The National School of Drama in New Delhi; (right) a ground on the campus decked out for the school’s annual festival. Pictures by Prem Singh

New Delhi, March 4: Theatre artistes pushing for national drama schools in 18 scheduled languages are feeling cheated by the government’s proposal to set up five regional centres of the National School of Drama in various states.

Culture minister Kumari Selja had said in Parliament this week that the centres would come up in Calcutta, one either in Maharashtra or Goa, one in the Northeast, possibly Manipur and one in Jammu and Kashmir. The fifth would be in Bangalore, where the regional resource centre would be upgraded into an NSD centre.

The demand for the regional language theatre centres, voiced off and on over the last 15-20 years, had gathered steam in 2007 after former NSD director Prasanna went on a hungerstrike in Bangalore. He called off the fast only after then Union culture minister Ambika Soni assured him his demand would be met.

“This was about declaring the theatre in Indian languages as national theatre,” Prasanna said. “Regional centres of NSD were not what we demanded, not what the minister (Soni) said, and it is unacceptable.”

He claimed that by setting up regional NSD centres, the Centre would merely be replicating what was happening in Delhi in other states. That would also possibly mean that the medium of instruction would be Hindi or English.

“Forcing Tamil or Kannada theatre practitioners to learn and perform in Hindi or English is like asking them to swim with a boulder tied to their legs. This has been going on for decades,” Prasanna said.

“If Hindi or English is thrust on us, I will restart my hunger strike.”

Prasanna said what was happening at the upgraded Bangalore regional resource centre, which is operating on an ad hoc basis, was not very encouraging. “Since the centre was inaugurated at the fabulous Guru Nanak Bhavan premises, only God knows what is happening there,” he said.

Classes and theatre production activities have apparently not begun at the centre as the Bangalore staff have been awaiting orders from Delhi. Three-month workshops are held but those are not different from what universities or theatres offer.

Joint culture secretary N.C. Goel, however, said a new institute would take time to take off fully, for which the workshops were laying the ground. NSD director Anuradha Kapur refused comment.

Some theatre personalities have begun complaining that they were not consulted before the NSD centres were announced.

Bengal veteran Rudra Prasad Sengupta said: “It is favourable for theatre workers to know whether we are going to be humoured and hanged. There has to be a democratic discussion with theatre people of the states. This proposal smacks of centrality. Wrong notion like this wastes resources.”

Bibhas Chakraborty, a former president of the Paschim Banga Natya Akademi, said he had an “excellent relationship” with culture secretary Jawhar Sircar and was on regular touch with him on email, but he “never mentioned this proposal” to anyone.

“We cannot be subordinate to the NSD. These have to be independent centres on the basis of language, but NSD wants full control over these centres.”

Sengupta, too, voiced much the same sentiment. “Years ago, we had objected to NSD calling their regional shows ‘satellite festivals’. We aren’t satellites. Delhi may be the power centre, not the cultural centre of India. If this centre is imposed on us, we will definitely protest.”

Only a handful of people sounded happy with the NSD proposal. Tamil veteran Shanmugarajan, who runs Madurai’s Nigazh Theatre, said: “This proposal is fantastic. It will not only make NSD more accessible but also improve the theatre culture in the state.”

Shanmugarajan, who regularly sends members of his troupe to his alma mater NSD, hoped Chennai would get an NSD centre soon. “If Bangalore has one, then Chennai will also get one soon.”

Shivaprasad Tumu, a young theatre artiste from Hyderabad, said: “The NSD is a major centre for cultural activities. In regional centres, you may get good faculty, not exposure. But it will be good for artistes who can learn new techniques.”