Lata Mangeshkar College to be spoiled?

(Second half)

An official whose appointment is currently in a media frenzy is on the Advisory Board of Bharat Ratna Lata Dinanath Mangeshkar International College of Music and another heroic official whose achievements led to the de-accreditation of a 166-year-old art college like JJ School of Art by Central Government departments like AICTE, having been appointed on the post on in-charge principal, there is a big question mark about whether the Maharashtra government really wants to build a memorial of Latadidi… A review…

The reason to write all this now is that the Department of Higher and Technical Education has recently released an advertisement of the Bharat Ratna Lata Dinanath Mangeshkar International College of Arts. I would not comment on that ad since it is being published in this article. But at the end of this ad, my eyes widened when I saw the name of the in-charge Principal of this college! As the in-charge Principal of this college, Prof. V D Sable has been appointed. The achievements of is V D Sable are known to everyone in the field of art. But the people from the field of music may mistake him to be a music expert or Panditji like Prof. Ashok Ranade or Prof Milind Malshe. But since there is nothing like that, we feel it necessary to mention that Mr Sable is the Dean of JJ School of Art, a 166-year-old world renowned art college.

The recognition of this 166-year-old art college has been recently withdrawn by the central government’s AICTE due to Sable’s feats. Such a person has been selected by the Department of Higher and Technical Education as the Principal of Bharatratna Lata Dinanath Mangeshkar International College of Music. Is it not an accomplishment of the officials of the Higher Education and Technical Education Department? In fact, we would like to suggest that these officers have to be honored by the Maharashtra Government now with the Maharashtra Gaurav Award.

Now you may ask why are you talking so sarcastically? The answer to that question is that Mr Vishwanath Sable has brought down the world renowned J J School of Art, a 166-year-old Art college, to state of degradation during his career. So much so that recently the Centra Govt’s AICTE has withdrawn the recognition of J J School of Art. Now the education which the current students are taking is nothing but unauthorized. If AICTE continues this process of de-accreditation, the students who study there will not be recognized even in India, let alone elsewhere in the world. They will not be appointed to any important post. All this has happened because of Vishwanath Sable’s negligence.

A departmental inquiry of Mr Sable is currently ongoing due to withdrawal of approval by AICTE. It is impossible to use any word other than shamelessness for the act of the Higher and Technical Education Department appointing as the in charge Principal of the Music College being started in in the memory of Latabai. We would like to publicly ask a question to everyone right from the Secretary of the Higher and Technical Education Department to the Desk Officer, that Did you not feel ashamed while taking such a decision? Why are you taking such absurd decisions? What qualities did you observe in Vishwanath Sable that he should be appointed as the principal of the college which is being started in the memory of such a great artist like Latadidi?

What has he accomplished in J J which made you feel compelled to take this decision? The students at J J School of Art are literally clamoring for education, can you not hear them? Are you deaf or mentally retarded? If we ask such a question publicly, what’s wrong in it? Will you answer this question? In the last 30 years, you have downgraded the Art Directorate of Maharashtra with one after another exemplary appointment on the post of the Art Director of Maharashtra. Are you not satisfied with that? And now you have started making such appointments right from the establishment of this music college which is being started in memory of Latadidi? What is the relation of Mr Sable and music? In fact, his accomplishments in the last 10-15 years compels one to ask the same question in case of art also.

Appointment as Assistant Professor, immediately followed by appointment as Professor, followed immediately by appointment as Head of the Department. As if that was not enough, he was subsequently appointed to the post of Dean of J J. All these appointments are testimony to the unknown factor of one’s luck. What were his accomplishments in the last 10 years that you have given him everything? In the name of promoting him, you have literally made legendary artists like Srikanth Jadhav, Anant Nikam, Anil Naik go extinct. What do you observe in him? Can you tell us once?

What is it that this gentleman is accomplishing in the education field? What exactly is he providing to the students? What new course curriculums is he bringing in? Have you ever enquired about this? Students went on strike complaining about him because he can’t teach, have you inquired about that? ‘Chinha’ published episodes of his achievements one after the other. Did you investigate those? During the tenure of Uday Samant, you have conferred upon him the post of Art Director. What he did as the very first task after taking charge of the Art Director post is that he released a GR allowing art teachers to take up outside jobs.

Do you know that today this gentleman is carrying out multi-crore projects sitting in JJ? Do you even know that he used the Dean’s office of J J School of Art as a table space? The government has provided crores of rupees of grant to J J School of Art, but this gentleman did not even think of building a simple toilet for 300 girl students. Students had to call a strike for it. Still you didn’t feel like conducting an enquiry of this gentleman’s office matters? And now you appoint him as the principal in charge of the international music college that is being built in Latadidi’s name? It’s really surprising how you don’t feel even the slightest shame or embarrassment. Rajeev Mishra has been appointed as the Member Secretary of the Advisory Board of this music college itself. ‘Max Maharashtra’ has literally put the matters related to his appointment and accomplishments so far to public eye, which have been widely discussed in the art circles. Are you going to keep quiet on that too?

I am aware that I am using very caustic language, but I have no option left. Because after seeing the havoc that Mr Sable has created in the field of art education, my language would seem mild. If this continues the same way, ‘Chinha’ shall not keep quiet for sure. We are requesting information under RTI, but many excuses are being given for it. We will also see how long those excuses are going to continue. It is better that you settle the matter before that!

What surprises me is the Mangeshkar family. Would they not be aware of all this? Maybe not. However, Adinath Mangeshkar is an alumni of J J. Should he not have investigated at least? Are you going to face future musicians by having such a gentlemen as principal? We are asking a public question to the Maharashtra government that when a former minister in the previous cabinet of Maharashtra (who is also in the current cabinet) said, ‘Giving education is not the job of the government’, you were set out to close down J J School of Art. So now why are you establishing a new music college in the name of Lata Mangeshkar, that too an international one? Do you have any answer to these questions? How many generations of Maharashtra are you going to play this vicious game with? Would you care to answer?

(Concluded)

Satish Naik

Editor, Chinha Art News