The Madras High Court, on Tuesday, November 19, restrained The Hindu from granting the ‘Sangita Kalanidhi MS Subbulakshmi Award’ in her name. The Hindu group constituted the award in the year 2005, which is a cash prize given to those who won Sangita Kalanidhi, which is given by the Chennai Music Academy and considered the highest accolade in the field of Carnatic music. This year, carnatic vocalist and activist TM Krishna had been conferred with the Sangita Kalanidhi.
Justice G Jayachandran also held that instituting an award in her name has gone against her wish and opined that the award should not be continued to be given in her name. The court was hearing a plea moved by Subbulakshmi’s grandson Shrinivasan challenging an award conferred in her name.
While Shrinivasan’s contention was that the award cannot be given to someone who had constantly criticised his grandmother, his main argument was that no award can be given using her name.
The award – Sangita Kalanidhi MS Subbulakshmi Award – is given annually by The Hindu group to the Sangita Kalanidhi award winner to honour the memory of the musician. However, Shrinivasan said in his plea that Subbulakshmi, in her last will and testament, specifically said that no trust, foundation, or a memorial of any kind should be made in her name nor any funds or donations should be collected. He argued that the award in her name was thus against her mandate. The Music Academy, to this, contended that they did not form any trust or foundation and collect funds, but it was an award by The Hindu to honour her memory, which was not prohibited by her in the will.
The court, however, said that the award can be granted to Krishna but it should not be in Subbulakshmi’s name. “If any person is really having reverence and regard to MS Subbulakshmi, after knowing her desire and mandate, should not continue to give the award in her name,” the court said. The judge also dismissed a petition filed by the Music Academy seeking to reject Shrinivasan’s plea. It held that Shrinivasan, who was the beneficiary of her will, had the locus to move the petition.
Shrinivasan’s main contention was that the award cannot be given to someone who had constantly criticised his grandmother. He pointed out various instances of Krishna’s apparent criticism of Subbulakshmi, quoting the latter’s write-ups that appeared in The Caravan and The Wire, and a speech he made in Hyderabad in 2016. TM Krishna, however, vehemently denied belittling the legend, aand added that his remarks were taken out of context by Shrinivasan.
