Some Chief Ministers in our country might appear like Muhammad – bin - Tughlaq (1325 - 1351), the Emperor of Tughlaq dynasty who ruled India for sometime. He had many futuristic ideas like shifting India’s capital from Delhi to the centre of the country, Daulatabad near Aurangabad and introducing leather currency which led to our today's paper currency.
One such Chief Minister was Gundu Rao, who was very impulsive and known to take decisions on the spot (on the spur of the moment). And sometimes such decisions were found to be very wise and sound.
One such decision was in appointing Prof. V. M. Sholapurkar as the Dean of CAVA (Chamarajendra Academy of Visual Arts) which was setup by bifurcating the Chamarajendra Technical Institute (CTI), which was earlier imparting training on Visual Arts.
Thus was born CAVA and Gundu Rao appointed Prof. Sholapurkar as its first Dean with the responsibility to launch the project with infrastructure, setting the curriculum, recruitment of staff, conducting examination, evaluation etc.
Prof. Sholapurkar, with his rich experience and qualification, being an alumnus of the world-famous J. J. School of Art, Bombay, with more than 20 years experience, was appointed on a six-year contract and he acquitted himself in this responsibility in an extraordinary manner inviting the admiration of not only the art connoisseurs but also the students and the staff alike. After about three years of operation in the old CTI building on Sayyaji Rao Road, CAVA found itself suffocated for space and Sholapurkar was looking out for a new location with a few acres of land for the CAVA of his vision. His vision was to give to Karnataka an Art Institute which can match the 150 – year - old J. J. School of Art, Bombay, spread over many acres of land, located now in downtown Bombay. But when it was setup, everybody complained of its distance and the forest that existed on that land. But the British had the vision and a futuristic view of the J. J. School of Art. Similar was the vision of Prof. V. M. Sholapurkar for CAVA. And he had almost made it.
He was able to get the royal hunting lodge, “Aloka” about 15 km from Mysore in Yelwala, located in an area of 60 acres, surrounded by forest land and an imposing hunting lodge with halls and rooms, a heritage building with its unique architecture. The then Government was wise enough to take away this property from the Forest Department and hand it over to CAVA. After about 3 years in city, Sholapurkar shifted CAVA to this new location and started operations despite protests by vested interest groups of staff and students who were used to kushi life of living in the city. Their main complaint was the distance and lack of security. Both were unfounded because these problems could have been resolved if time was given.
In the meanwhile, to the bad luck of Mysore city and Karnataka, Sholapurkar’s contract of six years expired and the new Government of Ramakrishna Hegde had its own priorities.
Sholapurkar says Hegde was a wonderful person and had great interest in art and culture and the need to develop them. Unfortunately, his Minister for Kannada and Culture did not have the same passion. The Minister, who was responsible for the administration of CAVA, was corrupt to the core. It is learnt he had hinted at money (bribe) for renewing the contract of Sholapurkar, which apparently was not coming forth. So it was, Sholapurkar was terminated as per the contract, to the joy of the vested interest groups who had opposed Sholapurkar’s choice of location in Aloka.
For a long time after Sholapurkar, no person qualified to be the Dean of an Art Institute like CAVA was appointed. It was either an IPS officer or some babus without the faintest knowledge of visual arts, who occupied that office as in-charge Dean or Administrator on an ad-hoc basis. This became handy for the vested interests to shift CAVA back to its old dungeon on Sayyaji Rao Road and the Aloka reverted to the hands of Forest Department as before.
It must be mentioned here that Sholapurkar, upon learning that his contract will not be renewed, out of his abiding love and concern for this Institute, suggested to the then Minister for Kannada and Culture, Jeevaraj Alva, the name of another famous artist, S. G. Vasudeva. However, for the same reason why Sholapurkar’s contract was not renewed, Vasudeva’s too was not accepted. It is also said Vasudeva, for fear of dirty politicking by politicians, had refused the idea at the proposal stage itself. So it was, the steady decline and fall of CAVA began. It is still surviving in its old place without much to show to either the world of art or to the students.
Aloka was at one time taken over by the University of Mysore which renamed it as Writer’s Home, where research scholars and authors associated with the University were allowed to reside and pursue their vocation.
When Sholapurkar got this property, the first thing he did was to invite the world-famous innovative (creative) architect resident in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Laurie Baker, to submit a design for his new dream for CAVA. Laurie Baker visited the place and submitted a plan which was ideal and futuristic, using his trademark of utilizing the locally available materials. Against the Government architect’s estimate of a few crores for the project, Laurie Baker had submitted an estimate less than half the cost. The corrupt officers and the Minister naturally found Laurie Baker’s proposal unacceptable. It is said, it was the then Secretary for Kannada and Culture, Chiranjeevi Singh, IAS, who had suggested the name of Laurie Baker. When Sholapurkar left CAVA and the new in-charge Dean took over, the project was naturally dropped following the shifting of CAVA to its old location in the city.
However, the Government that came after Hegde wanted to take a look at Baker’s design but shockingly it was not to be traced. Thanks to the Czar of Chitrakala Parishat, B.K. Nanjundaiah, who felt envious of such a project for CAVA, because, with such a world class project, CAVA would eclipse his brain - child and baby Chitrakala Parishat in Bangalore of which he was the sole proprietor with other high - profile office - bearers surrendering all powers to him.
If our country is not making progress the way it is possible and to its full potential, it is because of our corrupt Ministers, indifferent bureaucrats and the crab - culture amongst our technocrats, creative people and intellectuals. CAVA is one such example. I request the present BJP Government with Shobha Karandlaje as the District in - charge Minister to take up this issue and restore CAVA to greater glory as conceived by Prof. V. M. Sholapurkar who is fortunately amongst us today and was conferred with the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award - 2008 by the BJP Government.
The CAVA should be first shifted to Aloka once again after taking it over from the Forest Department (where there is no real forest anyway, except on paper) and ask the babus in the concerned departments to ferret out the missing Laurie Baker’s architectural design. Sadly, Laurie Baker is no more. Now, further steps should be taken in consultation with Prof. Sholapurkar to build that dream Visual Arts Centre of international standard called CAVA.
