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I did not expect it from 'artist' Vajpayee: Sitara Devi

Anguished over the 'disrespect shown to Kathak dance' by awarding her a 'mere' Padma Bhushan, doyenne Sitara Devi said on Saturday that she did not expect such treatment from a government headed by a poet.

"I don't know who is responsible, but I did not expect this from Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government. He is an artist, a poet and was expected to understand our sentiments," 79-year-old Sitara, one of the senior-most Kathak exponents, said.

Had this 'blunder' been committed by any other government which was 'not so informed about Indian art', she would not have 'minded so much. But I did not expect it from Vajpayee's government'.

"When my juniors and contemporaries like Kishan Maharaj and Kishori Amonkar have been decorated with the Padma Vibhushan, how I can accept the Padma Bhushan?" Sitara asked.

A visibly hurt Sitara, who at age 16 was described by Rabindranath Tagore as the 'Kathak queen', said she would have even accepted the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian honour, and in fact expected it one day.

"Now, either the Bharat Ratna or nothing. That is my final stand. I am not going to tolerate this insult to Kathak," she said noting that " Vajpayeeji is aware of all this. He has himself honoured me in Varanasi five years ago."

For Sitara, the highest point in her life came several decades ago, when the Gurudev (Rabindranath Tagore) himself had seen her dance and blessed her. "I knew I had achieved enough."

Recalling that 'most memorable' moment of her life, she said, "Gurudev had come to Mumbai, and my father (the great Kathak exponent Sukhdev Maharaj) and I called on him."

"I performed for three hours on various themes, including a poem by my father on Radha-Krishna playing Holi. I can still remember the awe in Tagore's eyes. He patted my head and said, "This girl will teach Kathak to the world one day."

From that day, she dedicated herself to the classical form with 'more earnestness'. So intense was her dedication and so immense the contribution that the family's style in Kathak dancing came to be recognised as a separate school, famous as the 'Varanasi gharana'.

"It was not as easy as it may look today. We were ostracised in Varanasi after my father decided to tie ghungroo (anklets) on my feet and initiate me into dancing."

A highly decorated artiste, Sitara observes that Kathak is a dance form based on aaradhana or religious reverence and not a 'dance of the courtesans' as is the popular perception.

"The distortion in the original form could be attributed to the Lucknow gharana under the influence of the Mughal regime," she explained.

"There is no place for sensuous display in Kathak," she said, noting that Kathak was born out of religious solemnity.

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