The much-touted Mussoorie Winter line Carnival is likely to get into rough weather with the Uttarakhand Film Television and Radio Association having decided to oppose it.
A few days left for the festival to start, some social activists, local artists and members of the association have alleged that the local artists are not being given opportunity to perform on such occasions. However, most of the locals the correspondent talked to welcomed the festival, saying that it would boost their income.
The third edition of the six-day carnival is to kick-start on December 25. Notably,some of the social activists who are spearheading the agitation against the carnival were arrested and then released.
Venting anger against such carnival keeping the local artists at bay, Pradeep Bhandari, the founder president of Uttarakhand Film Television and Radio Association, said on Monday that there is no justification for them. “Such carnivals giving no platform to the local artists who present folk culture and folk songs are being reduced to gaudy jamboree, sans any soul,” he added.
Arvind Negi, a social activist, said that during the earlier two editions, the folk artists were given a short shrift. “ As things stand now, there is no possibility of the carnival incorporating them to lend it a local flavour. The young artists are a frustrated lot being left in the cold during the carnival. If used in the right way, such carnivals can prove instrumental in showcasing their talents to the world,” he said.
He wondered whether the carnival would serve any useful purpose from the local pint of view with the eminent from outside being invited. “We are convinced that there is no point in continuing with such carnivals which are the least concerned with projecting the unique cultural and folk heritage of Uttarakhand. Besides, we are pained to note that the local artists who perform at such carnivals are paid frightfully less than what they deserve with the funds being showered on the noted artists brought from outside,” he added.
Echoing the same grievance, Kanta Prasad , president of Uttarakhand Film Television and Radio Association, said the carnival should focus on bringing into prominence the poor, yet talented artists. “The local talents being at the receiving end of such grandiloquent carnivals have robbed such festivals of their justification,” he averred. However, many of the Mussoorie locals sound happy with the carnival, saying that it would help them to earn more with the tourist footfalls rising.
Rajat Agarwal , president of Mussoorie Traders’ Association, said that people from the business community are benefited by such carnivals. “The Winterline Carnival would reach the stature of Kullu festival and Goa festival in the coming years. Such carnivals facilitating the arrival of more tourists would stand us all in good stead. This is a good initiative,” he said. However, in the same breadth, he said that the locals’ grievances are justified too. “They should be involved in them in the right proportions,” he said.
Pranjul, a resident of Mussoorie, opined that things should be smoothed out amicably through dialogue. “Staging stir against such festival is no solution. Solution would evolve through talks. A large number of people come here to see this carnival. They should not feel that they are unwelcome. We must remember that many of the locals be it hoteliers, traders and photographers bank on them for living,” he added.C