Lalit Kala Akademi: Fallout with ministry before the curb order

The Indian Express has now learnt that the order came amid differences between Nagdas and the ministry over administrative issues, including the appointment of consultants, transfer of officials within the Akademi, and selection of invitees for the Akademi’s annual national exhibition and national award ceremony.

While the ministry is learnt to have been unhappy with the LKA Chairman for taking decisions without its concurrence, sources close to Nagdas said the disagreements mainly arose as he sought to operate the Akademi “as an autonomous arts body and not as a government office”.

According to documents reviewed by The Indian Express, one issue of contention was the appointment of consultants. A few months after his appointment in March last year, Nagdas had appointed 29 consultants across LKA and its regional offices to facilitate its functioning, for editing, curatorial and coordination work.

“This had ticked off the ministry since its concurrence wasn’t taken, and it had even sought a report on the urgency of the same,” said an official who did not want to be identified. Sources said the appointments were considered a financial burden.

While Nagdas was unavailable for comment, a source close to him said he was “within his powers” in making the appointments.

A month after curtailing his powers, the ministry sent an order on February 13, 2024 — a copy of which has been reviewed by The Indian Express — terminating the services of 24 such employees, including 10 at the Delhi headquarters and 14 others.

The strain between Nagdas and the government also stemmed from the conduct of the national-level exhibition at LKA and its national award ceremony. While the ministry is learnt to have been unhappy about the President’s absence at the events (she usually presents the award), sources close to Nagdas said the President was invited, as was Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy. The award ceremony, held in August 2023, was officiated by Nagdas in the presence of office-bearers from other autonomous bodies under the Culture Ministry such as the National School of Drama.

On December 12 last year, LKA vice-president Nand Thakur also lodged a complaint with the ministry, raising some “urgent concerns” at the Akademi. “The chairman is organising a meeting regarding selecting new general council members without following the Akademi’s constitution,” Thakur said in his complaint, reviewed by The Indian Express, adding that he wasn’t invited to the meeting.

Both Culture Secretary Govind Mohan and Thakur were unavailable for comment.

For three years, from 2015 to 2018, the LKA was directly run by the Culture Ministry. Invoking a special provision in the Akademi’s constitution, the government took over its management in April 2015, citing complaints of alleged administrative and financial irregularities.

In 2018, Mumbai-based sculptor Uttam Pacharne was appointed as LKA chairman for three years, and later given an extension. He was succeeded by Nagdas, a painter and printmaking artist from Kerala, who was appointed for a three-year term on March 13 last year.

Nagdas, 64, has earlier served as a professor, dean, and head of the department of graphics in the Visual Arts Faculty, Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya in Chhattisgarh’s Khairagarh. According to sources privy to the matter, he was selected from a panel of three names shortlisted by the search committee set up for the purpose — the other two being artist Girish Chandra Sharma and sculptor Ratilal Kansodariya.