Who has erred? Is it the government? Is it the corporate sector? Is it the media? Or is it the artistic and intellectual community itself, which has failed to define the cultural space in which we and our children ought to breathe? My verdict is: All! I am aware that such a conclusion means nothing. For, it blames and absolves all of us at the same time.

The real need is to form a National Cultural Council with adequate representation of the government on one hand and the corporate sector and media on the other. Of course, the spine of such a council should be the artists and intellectuals themselves. Such a concerted effort should hopefully bring forth desired ideas and policies which will then need to be implemented with utmost urgency and vigour. But the question is, who will bell the cat.

The writer is an actor, director, and playwright. He is former director of the National School of Drama

The play, the controversy

• December 16, 1972: Ghashiram Kotwal first performed by the Progressive Drama Association (PDA)

• 1973: After 19 performances, the play was cancelled. Though it was never officially banned, the RSS reportedly applied pressure on PDA to stop its performance for allegedly hurting the feelings of the Brahmin community. They sent a letter to the Pune police commissioner to have it banned. Subsequently, the PDA broke up and a young artists group, the Theatre Academy, began to stage the play again

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