PM’s visit to instill fresh hopes
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Prime minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Kerala Kalamandalam on Wednesday to lay the foundation for a museum in its grounds, has given fresh hope to artistes and lovers of traditional dance forms that it will be given the status of a Central University and placed on par with Shantiniketan and Bharat Bhavan.
It was a year after its platinum jubilee in 2006, that the institute was accorded the status of a deemed university. Now entering its 83rd year, it is making a serious bid to join the institutes in the big league given that it is already recognised as a centre of excellence where art forms are concerned, says its vice-chancellor, P.N. Suresh, revealing that a proposal to this effect will be submitted to the PM during his visit.
“We have specialised courses and intend to introduce more PG courses that will blend both scholastic and artistic studies and elevate the university’s status even more. We are also looking at more exchange programmes,” Mr Suresh explains.
Renowned Kathakali artiste, Kalamandalam Gopi welcomes the idea. “Although going by its courses and the quality of its teachers and students, the institute is a class apart, it does not yet have sufficient programmes which denies artistes the platform they need,” he says.
Killimanglam Vasudevan Namboodiripad, the former superintendent who was instrumental in catapulting Gopi to fame, however, feels that the comparison to other institutes is uncalled for. “There have been instances of teachers going from Kalamandalam to teach at Shantiniketan. But raising it to the level of a Central University is welcome,” he adds.
A senior officer at Kalamandalam says the rigorous training methods and the syllabus of Kalamandalam will not make a transition to a Central University easy. “Scholars, artistes and experts need to devise a way to blend scholastic education with art education for a proper synthesis,” he feels.
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