The end of Raga at Malhar?
A petition to save St Xavier’s annual newsletter has gathered over 200 signatures.
Over 200 students and alumni of St Xavier’s college are disturbed by the news that the newsletter Raga – a fold-out of up to 8 pages distributed at the college’s widely attended and very popular annual festival Malhar – could be discontinued. They’ve signed an online petition to save the newsletter that runs stories written and edited by students.
“We are going to integrate the elements of Raga in our other creatives, but we’re not sure if the magazine will be out this year” said a member of the core team for Malhar 2016, on the condition of anonymity, attributing it to a restructuring of the festival’s committees.
Independent journalist and researcher Sameera Khan, who wrote and did illustrations for Raga in the 1980s said, “Raga was never just a magazine. Unlike other department magazines where we had to be more formal and neat, in raga we could be witty, sarcastic and critical at the same time. We would take a dig at another college or a politician. There was no interference from the faculty or anyone and this was a student driven thing.”
Naresh Fernandes, editor of scroll.in says Raga was a training ground for a lot of aspiring writers and journalists. “The print edition had its own charm. Maybe there are some compulsions and considerations for the decision but we would love if they have at least an online edition” said Fernandes.
Meanwhile, Agnello Menezes, Principal of St Xavier’s said, “Students are still ideating about what can be the potential changes in the festival. There is no interference from our side”.
Over 200 students and alumni of St Xavier’s college are disturbed by the news that the newsletter Raga – a fold-out of up to 8 pages distributed at the college’s widely attended and very popular annual festival Malhar – could be discontinued. They’ve signed an online petition to save the newsletter that runs stories written and edited by students.
“We are going to integrate the elements of Raga in our other creatives, but we’re not sure if the magazine will be out this year” said a member of the core team for Malhar 2016, on the condition of anonymity, attributing it to a restructuring of the festival’s committees.
Raga has run since the inception of Malhar in 1979 and is produced entirely in-house, then distributed for free at the three-day Malhar fest. While production costs are low, it does accept sponsorships. The possible disruption in its 37-year print run has especially upset alumni. The text of the petition reads, ‘Raga was, for many of us, a portal into the magical world of words... We would hate to see St. Xavier’s College, the very home of creativity and excellence, to be the first to take the regressive step of shutting down Raga. So, we are sure, would you.’ Dr Shilpa Phadke, teacher at Tata Institute of Social Sciences, who edited Raga in 1991 said, “A festival needed a newsletter, one that was irreverent but also serious. A text that was immediate and yet had nostalgic value and spoke to the spirit of Malhar. It is indeed sad that it is no longer seen as a part of what makes Malhar. It also suggests that the written word is no longer perceived to be integral to the production of an event."
Independent journalist and researcher Sameera Khan, who wrote and did illustrations for Raga in the 1980s said, “Raga was never just a magazine. Unlike other department magazines where we had to be more formal and neat, in raga we could be witty, sarcastic and critical at the same time. We would take a dig at another college or a politician. There was no interference from the faculty or anyone and this was a student driven thing.”
Naresh Fernandes, editor of scroll.in says Raga was a training ground for a lot of aspiring writers and journalists. “The print edition had its own charm. Maybe there are some compulsions and considerations for the decision but we would love if they have at least an online edition” said Fernandes.
Meanwhile, Agnello Menezes, Principal of St Xavier’s said, “Students are still ideating about what can be the potential changes in the festival. There is no interference from our side”.
