More collaboration than competition: Why do we need a Music Policy in Sikkim?

Peeyush Nepal

Being away from home, I was closely following the news during the 50th State Day earlier this year. Among the anticipation of important people for this seemingly festive fervour, what struck me most was how Ed Sheeran, a popular musician from the UK was somehow at the forefront of the discussion. How far was Ed Sheeran aware that he was being discussed at the highest level in a small state of India for its 50th year of statehood celebrations, we would probably never know, but makes one wonder about the role of a popular musician; and about the many “unpopular” musicians among us. Economics, politics and social impact are inseparable: its costs and benefits, and their larger implications beyond the balance sheet. It is true that music has been part of Sikkimese society, even though we do not discuss it much- almost every house seems to have  a musical instrument and it is not uncommon that many people strum the guitar. We are a culture quite musically inclined, to say the least. Around the world, music is a tried and tested method for forming deeper perspectives and a fulfilling life. Many researches correlate musical  activities  to better social cohesion, and if you are somebody who plays music, you can probably think to address the gap. How do we make use of music to better the society?

This opens a Pandora's box: what kind of music? Rock, pop, folk, others? And how do we use it? Hold competitions? How about we teach it at schools? For that, we need music teachers and institutes. A university of music, perhaps (I am aware that Sikkim University has a department, however their main area of focus is Hindustani Classical Music). The demography in terms of the number of musicians as well as the music cultures is huge and its scope to work with music is pervasive, at all levels. What about traditional and folk music (because we have dedicated associations for every sub community)? As we experience the changing cultural shifts in Sikkim which has, to a large extent, transformed the economic, political and social settings within one generation, it becomes more important now to look at the various communities and their music cultures and the actual (and anticipated) tangible/intangible effect therein. So far I am aware, we have already lost the Majhi language in Sikkim with the death of the last speaker in 2016. Where can we find the Majhi music in Sikkim? Do we have a music archive?

The title of my article is not to discourage competitions, but to encourage more collaboration at the community level, wherein music is a part of continuous interaction in the community, and gives rise to an organic ecosystem. We see examples of social music practice closely- church as a site of musical activity, festival music groups like Naumati Baja. Music bands and orchestras are another example. To help combat the mental health crisis- which has been addressed by the government, music therapy is an area where our state can benefit from. While some amount of competitive spirit is deemed to be healthy, with music I would argue that it needs more impact out of the competition rather than just the performative aspect alone. What does this mean? Before we dismiss this as anti-competition, let’s agree (to disagree or disagree to agree) on the following: A competition benefits just a handful of people, but a collaboration, with its various linkages impacts a greater population with long term benefits, which keeps the culture of music continuous, and brings new opportunities in the field. How can we help musicians and aspiring musicians make a sustainable living out of what they are good at? Can we promise them a hopeful future? What can we do for our traditional musical practitioners and instrument makers? Can we assure them a pension for keeping the culture and know-how alive? While competitions can create a transient grander imagination of “winner takes it all”, only collaboration can bring genuine change in how we view artists as the members of the society who need support to survive and thrive.

The music will survive only if there are musicians to add life to it, and for it to thrive we need to create sustainable institutions and programmes. Ireland implements a basic income scheme for musicians to address the financial instability faced by them. France, where art and culture is a national priority, has a policy whereby artists performing for a set amount of hours in a year are assured of financial benefits. There are many examples around the world which address the problems of musicians routinely and help with cash subsidies for musicians as well as musical venues. Not too far from us, Meghalaya invests in Grassroots Projects to uplift  music and musicians, as a form of recognising their potential. As a society it is important for us to consider that perhaps there are more ways to empower artists and to do their  “samman”  than just one day ceremonious events. Nothing speaks more “bharosa” than a written policy wherein artists are given some agency in the society, words which will outlive its constructors. Of course, many countries in the West have dedicated policies in this regard and while we would think it is unfair to compare us with them, let’s remember that Sikkim has always been and continues to be a case study - its history, unique political positions, demography, government jobs, GDP per capita, suicides per capita, the geography, tourism and vulnerable ecology. At a time where we as a state are constantly challenged by the idea of “change “ and “development”, maybe we need to think of music as a social fact and not completely reduce it to singing competitions. It is time Sikkim acknowledges that music is an area that needs to be invested in through more engagement, cultural collaborations, education, creating a music archive which will benefit generations to come, and creating other related opportunities; the concert economy (which will see more discussion in the future) will find a more meaningful impact. A Music Policy, as a case study would be something to look forward to, for the administrators, academics, cultural experts and the general public. Could we aim to be the ‘first state’ in India to have a dedicated policy for music and musicians at the budgetary level?

(The author is from Tintek, East Sikkim currently pursuing his PhD in Ethnomusicology at the University of Würzburg, Germany)