Artistic Freedom Or Public Inconvenience: Delhi Cop Stops Musician From Performing, Sparks Online Debate

Recently, a video of a man performing music for the crowd at Connaught Place in Delhi has gone viral and has raised questions about the legitimacy of busking as art in India. Street artists who perform or make voluntary crowd donations are known as 'buskers', and their art is 'busking'. These include the musicians and the dancers one comes across in the bustling areas of metropolitan cities across the world.

A tradition that traces back to the medieval age, busking has gained footfall in India over the last decade. Several street artists perform their art for the crowd. Not only does it help them hone their skills and earn some money, but it also adds to the cultural value of the place. However, the obscurity of laws regarding busking was highlighted when a cop stopped a busker from performing music, saying it "wasn't allowed".

Cop Stops Busker From Performing

The viral video shows Anshul Riaji, a musician who is commonly known as Fakira, playing his guitar and singing a song for the crowd gathered at one of the blocks of Connaught Place. The crowd, too, seems to be enjoying his music.

Soon, a cop asks Riaji what he is doing, and upon receiving no response, he walks up to Riaji and pulls his hand away from the guitar. When he asks Riaji, "Sunaai nahi de raha kya?" (Can't you hear me?), the musician questions the cop if his behaviour was appropriate. After a brief argument, the cop orders the crowd to disperse. Riaji then gets up, bows to the audience and starts packing his stuff. The crowd, in response, applauds the musician's performance and vacates the area.

The artist has shared the video on his Instagram page with the caption, "Will public support? Busking should be legal and alive in India".

Video Irks Actors, Artists

The video has not settled well with several across the internet. Actor Rajesh Tailang tweeted the video from his official Twitter page, and tagging the Delhi Police, he said, "These artists make our Delhi more aesthetical, musical. Shame!!!"

To this, film-maker Sudhir Mishra has responded by saying, "Not done . The world now belongs to those who live in palaces. Not to those who walk on the streets and listen to the singer who makes the journey bearable and sometimes even joyous". The tweet, which has now garnered some 1.7 million views, has garnered mixed reactions from Twitterati.

Several users have claimed that buskers have made the mundane environment of busy metropolitan life a little bit more entertaining and calming. Preet Talwar, a student of Lady Sriram College in Delhi, told The Logical Indian, "It is nice to have the street artists perform their art openly. There's a very old harmonica man in CP, who is extremely talented. Whenever I visit CP, I make it a point to visit him. I have already introduced friends and relatives visiting Delhi to the buskers of CP, Lajpat Nagar market, and Hudson Lane. I think it makes Delhi cooler."

Many users also pointed out that instead of focusing on crimes in Delhi, the police were more concerned with street artists performing in front of a crowd. Others stated that artists deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.

Need For Permits & Licenses

On the other hand, the act of Riaji performing music openly on the street irked many. Some questioned if buskers do not respect the decorum of a state, while others pointed out that artists cannot visit any public area and start performing spontaneously.

A user named Gopal Vaidya said, "There is a proper place for it. Nobody has the right to plop down anywhere they like and blast their music, whether others like it or not."

While busking is common in other countries, it should also be noted that many countries have laws regarding the art. For example, in the United Kingdom, buskers either need to get a permit or license depending on the spot or follow the state restrictions and rules while busking. These rules include, but are not limited to: not causing sound pollution, not blocking highways or open pedestrian areas, not displaying notices that ask for a payment, not violating state restrictions set for specific places on specific days, and so on.

In Australia, a permit is required to perform in the street so that it does not inconvenience any citizen. In the United States of America, while busking permits are required to perform during designated slots at specific spots, the Supreme Court has shot down bills proposing legal permits for busking, calling them unconstitutional.

The same was pointed out by several users, including one named Saksham. He wrote, "Busking should be license-based. Before you quote Europe on this, you have to take a license and apply for a time slot for a particular spot in europe. Artists just coming up to a spot and gathering crowd attention is just a menace for the rest of the crowd and law & order."

With the increase in the number of buskers across several metropolitan cities of India, the art form can be safeguarded and regulated by a central law that encourages the growth of busking without causing any inconvenience to citizens.

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