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| Tourism minister Saurabh Patel at Vadfest’s pre-opening ‘Garvi Gujarat’ event. (Source: Express photo by Bhupendra Rana) |
courtesy: Indian Express
Three BJP MLAs have decided to stay away from Vadfest — a cultural event
backed by the Gujarat government that will feature musicians Yanni and A R
Rahman among others. It was kicked off on Friday by cabinet minister Saurabh
Patel.
The MLAs who have decided to “stay away” from the festival include
Manjalpur MLA Yogesh Patel, Raopur Rajendra Trivedi and Sayajigunj MLA Jitendra
Sukhadia. They have questioned the rationale behind “selling tickets” for a
city festival. According to them, a festival supported by the state government
has no place for sale of tickets, that too at prices beyond the reach of the
common man.
MLA Yogesh Patel said, “The event is supported by the government of
Gujarat, but people from Vadodara, including elected representatives, have not
been consulted about what they would like the festival to be. A bunch of people
have decided what Vadfest will be. Common people are not able to participate in
the main events as the focus is on audience flying in from outside. Never has
it happened in the history of an event organised by the government that tickets
have been sold. It should be free for citizens of Vadodara.”
Trivedi said, “The Vadfest group has extended an invitation, but since
we are given to understand that it is a committee of private individuals,
attending it is not binding.” Jitendra Sukhadia, meanwhile, said he had “no
time or money” to participate. “I am not opposed to the event. It has been
organised by someone and it is fine. But I did not attend today and I don’t
have the time or money to attend further events,” he said.
The MLAs skipped the inauguration of the Garvi Gujarat event by minister
for Tourism and Power, Saurabh Patel, who declared Vadfest open on Friday.
Also, most BJP councillors of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation, who are
miffed about being sidelined from the event despite the civic body spending
crores on the beautification of the city, also gave it a miss. A local
councillor said, “We have not been invited for the elite events of Vadfest as
those are exclusively for the corporate class. Is that how you hold a festival
in the city to promote it?”
Most BJP leaders in the city and district attended a function to
inaugurate Vadodara MP Ranjan Bhatt’s new working office, which coincided with
the inauguration of Garvi Gujarat.
Tourism minister Saurabh Patel, meanwhile, said that although
international events to be held between January 23 and 26 – including
high-profile concerts by Yanni and A R Rahman – are major attractions, the
“pre-opening” events with Gujarati artistes on Friday mark the beginning of
Vadfest.
Patel said that people from over 42 countries had booked tickets for the
concerts and cultural events to take place between January 23 and 26, with a
large group of corporates expected to visit as well.
“People from as many as 42 countries have booked tickets to the Vadfest
events. We speak of a 100 countries visiting Vibrant Gujarat Summit, but people
from 42 countries have recognised Vadodara too. A large number of corporates
are expected to attend the events in Vadodara,” Patel told the media.
Patel also declared that for residents of Vadodara, “inexpensive”
tickets to A R Rahman’s concert were available. “For Rahman, the ticket prices
begin from Rs 500 for Vadodara residents and for Yanni at Rs 2,500. Yanni
performing against the backdrop of Lukshmi Vilas Palace to a gathering of just
about 9,000 people means that anyone with a ticket of even Rs 2,500 in the
farther rows would be able to view and hear very closely,” Patel said.
Vadfest will also see several artists from across the country exhibiting
their works at the MS University’s Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA). However, the art
show has been marred by controversy with alumni of the faculty – including
Mumbai-based filmmaker Madhushree Dutta and Pushpamala N – urging fellow MSU
FFA colleagues to not “associate with the right wing forces” organising
Vadfest. Accordingly, several artists such as Gigi Scaria, Tushar Joag, Sheba
Chhachhi, Mithu Sen and Vivan Sundaram have pulled back from the event.
Earlier, renowned Vadodara singers Vatsala Patil, Pushottam Upadhyay and
Atul Purohit had pulled out of the Garvi Gujarat concerts citing “insult” by
organisers. When asked about the decision to pull back, Patel said, “We have
extended invites to all. Whoever wants to come can come, who does not want to
come will not come. Our intention is to only promote Vadodara as a cultural
capital and to provide a platform to the alumni of the Faculty of Fine Arts to
exhibit their work.”
