented from a vendor. I allowed it, and subsequently, others who preferred to hire their own sound system were permitted to do so,” said the minister.

Gaude, however, maintained that he would not change the system based on Naik’s criticism.

On Tuesday, Gaude conducted a meeting with PWD officials to discuss the status of the work at Kala Academy. “The leakage caused due to the recent pre-monsoon rainfall was addressed,” he said.