Artistes observe ‘musical’ protest
HYDERABAD: A group of singers and musicians held a unique demonstration on Monday to highlight their misery, urging the government to approved financial assistance from the endowment fund.
They expressed their anger against management of Radio Pakistan`s Hyderabad station by singing songs.
“Local artists are being denied payments under endowment and legendary funds”, said vocalist-cum-instrumentalist Ustad Ameer Ali, president of the Sindh Raagi Association.
“I inherited this art from my elders and I know nothing but playing of tabla”, said his colleague, Ustad Mohammad Aslam Khan. “After having performed for 40 years I am kept in `A` category. I have approached the Islamabad headquarters authorities to promote me to `AA` category”, he added.
A vocalist of `AA` category is given Rs900 for participating in a radio programme, Rs500 is paid under `A` category and Rs400 under `B` category. An instrumentalist gets Rs700 under `AA` category and Rs400 under `A` category.
Four-year old payment of schedule is being applied in Radio Pakistan. The Hyderabad Station has liabilities of around Rs1.2 million which is to be cleared after release of funds shortly this month.
“I have performed with singers like Mehdi Hassan, Ghulam Ali, Hamid Ali and others”, said Aslam Khan, who is also general secretary of Sindh Raagi Association. He has three daughters and one son and faces difficulties in making both ends meet.
“Radio Pakistan authorities always give cold shoulders to us whenever we sought programmes which simply means a monetary assistance for us”, said Ameer Ali. He said that he and his colleagues are not being invited to the concert held every year on the occasion of Urs of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar for last three years because hey had formed Raagi Association.
Ameer Ali said that as far as legendary and endowment fund is concerned no one knows how the funds are being distributed.
“The family of (deceased artiste) Mewo Manganhar of Mithi is being overlooked from financial assistance point of view”, he said. There are around 20 to 22 such families who are not being considered for financial assistance, he added.
Musical programmes are not organised in months like Rajab, Shaban, Ramzan and Muharram. It adds to financial problems of the artistes. Then they ultimately turn to Radio Pakistan to earn some money.
According to them, commercial programmes give them a reasonable return which is shared among performers and additional payment in terms of appreciation during performance is a question of luck.
Hyderabad Station Director Naseer Baig Mirza said that after three months, cases are scrutinised for payment under endowment fund by a committee of which he is a member.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, he added, had allocated Rs10 million for the interest-based fund which is kept under fixed deposit to ensure a regular assistance to artists.
“We have a long list of 400 artists and we pay them as per their category”, Mirza said adding that programmes are given as per merit and transparently.
He said that Hyderabad Radio Station is rich in cultural diversity and has given a whole breed of artists to Sindh and Pakistan.
He brushed aside allegations levelled by Ameer Ali. “It was me as music director who got his case approved for category-A in 1985 and then his brother Hyder Ali`s though he doesn`t deserve it”, he said. He didn`t explain why did he favour Ameer Ali and his brother when they didn`t deserve it.
Radio Pakistan sources said that a governor`s legendary fund is exclusively meant for financial assistance for legends of the province who included writers, poets, film, TV and radio artistes, intellectuals, vocalists and instrumentalists. “The legends don`t need to prove that they are a legendary figure but they have to themselves move to the authority managing the fund”, said an official.
Source: Dawn
Date:7/19/2011
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