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Aryan Now, choreographer Astad Deboo rejects Gujarat award Press Trust Of India Posted online: Saturday, September 22, 2007 at 0000 hrs http://www.indianexpress.com/story/219711.html Ahmedabad, September 21 : In another snub to Chief Minister Narendra Modi, noted choreographer Astad Deboo has refused to accept an award of the Gujarat Government in protest against its "policies and actions." Deboo has written a letter to the Gujarat State Sangeet Natak Akademi conveying that he does not want to accept the Gaurav Puruskar award in the field of dance. "In my previous correspondence to you prior to my departure to the United States, I had accepted the award. But upon serious reflection I have decided not to accept the award because I do not believe in the policies of the current Government in Gujarat and its actions," Deboo said in his letter. "Since the award is given by the Gujarat Government, I cannot in good conscience accept it," he said. "I am proud to be an Indian and an artiste. But the violence perpetrated upon the people of Gujarat under this Government leaves me with no choice except to disassociate myself from all its actions," Deboo added in the letter to the member secretary of the Academy dated September 20. Deboo is the second artiste after Aditi Mangaldas to have rejected the Gujarat State Sangeet Natak Akademi's Gaurav Puruskar. Mangaldas had alleged that the state Government led by Modi was indulging in divisive activities. The rejection of the award by the artistes comes just months after artists and social activists from different parts of the country had agitated against the action of a local BJP leader of Vadodara, Niraj Jain, who had vandalised art works exhibited by students at the Fine Arts Faculty of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
