In a strong protest against the Chennai Music Academy’s recent decision to award the prestigious Sangeet Kalanidhi to singer T. M. Krishna, renowned Carnatic musician Chitraveena Ravikiran has announced that he is returning the MS Subbulakshmi award and the accompanying prize of ₹1 lakh. In addition, Ravikiran has added ₹10,000 to the returned amount and handed it back to the Academy.The decision by the Chennai Music Academy to bestow the Sangeet Kalanidhi award to T. M. Krishna, which includes the MS Subbulakshmi Award and ₹1 lakh, was met with sharp opposition from the Carnatic music community. Many, including Carnatic musicians, expressed their displeasure over the fact that the award was being given to someone who had made derogatory remarks about MS Subbulakshmi, raising questions about the propriety of honoring him with an award bearing her name.
Ravikiran, who received the Sangeet Kalanidhi award in 2017, returned the MS Subbulakshmi award and ₹1 lakh prize in protest. Writing a letter to the Chairman of the Music Academy, Murali, Ravikiran explained that he was not returning the award for reasons of disrespect or publicity but for three specific reasons.
The first reason, according to Ravikiran, was that the Music Academy’s Chairman, Murali, had made efforts to tarnish the reputation of MS Subbulakshmi after her death, which Ravikiran found deeply troubling. The second reason was the Academy’s reversal of the recognition for the Sangeet Kalanidhi award initially planned to honor the late Mridangam exponent Palakkad Ramachandran. Ravikiran had set up the trust to honor Ramachandran’s legacy, but the Academy had reversed the plan, leading Ravikiran to return the award.
The third reason, Ravikiran mentioned, was the Academy’s criticism of his action of returning the award and focusing on the monetary aspect of the decision. This, he stated, caused him personal distress, prompting him to return the prize with an additional ₹10,000.
Ravikiran’s protest follows similar actions by other musicians. The family of T. M. Krishna also announced their intent to return the Sangeet Kalanidhi award conferred upon Ramachandran in protest against Krishna receiving the award. This sentiment was echoed by Ravikiran’s family and fellow musicians, including his grandson, Palakkad Ramaprasad, and the famous Ranjani-Gayathri duo, among others, who announced their withdrawal from the Music Academy’s upcoming events.
In a related legal matter, the Madras High Court had previously issued a directive preventing the Music Academy from awarding the Sangeet Kalanidhi in the name of MS Subbulakshmi, following a legal challenge from Subbulakshmi’s grandson, Srinivasan, who opposed the decision to honor Krishna with the prestigious award.
Ravikiran’s protest highlights growing divisions within the Carnatic music community regarding the awarding of prestigious titles and the perceived disrespect towards legendary artists like MS Subbulakshmi. The controversy continues to stir debates on the values upheld by the Chennai Music Academy and its role in preserving the legacy of classical music icons.