Peerzada Arshad Hamid

Srinagar

Srinagar's Institute of Music and Fine Arts (IMFA) is perhaps the only place in this otherwise conflict ridden city that is keeping alive the flame of art, let alone for namesake.

Inspite of producing reputed artists, the institute's wait for someone like Picasso to paint its sorry figure in true colours remains unending.

Started in the year 1965 as a centre to conduct hobby classes in Art and Music, the institute could not flourish beyond offering the customary diplomas and degrees to the enrolled students. It missed the chance to create the artistic sense among the city's residents.

Forty-two years have gone by and the institute is yet to have a building of its own that can meet the minimum creative standards. Call it official apathy or the disregard for art, the institute is governed by two bodies, the University of Kashmir and Academy for Art, Culture and Languages. While the former conducts the examinations and issues degrees, the later has an administrative control over the institute.

Presently the institute functions from a rented guest house in the city's residential locality. The compound of the building is not too vast as it should be, still the art on stones and small logs of wood along the footpath grabs the attention and soothes the occasional art lovers visiting it.

Inside the small rooms of the building, the students try their hands to give a vent to their imagination by the constant brush strokes on a evolving paper.

At the adjacent place a young girl was engrossed in sketching the finer details of Shahrukh Khan, the famous bollywood actor. Someone else was dressing the sculpture trying to better it from the previous experience. The background was constantly humming with the periodic swings of finesse singer and amateur irritator.

Aatiya Thakur, is pursuing the degree in Fine Arts at the IMFA. Deeply moved by the sight of security bunkers surrounded by barbed wire with dangling empty bottles of whisky and rum bottles,   she has been working for the past so many days to replicate the same in stone and clay model. 

"May be the usual sight of bunkers in and around the city has tempted me to work on this particular model. I want to preserve it for the coming generations so that they can get an insight of the era we have lived in," said Aatiya, an amateur artist in a humble tune.

Perhaps Aatiya's work can not be spared for the generation next as institute is devoid of any art gallery to showcase the works of students and hold any exhibitions.

The authorities at the helm of affairs have not felt the need to have a gallery in Srinagar city, which happens to be the capital of Jammu and Kashmir.

Faculty members inform that in 1983 the government laid a foundation stone for Art gallery "Tahzeeb Mahal" in the emporium garden located at Residency road, in the centre of the city. However the building never came up and gradually idea went down the drain till 1989, when the final nail in the coffin was put by eruption of insurgency in the Valley,

Today paramilitary forces are stationed in the garden and the pulpit on which foundation stone is resting unfortunately forms a part of toilet for the security personnel.

"When there is no gallery to showcase the work of students and teachers in the society how come you expect the people to develop tastes for the Art? The government is totally indifferent towards the art and culture of Kashmir. They have snatched the mother tongue from the people and you are talking of preserving art and culture,' said a disgruntled young faculty member preferring anonymity.

In the haze of this hopelessness, the students are optimistic about choosing art as a career. They are dreaming in the artistic ecstasy of coming up with their own galleries and then selling art in this art alien world.

"I will construct my own gallery to showcase my work and that of the work of others and I am hopeful Kashmir has the potential in this field," wishes Aaniya Farooqi, doing Bachelors in Fine Arts.

The known artist in the country Masood Hussain is heading the institute.

"We are putting in our best efforts to inculcate among the students passion to exhibit their talent and are trying to groom their skills despite the lack of facilities and other infrastructure," said Hussain.

Entangled in so many problems, the IMFA really needs someone like Mozart to put its melancholic tale on the tunes to reach the deaf ear of authorities.