Why isn’t India yet ready for careers in Arts & Sports?

By: Satarupa Mishra

"I was destined for stardom... I am still waiting for it." Lindsay Kemp

image source: internet

I saw a lanky musician taking his music seriously after watching Iron Maiden’s concert in Bangalore. I rejoiced!

I saw an amazing young writer realizing her true potential, and sitting down to write her first romantic fiction. My heart skipped a beat from excitement!

I also watched a lazy lady with melody working hard on her sole goal to become a professional singer. My lips twitched for a smile!

All of them have realized their true callings by spotting the talent (s) God has bestowed upon them.

But I have also seen a talented local cricketer turning into an inebriated goon after facing rejection to the domestic team due to foul play of politics. I have seen excellent folk singers begging on the streets in tattered clothes. I have seen rich people demanding free passes for a music or comedy show. I have seen writers and photographers being asked to work for free. Artists give up on their brush and canvas because hardly anyone is ready to sponsor an exhibition or buy their paintings.

So, while we encourage each other to follow our true artistic callings, denouncing the parents’ perpetual push to pursue careers in Medicine, Engineering, IT Industry, Business Management, or Government Departments, are we somewhere neglecting the crux of the issue in our country? 

Literally speaking, it’s been 69 years that India got its independence from the British. But let us not forget the violence and turmoil that led up to India’s independence – Partition playing the major role, with consequent food and foreign exchange crisis. While the plundered nation was slowly trying to get its pieces together, the war with China (1962) and Pakistan (1965), the droughts of 1965 and 1966, and the refugee exodus during the Bangladesh Liberation War (1971) had further plunged the nation into an economic crisis. Under these circumstances, all that the families looked and prayed for was a secured government job to be able to earn three decent meals for the large number of members in the joint family set-up.

And then came the Economic Liberalisation of 1991, a historical turning point in the Indian economy, opening lucrative job avenues in the private sector, and enabling larger exposure to the global market. 25 years since the flagging off of these significant economic reform policies, India has turned into a hot bed for foreign retail trade, franchise, and outsourcing business, thereby protruding the scope of employment and earning avenues. The huge absorption of human resources into the MNCs, BPOs, national television channels, and consumer retail outlets like Walmart, Tesco and Carrefour stand testimony to this fact. Furthermore, the domestic sectors run by the Government, private parties and corporations, co-operative societies, as well as the Government-undertakings, viz., Medical, Engineering, IT Industries, Real Estate Business, Production and Manufacturing, Service Industry, and Education and Academics, etc. have been providing decent employment to the educated, and skilled Indians. However, there haven’t been many striking initiatives in the arena of fine arts, sports and entertainment (rings a bell about parents’ choice of careers for their children, eh?)

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The success of performing artists and sports-persons depends heavily on the mass consumers. And among the middle class Indians (comprising a major population), although there has been a growing trend of consumerism, yet, the pattern of consumption still appears conservative. While they are splurging more on food, beverage, cosmetics and clothing, yet, there hangs a caution while spending on art and entertainment. Unfortunately, in India, art and entertainment still remain luxuries. We still choose to spend on the performance of an artist suspiciously. And this proves a major setback to the budding artists. For instance, the Indians found it safe (worth the money) to spend on a concert by Cold Play or Justin Bieber, whereas, an excellent local artist is often asked for free tickets to watch his performance (unless he has made a hefty mark in Bollywood).

Call it the trailing shadows of the last 50 years of India’s economic starvation since independence, we Indians are still jittery about spending on things that would satiate ‘only’ our aesthetic appetite. We would rather buy a designer wear of thousands of bucks than buying a Rs. 500 worth entry ticket to encourage and enjoy a local artist’s gig. Reason? The former has tangible benefits. The dress serves the basic clothing purpose. Looking good and being showered with glances of admiration and envy are additional benefits. The latter does not promise any such tangible profits. Under the lingering effect of prioritizing food, clothing and shelter, the aesthetic needs of us Indians, at large, still await an invocation and training.

(Whether it is the Indian consumers’ reluctance to consume immaterial local art that deters promoters, and sponsors from pushing local artists, or is it otherwise, is something to ponder over).

We also cannot ignore the existence of a large number of people reeling under poverty. For them, earning a decent square meal a day is like a prayer answered well. To them, art, sports and entertainment are luxuries belonging only to the rich people. After all, buying school stationeries with the hard-earned money is a big deal for them. How could one expect them to buy a book of poetry, or attend a recitation programme with a paid entry!

For a nation that is still haunted by the nightmares of those deprived days of history, the tendency to ‘secure’ the future with a decent bank balance comes before everything else. And pursuing a career in fine arts, and sports is still considered a big gamble here. While only a handful of artists and sports-persons make it to the national level (that ensues an international exposure as well), the rest have to settle (‘struggle’ is the precise word) at the local/state level, which remains in a dilapidated condition barring a few of the metropolitan cities.

Until the Government takes it upon itself to spread its federal satellites for spotting local artists and sportsmen in order to offer them a national platform; and unless the private sector grows confident about the profitability of investing in these local budding artists, the Indian parents will continue to hold reservations on letting their sons and daughters pursue arts and sports instead of taking up regular jobs in the public/private sectors. And for the artists to find a financial bankability in their art, the Indian masses also have to stir their hunger for aesthetics, which can only grow once the hunger of the belly is taken care of.

Running fine art and sports academies aren't enough. What’s crucial is to generate greedy takers or consumers of these refined aesthetics.