Acute funds crunch affects Spic Macay’s work

New Delhi: A voluntary movement for promoting Indian culture and heritage, that touched the lives of millions of youths of many generations across the country and abroad, is facing existential crisis due to severe financial crunch. The Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth (known as Spic Macay) owes various artistes and performers about Rs 2 crore and is in no position to pay them as the account balance has crashed down to zero. As a result, it has started collecting money through crowd-funding.
The organisation has been promoting Indian cultural heritage by organising free concerts of Indian classical and folk music, holding yoga/meditation and handicraft workshops and other activities for school and college students, within the campus. It was founded by Kiran Seth, a professor at IIT-Delhi, in 1978, who was later awarded the Padma Shri for his efforts to popularise Indian culture. Interestingly, almost all the senior artistes and experts of the country have been associated with the movement.
This organisation is facing an acute financial crisis as some officials in the Ministry of Culture are working against the government’s efforts to popularise India’s great culture heritage. It is because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts that India’s soft power has got a new dimension.
For example, Yoga Day being accepted and endorsed by the United Nations as a global event is a reflection of new India which is modern, but deeply rooted in its centuries-old cultural heritage. But some officials are creating hurdles in achieving the government’s goals. The organisation, for the first time, did not get anything from the sanctioned grants for 2019-20 and also a partial amount from the sanctioned grants for 2018-19. The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), which has supported Spic Macay directly and indirectly in the past, has also stopped supporting it.
Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel could not be contacted for his remarks. A text message sent to his mobile phone remained unanswered.
The organisation has started seeking donations from people. Its official website has put a notice saying: “If Spic Macay has made a memory in your life, contribute to create one in the life of others. Donate2SPICMACAY.” Such is the gravity of the situation that Seth has had to give about Rs 15 lakh, largely out of his personal pension money, to partially alleviate the situation and help the folk performers get what is due to them for programmes already conducted.
At present, Spic Macay organises more than 5,000 programmes every year in 800 towns of India and abroad. The organisation managed to hold some activities in the last fiscal because of the support coming from the private sector.
Contacted, Kiran Seth said: “It’s a disastrous situation. The Ministry of Culture which was giving Spic Macay a yearly grant (in 2018 -19 it was sanctioned Rs 3 crore) has given nothing to it for 2019-20 till now. Consequently, we are left with a huge payment deficit for programmes conducted much before the coronavirus crisis.”
“In this time of great mental stress, it assumes even a greater importance by not only reaching out to so many people in the lockdown mode but also in supporting the artistes’ community which has had to suffer immensely due to the cancellation of all their programmes that gave them their bread and butter. Most of the accompanying artistes, folk performers and craft people are like daily wage earners and not in a very good financial condition,” Kiran Seth said.
A volunteer said: “The sad part is that this is happening despite the fact that our PM has been pushing everything associated with Indian heritage, be it music, dance, yoga. Moreover, the organisation is completely voluntary in nature with only one person working on full-time basis.” Three years ago, Modi addressed the Spic Macay volunteers during its international convention through video conferencing. “You demonstrate how to work for the benefit of society. It has presented an example for all. For 40 years, your organisation has played a key role in furthering the country’s rich culture and tradition. Culture and music can play a vital role in connecting the country. It can be a big step towards realizing Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat,” PM Modi had said.
Seth has started appealing, through his mails, to all Spic Macay supporters, to come forward and extend support to tide over the financial crunch.
Usha Ravichandran, a senior volunteer, said in a mail to different chapters of Spic Macay: “I was just wondering if a written appeal could be made to all our volunteers, to let them be aware of our grim situation (through this mail to all core members, National Executive / State Cooirdinators / Chapter heads etc). I have a feeling that many of our friends have not been able to realise the gravity of the situation. Never-ever-before, we have had to face such a grim and scary situation. This situation has forced Dr Seth to part with his huge personal savings, to keep the movement alive. Therefore, till the funds come in from the awaited sources, it should be our collective endeavor to see that the spirit of the movement must not die.”
“So, I believe if our thousands of volunteers across the country decide to chip in to contribute a little during this crisis, a sum of Rs 500, 1000, 5000, 10000 or so, as per their capacity, we will surely be able to muster sufficient funds to steer through this crisis. I would also plead our student volunteers to come forward and help our own Spic Macay. We all at our own level, can request our friends, acquaintances and whosoever, to come forward and help Spic Macay and give a helping hand to Dr Kiran Seth. Kindly come forward and save the sinking ship, friends,” she said.