He was pushed out, not allowed to finish meal: Padma Awardee Guru Mayadhar Raut's daughter recounts eviction

Odissi dance exponent Guru Mayadhar Raut a 90yearold Padma Shri awardee was having lunch at his governmentallotted bungalow in Delhi when a team of officials came knocking on his door to evict himThe nonagenarian was apparently not even allowed 10 minutes to finish his meal and was pushed out of the Asian Games Village accommodation his daughter Madhurima claimed on Thursday recounting the events two days ago when she was visiting her fatherShe said she went numb seeing the events unfold I was in tears My father is 90 years old He has asthma high blood pressure and eyesight problems as well Madhurima told PTIMy father could not have his lunch and he was pushed out of the house We asked for 10 minutes just so that he could have his meal but we were told we cannot be granted even two minutes for that she allegedIs this our Indian culture To throw away an old man who has served our nation all these years I am so upset and disappointed seeing what is happening with my father a visibly fuming Madhurima addedVideos and photographs of the eviction proceedings surfaced on social media in which a frail Raut could be seen outside the bungalow walking with a stick his Padma Shri citation among other possessions lying on the roadMadhurima recalled how she frantically made calls trying to prevent the evacuation but all in vain It was only after several attempts that she was able to arrange for a temporary accommodation for her father with one of her studentsShe said the officials who evicted her father should have granted them time till their review petition hearing at the Delhi High Court on Wednesday April 27It is written in our Constitution that every citizen in our country has the right to live with dignity They cant be doing anything that they want to they have to have a policy in place for this at least What was the urgency for them to come and throw my father out on Tuesday Had I not been there with my father he would have died Madhurima said alleging that the officials have not been transparent with themThe Centre on Wednesday asked eight eminent artistes who were allotted government accommodations years ago but which were cancelled in 2014 to vacate the facilities by May 2Vanashree Rao and Kuchipudi dancer Guru Jayarama Rao said they reached out to the culture as well as the housing minister over the issue but both refused to meet themI feel disgraced and dishonoured Why is it that the athletes and sportspersons are granted government jobs and cash rewards whereas we who have been serving the nation via culture have no place to practice or rehearse We have been divested off our work I want to appeal to the corporate and the business world to come forward and offer help to us Rao told PTIA senior Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry official said out of 28 artistes there are still around eight who have not moved out of their government accommodations despite multiple noticesAccording to the governments policy up to 40 artistes can be allotted accommodation under a special quota in the General Pool Residential Accommodation on the recommendation of the culture ministry if they earned under Rs 20000 a monthEarlier this month the Delhi High Court had refused to grant more time to Indian classical artiste Rita Ganguly who had challenged a single judges decision directing her and others to vacate government allotted residences in the national capital by AprilendA bench of Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Navin Chawla had said it would not grant even one more day and noted that the single judge was more than benevolent while granting her two months timeThe Centre had given a deadline of December 31 2020 to vacate the premises but the notice was stayed by the high court after the petitions were filedThe court had said it would be open for the Centre to take action if the petitioners did not comply with its February orderThe singlejudge bench had delivered its verdict on the pleas by Mohiniyattam dancer Bharati Shivaji Kuchipudi dancer Guru V Jayarama Rao Mayadhar Raut Dhrupad singer Ustad F Wasifuddin Dagar Bharatanatyam dancer Rani Shinghal Kathak expert Geetanjali Lal and other artistes including KR Subanna Kamal Sabri Devraj Dakoji Kamalini artist Jatin Das Pt Bhajan Sopori and GangulyThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever