Blowing the trumpet for pending bills: Artistes demand unpaid wages for performances at government events

Ravi Kumar from Amberpet in Hyderabad has seen Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy up close several times over the past three years. He has also performed for Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

It would be almost impossible, or simply bland, if people like Kumar did not turn up in their best attire, blow the trumpet, play the rhythmic dappu, or perform Gussadi. Whether it is Independence Day, a VIP visit, a State function, or an anniversary event, their absence would not make it welcoming. But behind the rhythm and spectacle captured in photographs, newspapers and the social media are the wages the State government owes them.

For Kumar, the wages for his performance two years ago have still not been paid. The accumulated amount owed to him is about ₹30,000. And there are several thousand workers across the State like him.