In principle, patronage and democracy should not go together but always do, especially in India. The Congress encouraged patronage especially bestowing it the Indira Gandhi family entourage. Narendra Modi promised change when he took over but as was to be expected, that did not happen. The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) was originally the preserve of those who covered her with adulation. Sonia Gandhi was its President till she resigned in 2001. As Modi became Prime Minister high hopes were raised about institutions like the IGNCA being run by experts without ideological and political servitude. But Modi has belied these expectations. These have also become seats of patronage. The trustee board of the IGNCA is packed with people known for close links with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Famous leading art historians and historians who do not subscribe to the BJP’s bigoted Hindutva beliefs can never hope to be on the IGNCA and similar bodies. On the other hand, an Odissi dancer has been made a trustee of the IGNCA because of her blind attachment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
It is a sad reflection of cultural and similar institutions in India that it is tied to the apron strings of governments despite their coming and going. Merit and expertise are thrown out of the window. India was over famous for its cultural riches and educational achievements. But for successive decades these peaks of glory are falling into the clutches of political overlords. Politics stifles excellence at groves of academe. While Indian shouts about political democracy, it promotes cultural and educational authoritarianism.
