DISCUSSING ISSUES: Home Minister M.P. Prakash (left) and Union Minister of State for Planning M.V. Rajasekharan (right) with Prasanna, who is on an indefinite fast, in Bangalore on Monday. — Photo: K. Murali Kumar

BANGALORE: In the absence of a concrete response from the Centre, the former Director of the National School of Drama (NDS), Prasanna, is continuing his indefinite fast demanding national theatre status for all the 18 scheduled language theatres on a par with the Hindi theatre and inclusion of theatre training in the school curriculum at the national level.

Supported by the Abhivyakti Abhiyana of the Kannada theatre, Mr. Prasanna has been on fast for the past five days at the Ravindra Kalakshetra premises here. His health, according to the physician attending on him, is deteriorating.

His other long-standing demands include establishing a branch of the NSD and national theatre repertories in the State and appointing theatre teachers for all the 55 vacant posts immediately.

Union Minister of State for Planning M.V. Rajasekharan held talks with Mr. Prasanna in the presence of Minister for Home M.P. Prakash, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Basavaraj Horatti, Minister for Science and Technology Ramachandra Gowda, film artiste and MLC "Mukhyamantri" Chandru and others on Monday.

Later, Mr. Rajasekharan told presspersons that the Centre had to evolve a common policy to accord national status for all the 18 languages. For that, it had to elicit the views of all those States and the matter had to be ratified by the Union Cabinet. The process would be an "elaborate and time consuming one," he explained.

The question of including theatre training in the school curriculum was left to the discretion of the State Government, as the subject came under the concurrent list, Mr. Rajasekharan said.

However, the Minister said he would draw the attention of Union Minister for Culture Ambika Soni to the demands.

In consultation with other Union Ministers from Karnataka, Mr. Rajasekharan said he would also request Ms. Soni to convene a meeting to discuss the theatre issue and other matters pertaining to Kannada culture. Mr. Prakash said the Government was willing to accommodate the demand of the National School of Drama to establish its branch in the city. It had also suggested the use of Guru Nanak Bhavan or Yavanika here for the purpose on a temporary basis. As requested by the NSD, it would allocate land in Bangalore for the branch. The Government would take an all-party delegation to Delhi to discuss the theatre issues, he added.

The Education and Finance departments would be consulted on including theatre training in the school syllabus, as it would demand additional funds.

Mr. Prakash said he would request Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy to convene a meeting on the issue.

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