What is a Marathi Sahitya Sammelan without a fracas? The one currently on in Dubai too is embroiled in a controversy.
The official sponsor, Dhananjay Datar, on Friday night accused Akhil Bharatiya Sahitya Mahamandal of high-handedness. Datar claimed that one of the performers from Mumbai, Ranjana Phadke, was denied the opportunity to perform by the mandal’s Kautikirao Thale-Patil.
“I have a copy of the contract wherein Maharashtra Mandal in Dubai had agreed to Phadke performing the inaugural dance. But Thale-Patil refused to let her dance. He claimed that the protocol had been breached. In addition, the contract had a clause which stated that my official logo would be on the banner which is not the case,” said Datar. He later announced that Datar’s company would give Phadke Rs1 lakh as ‘honorarium’ and that she would
be felicitated.
By Saturday morning, Thale-Patil was seen accompanying Maharashtra Mandal president Sanjeevani Patil and Datar to Phadke’s hotel. Patil said, “He has come to convince Phadke
to perform.”
Thale-Patil has a history of controversies. He accused the media of partisan reporting and refused to share the programme schedule till the last minute. “I have always taken a stand and in this case till this last minute I had not been shown the programme list. All I said that this is not a theatre festival to have the nandi performance,” said Thale-Patil. “I was brought here to the hotel only because I was told we were to go out in the car. I wasn’t told of meeting anyone.”
The programme schedule of the Dubai literary summit was finalised and presented to the Sammelan members eight days ago. So it is unlikely it is unlikely that Thale-Patil was unaware of the programme details.
Thale-Patil ensured that Phadke performed only once on the last day. She was initially scheduled to perform three dances.
Meanwhile, Sanjeevani Patil refused to speak to the media, claiming that there were no differences between the organisers.
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