Kalakshetra Foundation: College shut down amid stir against ‘sexual harassment’

Students staged a protest on Thursday at Kalakshetra Foundation, a pinnacle arts and cultural academy in Chennai, traumatic motion in opposition to 4 senior male college participants accused of sexual harassment. Amid the protests, the Foundation introduced last the Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts till April 6 and requested the scholars to vacate the campus. But refusing to budge till they get justice, the scholars persisted their protests till the time of writing. The protests come after their sadness with the reaction of Kalakshetra, which capabilities autonomously below the ministry of culture, to their lawsuits in opposition to a senior male dancer who’s set to carry out a dance drama on Friday. The senior male dancer has been accused of sexual harassment.

Kalakshetra had on March 19 stated that their Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) suo moto initiated an research and located no reality withinside the lawsuits. Based on this, the National Commission for Women (NCW) determined to shut the criticism aleven though the crucial frame had on March 22 tweeted that they’re informing Tamil Nadu DGP Sylendra Babu to report an FIR in opposition to the alleged offender and Kalakshetra`s director Revathi Ramachandran for allegedly protective him. The Chennai police started out an research on March 20.

On Thursday, 4 instructors have been accused of sexually harassing the scholars and their names have been found out at some stage in the protests. “We will stand in team spirit till the accused are rusticated from the organization,” stated a protesting scholar who shared their listing of demands. A institution of cotton saree-clad college students held placards with the slogan, “we need justice”, and raised the slogan in chorus. They additionally launched a poster on social media inquiring for children to face with the aid of using them to “placed an end” to the “sexual harassment and misconduct” at the campus which they stated has been occurring for long.

“Kalakshetra has been dismissive of our lawsuits while we publish a letter or communicate approximately it,” one of the protesting college students advised reporters. “They didn`t take it significantly and stored telling us that they might provide us an answer however until these days we’ve got now no longer obtained an answer. If we don`t unite, we realise, we are able to by no means get justice. There are 4 human beings we’ve got complained approximately sexually harassing us and every body is aware of who the ones 4 are. One of them who has been sexually harassing us is likewise appearing tomorrow. So, if this continues, there’s no protection for us and college students becoming a member of after us.”

The Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts (below Kalakshetra) will stay closed from March 30 (5.15 pm) to April 6, stated a round issued with the aid of using the fundamental Pakala Ramadas. “All inmates are asked to vacate the hostel inside days with instant effect,” the round read. “Exams scheduled on nowadays are postponed. New dates could be introduced in due course.”

Students stated that the organization changed into threatening them with this round as opposed to addressing the sexual harassment. By nighttime the metropolis police had additionally arrived at the campus. “Senior college students and police are withinside the director`s room for a discussion,” stated one of the protesters who did now no longer want to be identified. “They aren’t addressing the elephant withinside the room. The director is announcing that there’s no evidence, no written criticism so not anything may be done. Several emails of lawsuits despatched to the ICC are being amassed now.”

The lawsuits of sexual harassment got here into the general public area while Kalakshetra`s former director Leela Samson had in a Facebook publish remaining December written approximately how numerous college students have been persevering with to stand sexual harassment below a trainer who changed into abusing his function of power. While Samson did now no longer call the alleged offender, she had named survivors. She has considering that deleted the publish. CAREspaces (Conscientious Artistes Rallying for Ethical Spaces withinside the Indians Arts Community), a non-income organisation (NPO), primarily based totally out of the US, in December 2022 launched a announcement that they might help survivors and allies in Kalakshetra considering that many allegations of abuse of power, controlling possibilities for private gains, and actively neglecting lawsuits have surfaced.

Last week, a criticism changed into filed withinside the Adyar police station with the aid of using one of the girls from Kalakshetra in opposition to former director Samson for naming her in a Facebook publish announcing that she isn’t a victim. NCW`s chairperson Rekha Sharma reportedly went to the Kalakshetra campus on Wednesday concerning the lawsuits. On March 25, Kalakshetra launched any other announcement that they have got asked the NCW to don’t forget the motion already taken and welcome similarly enquiry if now no longer satisfied. “During the previous few months, a scurrilous marketing campaign is being performed thru social media posts casting aspirations at the functioning of Kalakshetra Foundation, and concentrated on a few participants of college and additionally malingering the organization`s credibility,” the Foundation stated on March 25.

Countering their reaction, Carnatic musician T M Krishna on March 27 wrote an open letter addressed to Kalakshetra`s chairman S Ramadorai. “The loss of sensitivity, the competitive tone, and the dismissiveness is unbecoming,” Krishna had stated in his letter. “I am additionally bowled over that during a few quarters that is being was an assault at the organization and sullied with political/spiritual insinuations.” Krishna advised the Kalakshetra chairman to do so to address “those very critical lawsuits.”