MS Subbulakshmi Award to TM Krishna: My grandmother hated this anger

The second concerns our awareness of the terms of His will. I was also the beneficiary of the will left by my aunt, MS Subbulakshmi. Shortly after her death, I, along with other beneficiaries, were given a letter outlining her wishes, and these I have known since 2006. Reports that we were unaware of these until recently are incorrect.

I have spoken with many family members, and the general perception among those I consult is that the legal case is misguided and a waste of valuable court time. Furthermore, it generates the unnecessary propaganda and divisive feeding frenzy that MS abhors.

Since MS is a public and iconic figure, people have the right to share their thoughts and opinions about her and discuss her life, her music, and her impact on the world of Carnatic music and beyond. Many books and countless articles have been written about him. Not all of these are adulterous or hagiographic. Human nature being what it is, some gossip and attempts at titillation were inevitable. Our family members generally maintained a reflective silence, any response would only provoke unnecessary public discussion, which would not have pleased him.

Many individuals and organizations have organized events and instituted awards to celebrate MS Subbulakshmi. His statue has been placed. The Government of India minted a coin in his honour. This is only natural and the terms of his will certainly cannot be binding on the world at large.

Composers Sudha Ragunathan and AR Rahman performed to commemorate MS’s 1966 concert for the General Assembly at the United Nations.

Along with another cousin of mine, I myself have set up a website (msstribute.org) to pay tribute to him. Many people including TM Krishna were invited to share their thoughts and experiences about MSI. A music festival was also organized in the United States to commemorate his centenary. My nieces Aishwarya and Soundarya, daughters of V Srinivasan, graced the occasion by giving a concert, which also featured violinist VV Subramanian as well as Gori Ramnarayan and his troupe from Justus Repertory. None of us felt that this was a violation of any of the terms or the spirit of the wishes of MS.

Now, I come to the allegations that TM Krishna wrote and lectured on MS and what he said. I have read these, and while some of his statements may be inflammatory, I do not find them offensive. Reading his words, he is accusing the society of minimizing his personality, courage and strength to a large extent by focusing only on cosmetics.

MS Subbulakshmi was as iconoclastic as they come. It must have taken a lot of courage for this girl from a simple family in Madurai to venture out to find a new life in the big city. Her acting career, her relationship and eventual marriage to T Sadashivam, her Suprabhatam, her Vishnu Sahasranamam and her Hanuman Chalisa recordings were all groundbreaking and quite radical in their time.

Like many others before him, Krishna seems to have tried to explain the MS phenomenon—perhaps even to himself. How did such a forward-thinking person and radical trailblazer manage all this under the guise of a traditional and restrained woman? Novelist RK Narayan has attempted his own interpretation in his short story Selvi.

Could Krishna have been more selective in his use of words? Sure, yes. But is it a matter for legal proceedings with lawyers and courts? I hope we can all try to be a little more thick skinned and not let our differences of opinion separate us as a society and as a people. These are disagreements we can resolve face to face. We also have to accept that we cannot always agree on everything. Our debates and arguments can be strong without recriminations. Through such inquiry, we advance our understanding of many things. Even those who are outraged by Krishna’s statement do not have to go to court to be intimidated or suppressed.

Whatever the Supreme Court decides will be the final decision. However, can’t we limit our argument to facts? Can’t we say someone is wrong without calling them bad? Can we learn to respect the right of others to differ, as well as the right to question our opinions and beliefs?

The situation here certainly makes one wonder if there are people working behind the scenes to sow discord among us. Their interest may not be in profiting from the controversy as much as in protecting the image of MS Subbulakshmi. I urge newspapers and journalists to delve deeper into this story. I urge the Carnatic music community to put aside these differences and focus on working together to promote greater inclusiveness, not just music.

I love my brother Chenu (V Srinivasan). Her daughters call me Periappa, honor and solemn responsibility. I am writing this for the loss this case is causing us to the extended and immediate family of MS and to the memory of MS Subbulakshmi and T Sadashivam. I hope that Srinivasan and all who read it will accept it in that spirit and not move on ad hominem attacks.