Folk artists seek free house site pattas from government

Folk artists in Sivaganga petition for free house site pattas to secure housing amid declining performances and income challenges.

The Sivaganga Drama Actors Association has been active for 35 years and currently has 45 members. In the past, dramas were a staple at temple festivals. However, in recent years, the habit of watching stage plays has declined, leaving these artists struggling to maintain their livelihoods.

As most members did not own houses and lived in rented houses, due to a lack of steady income, they found it difficult to even pay their monthly rent, they said.

The artists noted that modern programmes have been increasingly replacing traditional dramas at temple festivals. “It is now difficult for a single artist to secure even 10 performances a year,” they stated. The meagre earnings they received were insufficient to cover even daily living expenses, they lamented.

They demanded that to support their lives, the State government should consider allotting free house site pattas to the members and construct houses for them under the Kalaignar Kanavu Illam scheme.