The showdown: Performing arts versus politics
"If the government wants to shut us down, it should say so in so many words. No need to beat around the bush and make it a matter of illegality which it clearly is not. It's not like I have made my chachi live here illegally when I was supposed to make an academy of performing arts,” says Rahat Kazmi contemptuously. Rahat is one amongst many eminent names teaching and managing NAPA.

That the Ministry of Culture, headed by Sassui Palijo, sent a legal notice to the management of NAPA to evacuate the premises of the Hindu Gymkhana where it is presently located has made national headlines and many an editorial has been dedicated to this issue. According to the notice, the Hindu Gymkhana is declared a protected heritage site under the Sindh Culture Heritage (Preservation) Act of 1994 and by constructing a theatre and auditorium within the Gymkhana premises, NAPA has violated the agreement which it entered on September 23, 2005, with the Culture and Tourism Department and therefore, must vacate the premises.

"Asking NAPA to vacate the Hindu Gymkhana premise is the collective decision of the Sindh government and not a decision I took in isolation,” says Sassui Palijo, the Minister of Culture for Sindh who was more then willing to meet with Instep. "I can't stop my government if they want to move forward with a decision. We have discussed this matter for many months - this is not something we decided to do overnight. We do believe that NAPA has been doing a wonderful job and we want to make it clear that we are not against NAPA. But if they have breached a contract then obviously we cannot close our eyes. They have violated the agreement they made with the government. The agreement clearly says that the Hindu Gymkhana has been leased out to NAPA for 30 years and Clause 8 in the agreement says that they cannot construct or build any other new addition or building within the specific premises of the Hindu Gymkhana. And if they do, then that will be considered a breach and violation of the agreement and the property will immediately be taken away from them.”

"We are ready to facilitate NAPA and provide them whatever they want,” says Sassui in as humble a tone as she can muster. "We are willing to go all out for them and will facilitate them; not only in Karachi but anywhere they want to go be it Thatta, Hyderabad or even Islamabad. The Sindh ministry will go beyond our limits to help them out. We are art loving people and want art to flourish,” she insists. "If they talk to us we are open to all possibilities. They should suggest a place where they would like to be relocated. The first time it was them who suggested the Hindu Gymkhana to the government and now also they are free to suggest any place to us and we will try our best to accommodate them. We will not leave them in the lurch. We will give them the place, money and whatever else they require from us,” she said.
Sassui's sister Bakhtawar, who is currently a student at NAPA was also in her office when we went there. She made it clear that she fully supports her sister and the government in their stance to evacuate the Hindu Gymkhana since she believed there has been a violation of the law.

"Zia Mohyeddin sahib is one of the most honest men we have in the country. When we stage a play at the Arts Council, he ensures we put the auditorium completely on generator so the play isn't disrupted for even two minutes if the power goes. He pays 20,000 rupees for these 500kv generators every night the play is staged. He could easily save the money. But his honesty to his work and the quality he demands comes second to nothing. And to say such a man has done something so illegal is absolutely preposterous,” Rahat says angrily and launches into the questions he would love to ask the government.
"I have five questions to ask Miss Sassui Palijo:
1. Has she visited the site to see if we have defaced the building or done anything illegal? Everything in this case is based on hearsay and hearsay is bad evidence. Nobody from the government has visited NAPA . Someone should have bothered to make a visit.

2. Why doesn't she ask her Secretary of Culture Mr Shams Jafferani about this whole situation? The auditorium was constructed three years ago when he was also the Secretary of Culture. Why has she not taken him to task? Why has he not been dismissed yet? It is an absolute neglect of duty on his part.
3. NAPA is a registered company. It was registered through the Federal Secretary of Culture, the Sindh Secretary of Culture and other eminent men such as Ishrat Hussain, etc who are all members of NAPA's board. No construction can take place without their consent. Why are they not being held accountable for their neglect? All of this happened under their watchful gaze and right under their nose and yet they did not stop it there and then.

4. The money aspect should also be considered. Everyone knows the funding for the building of the auditorium came from one of the friendly Gulf countries. Why was the money allowed to come in if it was for illegal purposes? Why was the money released by the government?

5. If you feel there is a violation the first thing you should have said is to stop building the auditorium, not just send a notice of vacation. It started three years ago and it should have been stopped there and then. What is the point of doing it now when so much has been invested in it?”

Rahat Kazmi has made valid points and it is clear that the situation at NAPA will come to a head soon - in the courts possibly. But there is no doubt that the current stalemate is affecting the students of NAPA who face an uncertain future.

Future under fire: The plight of the students
Visiting NAPA and seeing the students in their element, taking part in discussions, acting in the super-successful play Vakeel Sahib and displaying their tremendous talent makes one realize what a great nurturing ground NAPA is. The notion of this sanctuary being taken away is hugely unsettling for them. And contrary to what Bakhtawar Palijo said, the students seem well aware of exactly what is going on.
Mansoor Ahmed, a student striving for a diploma in theatre art was most distressed about it the stalemate.

"We know what is going on. We've not been kept in the dark by our teachers who keep assuring us that everything will be alright,' he tells Instep. "We are being asked to vacate the Hindu Gymkhana and that surely means we will shut down. There is a lot of uncertainty in our lives because of the notice sent to NAPA - our school and second home. Most of us fought so much with our families to pursue theatre and now this is happening! What can we possibly tell our families? Our struggle will just go down the drain. This is hugely unfair and just points to the government's shortsightedness,” he says in frustration.

Another student, Anas Sheikh is just as angry. "The government should facilitate NAPA in every way possible rather than harass us. Sassui Palijo is the Minister of Culture; she should know better. When there was no academy of arts and theatre everyone created a fuss about it and now, that there finally is one, they are trying to strangulate it. I don't see the logic behind it. These games of politics are beyond us. We just want to work hard and make something of ourselves and would really appreciate it if the government supported us rather then create hurdles in our way.”

And then there is Shehzad, who has come all the way from Gilgit to s
tudy at NAPA. For him, the notion of going back home unsuccessfully and facing his disappointed family is of utmost concern. "I've come all the way from Gilgit after fighting with and convincing my family. Now that we're all developing and progressing, this news has come as a huge blow. There is a lot of confusion and we are all very upset. We don't care what the issue is, but we will support NAPA and do everything to stop this injustice. I need NAPA and I need to prove to myself and my family that I was right in coming so far away to pursue my dreams,” he sighs.

The government needs to realize that asking an institution to move is not as simple as it sounds. It takes years to establish institutions and if NAPA is relocated, precious years of education will be lost for the 200 students currently enrolled there.