Church-Hindutva Alliance: Kant & Jain team up to take on artists in Baroda

Ahmedabad Newsline
May 14, 2007

Warring groups flex muscles
BJP and saffron groups take to streets with slogans and memorandums; artists mobilise support of art fraternity through blogs, emails, opinion-building
Express News Service

Vadodara, May 13: It was a busy Sunday in Vadodara, as warring groups got busy mobilising support for an expected showdown at MSU’s fine arts department on Monday, when the art fraternity from across the country is expected to hold a protest meet on the campus.

The day also saw one strange alliance between former VHP leader Niraj Jain and Christian associations to devise an action plan to counter the support garnered by the artists’ group. While the BJP and the saffron groups took to streets with slogans and memorandums, the artists’ group mobilised support through blogs, emails and opinion-building among the country’s art fraternity.

Amidst all this, the Vadodara police is on tenterhooks to ensure peaceful protests on Monday, more so as the hearing on jailed student Chandramohan’s bail plea is also slated for the day.

It was in 1998 that Jain, who owns the Hill Memorial School, had hit a Christian priest for allegedly converting Hindus. But on Sunday, Jain met a group of Christians to chalk out a strategy to counter the artists’ protest. Both Jain and the Christian group claim that they have been offended by the art works of Chandramohan. When asked, Rev Emmanuel Kant, who is representing the Christian group said that they were not entirely siding with Jain as they did not approve of his aggressive approach, and have decided to mount a passive opposition.

Kant said the Protestant and Roman Catholic groups had united against the paintings. The Christian group is planning to include memorandums to the President of India, the prime minister, Gujarat chief minister and the Governor.

Jain and his associates, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Hind Rakshak Samiti also demonstrated in front of incharge, dean of fine arts faculty Shivaji Panikkar’s residence on Sunday.

So far, the art fraternity has begun at least two blogs about Chandramohan’s controversial arrest for his “objectionable” works of art.

Also, several chain emails started by renowned artists have been doing the rounds, while the topic is also being discussed on many art forums.