Mounesh Vishwakarma

Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (MS)

Bantwal, Apr 30: Yakshagana, the traditional folk art of the coastal region of Karnataka, is a symbol of pride and honor. However, the Yakshagana fraternity in Bantwal is expressing their anguish after artists were taken in a procession in a waste transportation vehicle belonging to the Bantwal municipality.

On Saturday, the Bantwal taluk panchayat sweep committee organized a voting awareness program at B C Road. Before the program, a procession was taken from Kaikamba of B C Road, with Yakshagana artists giving presentations in the form of Bhagavathike. However, they were taken in the procession in a waste transportation vehicle, causing outrage among Yakshagana lovers in Bantwal.

Sarapady Ashok Shetty, the district convener of the art and cultural unit of Dakshina Kannada district, stated, "It is condemnable to use waste transportation vehicles while taking Yakshagana artists in a procession to attract the attention of commoners through voting awareness. Did the officials consider the art of Yakshagana equal to garbage? The organizers should immediately apologize to the Yakshagana fraternity. If they do not, protests are inevitable. It is better to ask for an apology before thousands of Yakshagana artists call for a boycott of the elections."