1961-1000 Article Art Culture and Artist published in the souvenir Dignity of Art brought out to commemorate the Inauguration of the Youth Society For Films by the Union Home Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on 1961-1008, the function presided over by the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Y. B. Chevam, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

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Tags: English India 1961 Art 1961-10 Maharashtra Mumbai Article


Transcript In guiding the creation of an atom into this complex universe and in planning the evolution of a single cell into this wonderful human being, there is a hidden hand of a very great Artist-artist because through his creation He expresses Himself, He sings, He dances, He paints, He acts and above all, He compels the spectators to reflect. Yes, He created this world because He wanted to reflect Himself, His Truths, His Beauty, His Grace, His Compassion, His Sweetness, His Righteousness, all that can be termed as culture. In the process of bettering his reflectors, he created the human being. And man alone in the entire known creation was gifted with a free moral will and a sense of discretion. Perhaps that the only way, after the ape stage, he could go further with the progress of evolution. It is thus that the human beings constitute the best reflectors of the Creator. Some of them as sages, like Lord Buddha, Jesus Christ, Lord Mahavir, mark the destination of human progress, others as scientist discover the mighty forces of creation which are being constantly harnessed in the service of man. Similarly, some others gifted with extraordinary faculties of perception and understanding play the role of ``Artists". They have not only an extra-ordinary ``eye" but also an ability to communicate with others through the medium of art. They have an extremely sensitive heart and an equally eloquent medium by which they can touch the hearts of their fellowmen. This factor assumes a social importance and thus an artist plays a vital role, as member of a society. When an artist realizes what an important role he plays in the scheme of creation and that a special gift of an unique instrument of Art has been bestowed upon him, he becomes alert, attentive and responsible. He seeks truth and beauty through his life. In his hand, he abhors all that is ugly; petty or intriguing, in his personal life, he shrinks from all that is immoral, characterless or indecent; in his social life, he weeds out all that creates pain, harshness, jealousy, hatred and conceit; in his political life, he revolts against all that is domination, violence, slavery or destruction. This he does through his art and through his life. There can not be any disparity in the art he produces and the life he leads because, despite all his talents, the defects of his character will get mixed up with his Art. His personal defects will flow gradually into his art, without his will or knowledge. For example, if an artist is immoral, he will try to justify his art by his art without understanding that he himself has done a wrong and that his guilt is shadowing his art. Or else, if the artist lacks character, he may sell his art knowingly into the hands of such people who want to exploit the weaknesses of the society and amass wealth. The art thus produced would be pervert and distorted. Thus to get the best out of this instrument of art, the artist has to be exemplarily cultured person. It is seldom realized by the artist how unknowingly he influences and moulds the character of his worshippers and admirers through his life. He is the hero of many. His ideals are watched, his values accepted and his life trickles down into the fibre of the society. This social importance should give him additional reason to be a perfect gentleman. Moreover, it will give him inner satisfaction to find divine beauty emerging through his art. It will give him courage and power when he discovers that his art soothes the sick, elevates the down-trodden, guides the misled, encourages the honest, supports the good, and lastly marks the stepping stone of the human progress. This, one can achieve only if one is in harmony with one's self. Alas: but that is not the state of mind of so many artists today. They have lost faith in themselves and they are filled with self pity. They have discarded their ideas branding them as idealistic (as if idealism is something to be positively shunned). They contend that the practical side of the whole issue is dark, full of storms and gales, which engulfs the artists and are destroying them one after another. One, unfortunately, sees evidence of this everyday. The artist finds his idealism submerged and he is overwhelmed by the forces at work. Thus he distorts his art, curbs his imagination and disfigures his creation. But if art has to live and if the purpose of art is to be served, the mind of an artist must be freed from this atmosphere of fear and insecurity. Many people other than the artists can be blamed for this atmosphere. Many agencies can be detected who might be at work in its creation and so many facts could be put forward to establish its existence. But all this criticism and loud thinking is not going to free the artists from the bondage of insecurity and fear. It is time that Artist develops faith in himself and in his art. He should assess his quality and realize his potentialities. First of all he should face himself and prepare himself for the betterment of his life and art. But how can one man fight the evils of this whole world? In the modern times when everything is moving very fast, it is very difficult for a single person to achieve anything without compromising with the trend of the world. Hence, it is absolutely essential that those artists who seek freedom and who believe that they have to play a vital role to further the cause of art, should give up their petty differences and jealousies and unite together. If such a group of artists decides to accept good in their personal, economic and social life and pledge not to deviate from the right path, then no power, however destructive, can lay hands on them. Unity of purpose can only grant them all the security needed for the creation of their Art. If the artists who are now at the crest of popularity forget their past and ignore their future, they may indulge in selfishness