Madras High Court bars music academy from giving award in MS Subbulakshmi’s name to TM Krishna

The Madras High Court on Tuesday restrained the Madras Music Academy from conferring the Sangita Kalanidhi MS Subbulakshmi Award on Carnatic vocalist and activist TM Krishna.

Justice G Jayachandran allowed the petition filed by legendary Carnatic musician Subbulakshmi’s grandson V Srinivasan, challenging the conferment of such award on Krishna.

The judge clarified that while there was no bar on the Music Academy conferring awards or awarding Krishna particularly, the award must not be named after Subbulakshmi.

“If any person is really having reverence and regard for MS Subbulakshmi, then after knowing her desire and mandate, they should not give any awards in her name,” the High Court said.

As per the petitioner, Subbulakshmi’s Will explicitly states there should be no trust, foundation, or memorial in her name after her passing.

Srinivasan had approached the High Court in August this year seeking orders not just restraining the Academy from conferring the Sangita Kalanidhi Award on Krishna, but also from presenting the award in Subbulakshmi’s name altogether.

He had told the Court that he and his family did not want the award to be given to anybody because that would be “against the spirit” of Subbulakshmi’s Will.

He added that giving such award to Krishna was further “questionable” since Krishna had been making “vile, vituperative, and scandalous attacks” on Subbulakshmi on social media and had been maligning the late singer’s reputation.