Row over major theatre groups of Bengal getting removed from central grant list

The omission of 10 prominent theatre groups from West Bengal in the repertory grant list of the Centre has created a row as they alleged that the BJP-led union government took the decision out of political reasons.

The latest list of receivers of the repertory grants given by the Ministry of Culture named 296 theatre groups from West Bengal. It left out 10 groups, that had been getting the grant, including those headed by key theatre personalities Meghnad Bhattacharya, Debesh Chattopadhyay and Poulomi Basu who is the daughter of late thespian Soumitra Chatterjee.

Miffed over the decision, Debesh Chattopadhyay, director of the theatre group ‘Sansriti’, claimed that the Centre’s decision was arbitrary, vindictive and taken on political considerations.

“We got a communication from the Ministry of Culture about removing Sansriti from the list. The reason cited was I am ‘resourceful’ and a ‘filmmaker’. But I have made only one film and that was 10 years ago.

“It is obvious that we have been subjected to a vindictive attitude since our views and artistic expressions have not been liked by some people who influenced the Centre’s decision,” Chattopadhyay told PTI.

He said he and other theatre personalities including Basu and Bhattacharya demanded “immediate review and reconsideration of the earlier decision.”

“The decision has affected hundreds of dedicated whole-time repertoire workers of not only our troupe but many prominent small groups of Bengal who depend on this ‘Guru-Shishya Parampara’ funds for their livelihood,” Chattopadhyay said.

Bhattacharya, head of the theatre group ‘Sayak’, said, “We had been included in the list after years of struggle. If the criterion of providing the grant is to give a chance to less known or upcoming groups, let them also establish themselves through a similar struggle.”

Such moves will demoralise full-time theatre workers, he added.

“There is not a single representative from Bengal in the committee which decides on the grant,” Chattopadhyay said.

He alleged that some people belonging to the BJP state unit are behind the move.

Reacting to the charges, BJP state spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya said, “We will talk to the Centre about the issue and find out what happened. If someone has been found to be omitted unfairly, we as a party will seek reconsideration of the decision,” the BJP leader said.