WELCOME ADDRESS – N.MURALI, PRESIDENT, THE MUSIC ACADEMY MADRAS – SADAS, JANUARY 1, 2010.
Shri P.Chidambaram, Honourable Union Home Minister, Sangita Kalanidhi awardee Vidvan Valayapatti Shri AR. Subramaniam, other awardees of this year, Sangita Kalanidhis, Vidvans and Vidushis, members of The Music Academy and other rasikas, ladies and gentlemen,
I have great pleasure in extending a very warm welcome to every one of you to this Sadas and in offering my best wishes for a happy and bright New Year.
It is our special honour and delight to have Shri P. Chidambaram, Hon’ble Union Home Minister preside over the Sadas this evening and confer the awards.
After a brilliant academic record both in Chennai and later in Harvard University where he did his M.B.A., Shri Chidambaram enrolled as a lawyer and made a distinct mark in his legal career. However, the world where he has made an even bigger mark is far removed from academics or law and it is the world of politics which, in fact, has been enriched by his presence.
Starting as a member of AICC in 1972, he became President of Youth Congress, Tamil Nadu between 1973-76, was elected first time to the Lok Sabha in 1984, became Joint Secretary, AICC in 1985; joined the Government as Union Deputy Minister, Commerce in September 1985 signalling a long, glorious and unfinished innings that has spanned very important portfolios; Was Union Minister of State, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions 1986-89 (Internal Security), Union Minister of State, Commerce (Independent charge) in 1991-92 and 1995-96; Union Cabinet Minister, Finance 1996-98 and Union Cabinet Minister, Finance, May 2004-November 2008; Became Union Home Minister just days after the horrendous 26/11 terrorist attack in Mumbai in 2008. He currently is the Union Cabinet Minister, Home Affairs. He is also in his 7th term as member, Lok Sabha.
Among his major accomplishments is the 1996-97 Union Budget which is still considered a dream budget and a watershed in India’s Economic Reforms history in recognition of which he was rated as Asia’s best Finance Minister by the London based financial magazine Euromoney. To Shri Chidambaram also goes the credit of doing away with several red-tape oriented regulations and boosting Indian exports as Union Commerce Minister.
He has already brought to bear a refreshing dynamism and a proactive, professional and systems based approach to the Home Ministry where he has been at the helm for just over a year. However, in this extremely important and critical portfolio he is called upon to address such challenges and issues as terrorism, naxal violence, regionalism and above all, the current Telengana turmoil. The minister with a sharp intellect has just articulated his broad vision for a new architecture for India’s security which would mark a thorough and radical departure from the present structure.
For Shri Chidambaram, however, it is not all work and politics. He is a trustee of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and Ilakhiya Chintanai (Literary association), Chennai. His special interest is modern literature in general and Tamil literature in particular. He is a voracious reader and is also interested in such sports as badminton, chess and tennis. He looks every inch an erudite scholar that he is. I thank Shri Chidambaram for taking time off from his punishing schedule to honour us by his presence today.
Like all good things, this remarkable festival spread over the last eighteen days comes to an end today. It has indeed provided a veritable feast of soulful music by various artistes. Particularly, heartwarming was the pristine vintage music of the veteran stalwarts. Mention has to be made here of two timeless musicians – Octogenerian Sangita Kalanidhi Shri Nedunuri Krishnamurti who incredibly gave his 55th concert at the Academy and Sangita Kalanidhi Shri R.K.Srikantan, who turns ninety in a few days and who gave an unforgettable concert. What marks out the two legends is their unfailing adherence to classicism and their sustainability of the highest quality of music over such a long period without any interruption.
Without exaggeration, it is one of the best seasons we have had for the sheer variety and quality of performances, for the overwhelming response from members and rasikas, for the enthusiastic audience turnout for concert after concert even spilling over on some days to the mini auditorium for LCD screening, for the sense of joy and satisfaction experienced by our enlightened audience, for the wonderful performance of all the artistes at the concerts and the musicologists and scholars at the morning academic sessions, for the generous support of our sponsors and advertisers and for the whole organizing team including the volunteers who worked selflessly and tirelessly.
Coming to today’s function, I offer my warmest felicitations and congratulations to this year’s recipient of the prestigious Sangita Kalanidhi award, the tavil maestro Vidvan Valayapatti Shri AR. Subramaniam about whom I spoke in detail on the inaugural day. I reiterate our pride and happiness at giving the Academy’s highest recognition for the first time in its history for a percussion instrument other than mridangam, in the shape of the Sangita Kalanidhi title to Shri Valayapatti AR.Subramaniam whose name has become synonymous with tavil. I must point out a remarkable coincidence in the participation of the Honourable Minister at this function. Our Sangita Kalanidhi awardee hails from the same district which forms part of the constituency of Shri Chidambaram. Of course, as elections are some years away, the model code of conduct cannot apply!
I must also express my appreciation for Shri Valayapatti’s qualities of simplicity and spontaneity while presiding over the morning academic sessions which were marked by depth, a wide variety of subjects discussed and highly interactive participation by members of the Experts’ Advisory Committee as well as the discerning audience. Shri Valayapatti’s virtuosity on the tavil was in ample evidence in his scintillating concert earlier this week.
I offer my warmest felicitations to the other major award winners – Sangita Kala Acharya awardees Veena Vidvan Trivandrum Shri R.Venkataraman and Dance Guru Smt. N.S.Jayalakshmi, recipients of “TTK Award” Trichy Shri R.Thayumanavan and Shri Akella Mallikarjuna Sharma and Shri B.M.Sundaram who is receiving our Musicologist Award which was instituted from last year. I also congratulate the artistes who would be receiving prizes for performances during the season.
As pointed out at the Inauguration, the ongoing infrastructure modernization and upgradation programme has created a vastly enhanced ambience resulting in heightened and more enjoyable listening experience and comfort. Our objective is to maintain the heritage value of this auditorium while at the same time contemporarising and upgrading the infrastructure and other facilities. I have earlier acknowledged individually the wonderful donors and all those enabling this phased programme. I must add here that it is indeed heartening that the stream of goodwill and spontaneous generosity flowing in the direction of this great institution like that of music itself, has not dried up or reduced one bit in its intensity, even in these times of global warming and climate change. As mentioned by me at the inauguration, a couple of days before the start of the season we received a very handsome donation from Smt. Mallika Srinivasan towards our modernization programme. Even when the season was in progress, we have received a significant donation from Mr. Narayan Anand representing Veda Corporate Advisors Pvt. Ltd., as initial contribution to the Academy’s Corpus Fund being set-up for the sake of helping indigent musicians.
In the context of the vastly changed security perception and environment, it will certainly be music to the ears of the Hon’ble Union Home Minister, when I say that the Academy has been the first and probably the only auditorium of its kind in this city to put in place security measures like having metal detectors at entry points and installing CCTV cameras.
I wish to point out that the emphasis on infrastructure improvements by no means reduces the importance being given to artistic and academic activities. In fact, we have re-doubled our efforts in this direction with the expert guidance of Dr. Pappu Venugopala Rao, one of our secretaries, himself a musicologist and scholar and with the help of other eminent experts. Plans are already under consideration for programmes through the year like in-depth academic workshops, lecture demonstrations and even music appreciation sessions.
The Academy’s role as the pre-eminent institution for preserving and strengthening our fine tradition of classical fine arts is expected to get even bigger and wider in the years to come for which we continue to seek the unstinted participation and support of members, artistes, rasikas, well wishers and friends.
Before I end, let me invite you to stay back after this function to listen to a special 1-1/2 hours concert “LAYA RAAGA SANGAMAM” by ‘Sthree Thaal Tharang’ an all women’s ensemble featuring Smt. Sukkanya Ramgopal and party.
Finally, I would also encourage you to attend the fourth edition of our Dance Festival that would be held from January 3rd to January 9th, 2010.
Thank you very much.
