It is a mandatory responsibility of all law-abiding citizens to bring out the corrupt practices of certain so-called Bharatha Natya teachers who advertise themselves in social media. They indulge in any illegal activities to exploit the public.
During this difficult pandemic period, certain so-called dance teachers offer their services to unsuspecting students and their parents. They use fake qualifications and titles to attract students to their classes. Some of them are living here and others are operating from foreign countries. They lure the students by offering them spurious awards and scholarships.
Some of them claim to be members of certain unrecognized worldwide Bharatha Natya organizations. However, they have no academic qualifications or experience to train students. If you search their credentials, you will come to know that they have followed a short course in Bharatha Natyam in Sri Lanka or India.
Social media impression
The modus operandi is quite simple. First, they contact expatriate artistes and introduce them to the Sri Lankan art circles. Then they interview on Facebook and hold zoom meetings to impress that they are trying to promote the teaching of Bharatha Natyam. Some of them even try to influence Indian artistes and use their names for private dance schools. They also offer free dance training.
Now dance has moved to the degree and postgraduate degree levels in Sri Lanka. Many research projects have been carried out by several national and international organizations. Therefore the work of such fake organizations has to be exposed and the authorities should make a meaningful effort to eliminate them.
Parents, students and artistes should not fall prey to such social media interviews. They should believe what is telecast on local television channels. Social media interviews are just like Facebook parties which mislead the younger generation. Their aim of using these titles is to attract the maximum amount of students to their classes. And such an attitude always misleads the general public to assess their real ability. Many of these inexperienced so-called artistes are longing for titles and awards without improving their practical ability and theoretical knowledge.
Intellectual bankruptcy
They don’t hesitate to accept these titles even from unrecognized bodies or even from any individual. Unfortunately in Sri Lanka, there is no active statutory board or body to control or regulate this menace. Mainly these so-called Bharatha Natyam are longing to use these unrecognized titles just to adorn their names.
Even the art world should understand that worldwide honorary doctorates awarded by numerous universities are not allowed to use these honorary doctorates titles publically. These doctorates are not earned degrees, but the honorary doctorates are awarded by the universities on numerous grounds. It is a customary tradition that these honorary doctorates should not be used in front of their names. Now several foreign universities are trading the doctorate degrees for cash.
It is a praiseworthy fact to be mentioned here that in Sri Lanka, certain print media organizations do not allow to use even the state awarded titles, in the articles and write-ups. Real artistes should contribute their contributions without expecting anything from anywhere.
