Akshay Pathak The deeply uneven relationship between the oppressors who forcefully define, speak on behalf of and claim to represent and those they oppress, is a function of power. Art can pose a major challenge to such power, but often in the hands of the oppressor, art serves as a tool for the perpetuation …
Sanskritization or Appropriation: Caste and Gender in “Indian” Music and Dance
Sreebitha P. V. Two recent articles in The Hindu address the question of caste and gender in Indian Music and Dance. The first article titled ‘Sanskritization and Culture’, highlights the fact that many artists from the field of dance and music have rejected and embraced Sanskritization at different points in history. The second article, …
Theyyam: Critique on Patronage and Appropriation by Prof M Dasan
Dr Ajay Sekher Theyyam, the ancient ritual and popular art form of Malabar, is a cultural expression of the dalits and other contested sections of the stratified society. The subaltern classes used it as a strategic aesthetic and spiritual act and articulation against caste oppression and barbaric violence unleashed by the caste lords and …