'Does EVR's Language On Women Fall Under #MeToo Abuse?': Renowned Carnatic Vocalists Ranjani, Gayatri Ask Singer Chinmayi Sripaada

World-renowned classical musicians Ranjani and Gayatri on Saturday (12 slammed singer Chinmayi Sripaada for her support to controversial musician T M Krishna, who glorified EVR.

Earlier, Ranjani and Gayatri, also known as Vidushi sisters, had announced their withdrawal from participating in the Madras Music Academy’s conference 2024 as it will be presided over by T M Krishna.

This came after the Madras Music Academy selected Krishna for this year's Sangita Kalanidhi award.

The Vidushi sisters accused T M Krishna of vilifying the Carnatic music fraternity, they said, "It is dangerous to overlook Mr T M Krishna’s glorification of a figure like EVR."

They criticised EVR for openly proposing a genocide of ‘brahmins’, repeatedly calling/abusing every woman of this community with "vile profanity" and relentlessly working to "normalise filthy language in social discourse."

However, Chinmayi congratulated Krishna for the award, and also raised question on the Vidushi sisters' stand on the molestation allegations in the Carnatic music industry.

Responding to Chinmayi's post on X, several social media users pointed out that the sisters have issued a statement in support of #MeToo victims in 2018 when the movement was at its peak.

The Vidushi sisters also took to X to question Chinmayi for supporting T M Krishna, who glorified EVR.

"EVR’s call for Brahmins to be killed and abusing all Brahmin women as prostitutes. Does this qualify as “Respect for women”? Does such filthy language on women fall under #metoo abuse? Do you support glorification of this figure?," the Sisters wrote in a post on X in which Chinmayi was tagged.

Earlier, Chinmayi had questioned Vidushi Sisters' statement announcing withdrawal from the Music Academy event.

“The actions of Molester Vidwans in Carnatic music didn’t bring them any shame at all. Please note the point," Chinmayi wrote on X in response to the statement by the Vidushi sisters.

“WOW. I have not seen such an impassioned thread when scores of Carnatic Music students spoke about sexual abuse and harassment by multiple Carnatic Musicians in 2018. They have multiple molesters – Child sex offenders to be specific, in their own fold, denigrating and soiling the purity of the very craft they deify misusing and abusing the status of being a Guru. They all went stone cold silent & survivor shaming," Chinmayi wrote in another post on X.

"All these people with power and audience could have done so much – but they didn’t. Nobody said a word. Also, TIL today that @tmkrishna has been awarded the Sangita Kalanidhi. Much congratulations to him," she added.

However, netizens made her aware of the sisters’ statements in 2018 when the #MeToo trend was at its peak.

In 2018, some musicians were alleged to have been involved in sexual harassment of their disciples. The Music Academy reverted their invite to the musicians who were facing these allegations.

Welcoming the academy's decision, the Vidushi Sisters in a statement had commended sexual abuse victims for coming out and sharing their experiences.

"Sexual harassment in any situation is despicable. It is even more criminal when the same is perpetrated in a sacred space of Guru-Shishya relationship. We hope and pray that our field will become a clean and safe place for stakeholders, particularly students and aspiring performers," the Vidushi sisters had said in their statement.

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