BANGALORE: Six years have passed since a foundation stone for a new building for Bangalore University’s (BU) Dept of Performing Arts was laid in Jnana Bharathi Campus.The incomplete building stands gray, while Dance, Drama and Music (DDM) students are forced to practice their arts in confined, dark classrooms. “The vital question here is why the construction was stopped midway. Unfortunately, there is no one ready to give us an answer, while students are the sufferers,” said a member of the Dept on condition of anonymity.DDM classes are currently conducted in five classrooms, which were earlier Chemistry labs. The foundation stone for the Dept of Performing Arts was laid in September 2005 by the then Higher Education minister D Manjunath along with Dr UN Rajashekaran Pillai, Vice- Chairman, University Grants Commission (UGC) and Dr M S Thimappa, then Vice- Chancellor.“We would definitely want to shift to a newer building. It does not feel good to call renowned artists to visit our students, as the current building is greatly dilapidated. We have no other choice, but to cover up as much as possible,” he said. He further said that a Performing Arts Dept of a university like BU should have some flamboyance. “It is surprising that no one in BU is ready to take the initiative about the incomplete building,” he said. He added that a possible reason for the delay could be the University engineer, who has connived with the contractor.“It certainly is not easy as we are cramped. We have to practice our arts in classrooms situated next to each other. That is not how a Performing Arts Dept should be. With Drama classes going, I cannot practice Caranatic music,” said a MA Music student. “With a strength of 45 students, the Dept definitely needs an exclusive building for students to practice without any restrictions.There are students who have come from Kerala expecting some exclusiveness here,” said a faculty member. Vice-Chancellor Dr N Prabhu Dev said that construction works have been kept pending for some time. “There are some problems with the architect and contractor. Construction will resume once a report on who has to be paid how much is out,” he said.
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