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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThe Music Academy, Madras, named vocalist T. M. Krishna its 2024 Sangita Kalanidhi recipient on March 17. Some musicians objected to the choice because of Krishna’s public views and remarks they considered insulting to Carnatic icons; others defended the Academy’s authority to recognize his musicianship and career. Their disagreement became a flashpoint in wider debates about tradition, caste, access and artistic criticism—not a unanimous response from the Carnatic world.
What prompted the protests?
Ranjani and Gayatri announced on March 20, 2024, that they would withdraw from the Music Academy’s December conference. In their public statement, they objected to Krishna’s views, including his praise of Periyar, and characterized his comments as harmful to the Carnatic community and disrespectful to revered figures.
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The duo wrote that Krishna had “caused immense damage to the Carnatic music world” and “insulted most respected icons like Tyagaraja and MS Subbulakshmi.” Those are the musicians’ allegations and characterizations; the reporting does not establish them as facts. India Today reproduced their statement and the Academy president’s response.
Other artists also took action: the Trichur Brothers and Harikatha exponent Dushyanth Sridhar withdrew from the conference. Chitravina Ravikiran said he would return the Sangita Kalanidhi he received in 2017. These were separate reported decisions; they do not show that every artist shared the same reasons.
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Why did the Academy choose Krishna?
The Academy presented its decision as recognition of Krishna’s music and career. Its president, N. Murali, cited his powerful voice, adherence to tradition, experimentation with performance formats, efforts to broaden the audience, and use of music as a tool for social reform.
The Academy’s announcement described Krishna as “Known for his powerful voice and his adherence to tradition when it comes to the art, he has experimented widely with its format.” It also said he had worked to expand the listener base by taking the art into varied social settings and emphasizing exploratory rather than tightly defined structures. Scroll reported the announcement; The Indian Express also covered the selection.
Murali said the Executive Committee chose Krishna for “his excellence in music over a long career, with no extraneous factions influencing his choice.” He also condemned the tone and assertions in Ranjani and Gayatri’s letter, calling it vituperative and saying it contained unwarranted and slanderous assertions. These were Murali’s statements defending the decision and criticizing the protest, not an independent finding about either side.
What larger disagreement does the award represent?
The dispute is about more than an award. It reflects competing views of Carnatic music’s relationship to its inherited traditions and icons, and to questions about caste and class hierarchies, who can access the December music season, and how the art might reach wider audiences.
- The Academy’s case: Krishna’s musical excellence and sustained career justified the recognition; the Academy said its choice was not driven by outside factors.
- The protesters’ case: Krishna’s public views and remarks about respected figures made his selection unacceptable to them.
- The wider cultural argument: Krishna’s experiments and criticism can be understood either as challenges to exclusion and convention or as affronts to valued traditions. The dispute’s participants interpret these questions differently.
The controversy therefore concerns both the award’s stated artistic criterion and the public meaning of honoring an artist whose views have drawn strong criticism. Neither the protests nor the Academy’s defense, by themselves, settle those broader arguments. The Indian Express reported on the withdrawals and the Academy’s response.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What did the court decide about the award?
In November 2024, the Madras High Court allowed the Academy to confer the Sangita Kalanidhi title on Krishna but directed it to remove M. S. Subbulakshmi’s name from the companion award and cash prize. The suit was brought by Subbulakshmi’s step-grandson over Krishna’s writings and talks about her; Krishna said his remarks had been taken out of context.
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Justice G. Jayachandran held that Krishna’s opinion, “whether good, bad or ugly will not disqualify him from getting the title Sangita Kalanidhi.” The ruling thus distinguished the title from the Subbulakshmi-named companion award and prize. This account covers the November 2024 ruling reported by The Indian Express; it does not establish whether any later order changed the legal position.
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