Delhi government to promote the fading culture of Urdu language has decided to increase the pay of its artists from Rs 5,000 to 15,000 for their recitals and poems at events.

The government’s Art, Culture and Languages department to promote the culture has also asked the Urdu Academy to hold several events in parts of the city and not restrict it to just ‘Lutyens Delhi’. However, the Sanskrit scholars/artists, with Sankrit equally in danger of phasing out, feel they have been left behind.

Sanskrit artists said that while Urdu language and the culture are still better, Sanskrit is dying a slow death and the government is doing nothing to save it. “It is just a minority appeasement tactic,” said one of the Sankrit scholar (wishing anonymity).

Delhi Sanskrit Academy will be soon sending the government a proposal to pay all the artists the same, irrespective of the language. “Our executive committee is being formed and a formal proposal will be sent to the government,” said Jit Ram, secretary, Sankrit Academy. “Just as Urdu artists, Sankrit artists should be paid at par.”

The government has plans to hold these events in the slums and resettlement colonies. “Such events and programs to be held at large central locations in all parts of Delhi and to create print, electronic and social media campaigns that ensure maximum outreach of their content to all of Delhi, not just a few hundred elite,”said Kapil Mishra, Arts, Culture and Languages minister.

While the Delhi government has plans to hold many events in Delhi, however, the AAP-government in its maiden budget has curtailed their budget. “We get budget under plan and non-plan head. In plan head, our office expenditure and salaries of staff are still the same but the non-plan head budget has been reduced,” said Mr Ram. These academies hold events from the non-plan head budget. “Already, there is a dip in the number of events.”

Sanskrit academy is also mulling the proposal to be allowed to accept donation/grants from private organization and not just depend on the government for grants. “To promote the language and the culture, many individuals want to donate but since the rules are such that we cannot accept it,” said an official with the Sanskrit academy.

The government’s Art, Culture and Languages Department has asked the Urdu Academy to hold several events in parts of the city and not restrict those to just ‘Lutyens Delhi’