and conceit. If every such artist remembers his past, he could go all out to help the young artists who have newly come in the field and if he reflects on his future, he would help more as a father helps his sun and creates a security for his old age. If this atmosphere of mutual help is evolved, he can also seek help from the experienced older artists. Their guidance will expedite his process of improving his art. Their past pitfalls will warn him against the dangers which he should avoid. In some cases independence becomes a misnomer for arrogance and such inexperienced and immature artists fumble at every step. They sometimes get lost in in the maze of life and return frustrated giving up all the hopes of creating their art. Some of the them do feel for sometime that they have reached heights and suddenly find themselves fallen into a pit if darkness from where there is no return. So if the group[s] of an artist of art societies believe in the blessing of their elders and protect their youngsters, they can not [cannot] be dominated or exploited by foreign influences. This will not end the purpose of their existence for they must produce art that is pure and eternal in its creation. Art is best produced by blending if qualities of heart and mind. An artist is gifted with a heart which feels and expresses emotions of others. Affection for a child, love for a beloved, sympathy for oppressed, compassion for the fellowmen, joy in surrendering to one's moral and social self, patriotism, feeling of universal brotherhood and ecstasy of spiritual bliss comprise most of the finer feelings of human heart. To feel them, an artist must have a correct idea of their proper perspectives and their proper priorities. For example, if a literary artist by creating a character of a hero tries to put his personal love above social justice, such a creation would be absurd, because how can a bigger circle fit into a smaller one.[?] Such pervert creations have been in the past and are increasing every day. Here comes the need of an enlightened keen mind, which can guide and grade the emotional qualities. Such an enlightenment, unfortunately, is not always born with the artist's talents and hence there are so many instances of an artist justifying something absolutely perverse through his art. So it is essential for an artist to acquire it from all the sources. He has to work up individually but above mentioned art societies can also help by arranging libraries where artists can read and see the creation of past art. They can also find out from the history how these creations have affected the then generations and what changes were needed. Moreover, they can meet and exchange their ideas among themselves without any personal malice or jealousies. Speeches and talks can be arranged by the thinders [thinkers], philosophers, social workers and spiritual leaders. By conducting some educational classes or debating societies on art and its utility to society, artists can correct and clarify their ideas about art. A wider sphere of the society can enclose within its realm also such members - people who are interested in the well-being of the society and are dealing with other aspects of artist's lives, such as criticism[,] sale, exhibition and distribution of art. This will strengthen the society and they will not be the victims of the people who want to exploit their talents. These societies can provide a good medium for the masses to come in contact with the artists. By conducting tours and visits to various places, the artists can feel the pluse [pulse] of the nation and like Nero, they would not play on their harp when Rome was burning. By this he will guard himself against cheap popularity which is a very treacherous thing for an artist. He can assess the needs of the society. He can detect evils of the society. He can mark the drawbacks of the society and then can try to meet this popular demand. Artists have to raise the public eye to their standards of taste and not to stoop down to the cheap demand of the public and thus surrender their freedom. This can be done by contacting educational and social institutions by the enlightened artists. Through articles in magazines and newspapers, the idea[s] of such artists can be propagated. Through dramas, films and radio talks, people can be educated for the understanding of real art. Thus the dignity of art can be maintained. By coming in contact with the public at large through these societies, the social self of an artist will develop into a keener and a [more] sensitive being. It will react to the slightest unrest in the nation, to the slightest imbalance in the society. If he sees a leper on the street, his heart will pour out with such sympathy through his art that he can create an atmosphere by which social workers, doctors, scientists and the people in charge of the state will be forced to think of some solution to the problems of leprosy. If an artist finds his countrymen being unpatriotic or cowardly, he can through his art inspire them and can serve the role of a brave soldier. Thus he can serve the society through others by creating a deep impact on their minds. Such is the motivating force of an artist. They are the lovliest [loveliest] flowers of the creation, [the] sweetest dreams of the Creator and [the] dearest parts of the human society. Perhaps, they do not know how they are loved, worshiped and followed by their spectators. This is my humble concept of art, culture and artist. In my honest efforts, I have tried to suggest certain ways and means by which artists can get united and give a lead to further the cause of art. Nirmal Srivastava (Member, Supreme Council)


CommentsC1. Based on S1: 'Federal Council of Youth' was started with the inspiration and under the guidance of Śhrī Mātājī and launched 'Youth Society For Films' as a project.
"The prime objective of 'Federal Council of Youth' was to concentrate and harness the energy of youth of the country for National Reconstruction and Development. The main aim of 'Youth Society For Films' was to patronize and propagate purposeful and healthy entertainment with a view to infuse national, social and moral values in youth through entertainment, particularly through the powerful medium of films."


SourcesS1. Six pages (as jpgs or pdf). Scanned and cropped by CCT.


Chronological UpdatesCU1 on 2024-0731: Added Transcript and S1.