TM Krishna conferred with MS Subbulakshmi award

CHENNAI: Carnatic musician TM Krishna on Sunday was conferred with an award in the name of late Carnatic music maestro MS Subbulakshmi at the inaugural function of Music Academy's 98th annual conferences and concerts.

Receiving the award, TM Krishna, a Sangitha Kalanidhi designate, said, "For a singer like me to receive an award instituted in her memory is not just a sign of honour but a blessing. Even more, it carries with it a responsibility that I sing, not just with my trained voice, not just with a concentrating mind, but with my very being, my life, my all."

The award was handed over by S Muralidhar, Former Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court.

Ever since the Music Academy announced Krishna, a Ramon Magsaysay award recipient, as their choice for the award, there were dissenting voices from the Carnatic music community who expressed displeasure for choosing 'Periyarist' Krishna for the award and threatened to boycott Margazhi season events at the Music Academy, stirring up a war of words between the Academy and a section of musicians.

Subbulakshmi's grandson, V Shrinivasan, had moved the Madras High Court and submitted that, in her will, executed in 1997, Subbulakshmi expressed that no trust, statute or foundation should be instituted in her memory.

Accepting the plea, a single judge at the Madras High Court held that the plaintiff had locus standi in favour of him and passed an order restraining the Music Academy from conferring the award, against which the academy appealed.

On Friday (December 13), a division bench of the Madras High Court set aside the earlier order. The academy had contended that the award in remembrance of MS Subbulakshmi has been conferred to many musicians in the past and can't be stalled at this stage claiming that she had executed a will not to give any awards in her name. The Supreme Court had refused to grant an urgent hearing on a plea challenging the Madras High Court order allowing the conferment of M S Subbulakshmi award on TM Krishna. The top court said the appeal would be heard on December 16. After ASG said the case would become infructuous by then, the CJI said, "They can always take back the award."