Amid row, TM Krishna launches new book on mridangam makers

The book discusses the making of mridangam, which uses cow and goatskin. Opening with an interview with Selvaraj, a mridangam maker in Nagnanallur, the Carnatic vocalist said he interviewed six generations of mridangam makers across the south, as well as their families and students.

“When I looked at my first book, A Southern Music: The Karnatik Story, I realised I did not talk about the instrument makers at all. This was an error on my part. Sebastian & Sons is a book of history. It tries to trace the lives of mridangam makers and players everywhere. Before the 1960s, there was a family in Thanjavur did this occupation. This was Sebastian’s family. They all moved to Madras in the 60s and have been making mridangams for decades. The book is about the movements and relationships,” said TM Krishna.

President of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi Thol Thirumavalavan and biographer and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, Rajmohan Gandhi unveiled the book and received the first copy. This was preceded by a reading of excerpts from the book and followed by a panel discussion. Former Union minister P Chidambaram was also present at the event.

“We know Indian society is hierarchical, but we know it is interdependent. There is mutual need from both levels, but there is ignorance from one side and quiet indignation from the other side. Now, thanks to some people today, people are banding together to do away with the Constitutional changes to our democracy. To bang the door is not the way to respond to a pioneering book. Let critics provide an opinion to the book,” said Gandhi.

Originally set to be launched at the Kalakshetra Foundation, an excerpt of the book was published on January 30, which read, “The cow is removed from the artist’s sight. Since the killing and skinning happen beyond his circle of existence, he can act as if it does not happen.”

This led to the Kalakshetra Foundation to withdraw permission for the venue for launching to book, stating in a letter, “We were unaware of the controversies surrounding the subject matter of the book at the time of renting our auditorium for the book release.”Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram and Thirumavalavan strongly rejected Kalakshetra’s decision on Twitter, saying the foundation had let down Dalit members from the art community.