Like Mysore Santhe (I had earlier written about this here and here), GVK has proposed another superb idea called ChitraSanthe. I am reproducing much of the mail here with a few additions:
Among the ideas that emerged in our weekly Sunday meet is a chitra santhe for amateur artists at a designated space. The idea is to provide exposure to spare-time painters, photographers and other artists to showcase their works. We can mobilise students of CAVA, art teachers and others who wish to exhibit their creations. In our weekly Sunday meetings I run into several youngsters, mostly IT professionals, who have flair for photography. They would be happy to have an opportunity to show off their photographs for anyone who cares to drop in at the Sunday chitra santhe.
There is nothing novel about the idea, and weekend artists gallery on pavements can be found in several cities in the world. I know in London, they use the Thames Embankment on Sundays. Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco attracts residents and visitors who appreciate art forms on weekends.
In Mysore, Chitra santhe could be developed into a Sunday pavement art gallery. And over a period, it could become an attraction for art-minded tourists. Our experience with Sunday meetings (which now attracts 20 to 25 persons on a regular basis) set us thinking about providing such a forum for amateur painters and photographers.
Among possible venue could be the grilled enclosure at the back of the Oriental Research Institute or the triangular space between two roads converging into a boulevard behind Oriental Institute.
I would appreciate your reaction to this idea. If you think there is merit in this and it is ‘do’-able , we could work together and make Mysore an art center of sorts.
The problems we see today are a result of the mistakes of the past. So, it seems natural to me that today’s solutions should be directed at the future. The disregard for environment, the cynicism about government, the skepticism about democracy all seem like the result of a vicious feedback cycle of negative thought.
This week at Vidyavardhaka school, I was trying to understand how 12 year old students perceived government. The majority of them think that government won’t do anything good! Without any experience, if these children can have cynicism about the government, then it actually reflects on us. Any system is only as good as the belief people have in that system. If we lose belief, we start propagating negative air among everyone including children and the whole system fails. I needed to change this in at least a small way and gave the kids an exercise.
I discussed an issue which each one of them knew. The issue I took was the cutting of lalith mahal road trees in Mysore. The students read a newspaper article in the classroom. Then, I explained them how a democracy works and how we are responsible for its upkeep. I then explained the various departments, ministries in a government and finally asked the children to write letters to anyone they seemed fit to receive the letter. Here is the result of the exercise.
An interesting thing I noted is how many of them had addressed the letter to Manivannan! I never even mentioned his name to the children before the class. It shows how one person can inspire confidence in so many others.
The exercise does not end here. If possible, I want to get these children to meet people from the government and understand how it works. Only when you have the belief that democracy with all its flaws can still work, you will do justice to it. And this belief needs to be instilled at a young age.
