MARGAO: Tiatrists in Goa may soon have to script and stage a tiatr based on the woes of the fraternity. The show may well be called “HARASSED”!
The news of the alleged fraudulent payment to cultural groups who have not even performed shows, by the Art and Culture Department, while genuine tiatr producers and performers are struggling financially, has rubbed salt in their wounds and they are making themselves heard.
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Expressing shock over the recent allegations of embezzlement of funds from the Directorate of Art and Culture, the tiatr fraternity has demanded that the government provide them financial assistance to preserve the tiatr culture similar to the scheme of allotting grants to cultural associations.
Art and Culture director is supposed to submit a report on details of programmes held in Canacona.
These allegations have raised serious questions regarding the distribution of the grants by the department concerned, to those who have not even performed for the money given to them.
Speaking O Heraldo, tiatr directors claimed that they are not only deprived of any financial assistance from the government but are facing tough time staging tiatr shows due to the non-availability of the auditoriums.
Senior tiatr director Roserferns said that their groups, which are engaged in staging tiatr shows, rightfully deserve benefits of the department’s schemes.
He said, “There are several groups that are dependent on tiatr shows, however, there is not a single scheme to financially help a large number of tiatrists. If the government can grant lakhs of rupees to cultural organisations to host programmes, why not tiatrists?
He expressed his anger over the harassment meted out to the tiatrists in various ways.
“Imposing fees even to stage traditional khell-tiatr is a perfect example of harassment to the tiatrists,” Roseferns claimed.
Pascoal de Chicalim, a well-known figure in the tiatr fraternity expressed disgust that the Directorate of Art and Culture is caught on the wrong side of the law for alleged misappropriation of the precious funds.
“The funds to these organisations if any are allotted well in advance but when we tiatrists want some help from the department they look the other way. Tiatr and tiatrists is the biggest cultural organisation in Goa. Hundreds of families depend on tiatr for their daily bread,” he stated.
He said that in fact, the ground reality shows that the government is out to stop this art by denying us the auditoriums. The Kala Academy is in the ‘ICU’ and is brought out from the ICU only during tiatr competition.
“The Vasco Ravindra Bhavan is ‘dead’. Pai Tiatrist hall or Ravindra Bhavan, Margao is like the casualty; it can be used only if there are no government programmes,” Pascoal said.
Jose Mascarenhas, another tiatr artist, demanded that the department concerned should now formulate a scheme to provide financial help to tiatr groups and tiatrists in general.
“The government needs to support tiatrists financially. One thing that must be kept in mind is that hundreds of tiatr artists are dependent on tiatr to earn their livelihood. Instead of throwing away grants, the government should help promote and preserve the tiatr-culture,” he demanded.
