Herald, 18 Aug 2009
Editorial
Telephone terrorism?
W ho has given the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS), the Sanatan Saunstha (SS) and the Marathi daily newspaper Sanatan Prabhat the authority to decide what is the right and wrong way to depict Hindu deities?
Hot on the heels of its demand for removing a completely unobjectionable painting by renowned painter M F Husain, which is (hopefully) presently on display at the Goa State Museum, the troika of the HJS, the SS and Sanatan Prabhat are now targeting renowned Goan painter Dr Subodh Kerkar.
The artist is to open an exhibition of innovative sketches on Lord Ganesha, along with a sculpture-installation of Goa’s most popular deity to highlight the issue of plastic waste in the state, on the occasion of the state’s most popular festival, Chowoth or Ganesh Chaturthi. The exhibition is to open on Friday.
None of Dr Kerkar’s sketches is objectionable or obscene in any way. They only show Lord Ganesha engaged in different activities. But the HJS and the SS believe that any deviation from what they dictate as the ‘right’ way to depict Lord Ganesha – for example, showing Him dancing or playing the flute – is a ‘denigration’.
In the past, they have vehemently opposed the efforts of various Ganesh Mandals to create large idols of eco-friendly materials with innovative designs. This, too, they say, is ‘denigration’.
This is an extreme, fundamentalist and reductionist interpretation of Hindusism; somewhat similar to the puritanical interpretation of Islam by the Wahabi sect. The latter considers music, films, and even photographs as un-Islamic.
An accomplished cartoonist, Dr Kerkar also angered the HJS with a cartoon in the Marathi daily Lokmat, lampooning the outfit on the M F Husain issue. It shows an artist drawing the great Maharashtra saint Samarth Swami Ramdas – who is normally shown wearing only a caxtti – in a suit, and explaining that he is doing this so that no one’s religious feelings should be ‘hurt’.
Denouncing it as a ‘denigration’ (what else?) of Samarth Swami Ramdas, the Sanatan Prabhat editor – one Prithviraj P Hazare – has, in a note on Sanatan Prabhat’s front page on Sunday 16 August, charged that Dr Kerkar has ‘deliberately’ denigrated Samarth Swami Ramdas, and asked whether devotees and other devout Hindus will not “take him to task” for this.
A banner headline across the top of the front page states that “stopping” those denigrating Lord Ganesh is nothing but ‘bhakti’ or devotion. Several other news items in the newspaper use strong language to denounce Dr Kerkar. The newspaper has also listed the telephone numbers of Dr Kerkar and Mr Nayak, and urged readers to call them and “protest”.
Thanks to this blatant provocation, both Dr Kerkar and Raju Nayak have been getting dozens of threatening calls a day. Some callers have threatened to chop off their fingers, others to kill them. HJS and SS supporters have filed police complaints against Dr Kerkar and Mr Nayak in different police stations.
If any of the fundamentalist followers of the HJS and SS actually follow through with their threats, who will be responsible? Under Section153 IPC, wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot is punishable – by up to one year in jail if rioting is committed, and up to six months in jail if rioting is not committed.
Anyone who feels that our fears are exaggerated should remember that members of the Sanatan Saunstha are accused of setting off a bomb in a Thane theatre, near Mumbai, because it was showing a drama that they the SS had denounced as ‘denigrating’ Hindu deities. The Goa Police should take this threat extremely seriously, and provide adequate police protection to Dr Subodh Kerkar’s studio and residence, as well as the Lokmat office and Raju Nayak’s residence.
The HJS and SS are fond of picking soft targets. When people consecrate stones and trees as ‘Gods’ on the roadside, is it not an act of ‘denigration’? If the SS and HJS are serious about their so-called mission, let them stop these roadside shrines first. There is a tree at Karmal Ghat, Canacona, that some people claim resembles Lord Ganesh. They have started to built a temple around it, that will inevitably block part of National Highway 17. Let the HJS and SS show their sincerity by first stopping ‘denigration’ through such shrines.
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Herald, 18 Aug 2009, p 2
Scribe alleges death threats from Hindu fundamentalist
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, AUG 17
Editor of newly-launched Marathi newspaper Lokmat, Raju Nayak today alleged that some Hindu fundamentalist have threatened to kill him and his family for publishing a cartoon in the newspaper.
Nayak, in his complaint to the Director General of Police Bhimsen Bassi alleged that he has been receiving calls from various people claiming to be members of Hindutva organizations threatening to kill him and his family for publishing cartoons by painter and noted cartoonist Dr Subodh Kerkar.
Nayak further said that the threatening calls by members of Hindutva organizations like Sanatan and Hindu Janjagran Samiti increased after Marathi newspaper Sanatan Prabhat, printed his office telephone number and asked its members to call him up.
“Since then we have been harassed by callers from Goa and Maharashtra,” he alleged.
Nayak has also pointed out that the members of the Sanatan Prabhat organization have been questioned by the Maharashtra police for trying to make bombs and planning terrorist activities in that state.
“The details about inflammatory inciting articles and their call to Sanatan supporters and readers to express anger against me and Subodh Kerkar can viewed on Sanatan Prabhat web site,’ he said.
Further, he said, “surprisingly, one of the calls received today was by Dr Vijay Nadkarni from the number 08322735819. The caller threatened to kill me for what he claimed to be hurting of Hindu sentiments. On inquiry I have found that the number is from the Government-owned ESI Hospital in Margao and the said Nadkarni is a government doctor attached to the same hospital.”
Nayak has enclosed the copies of the illustrations of Ganesh published in Lokmat Goa dated August 11, 2009 and the cartoon on Swami Ramdas Samarth published in the issue dated August 13 “for proof that they are just works of imagination by a talented artist.”
CALANGUTE CORRESPONDENT ADDS: Calangute police on Monday registered an offence against an unknown person who allegedly threatened Dr Subodh Kerkar on his mobile phone in connection with a controversial picture of Lord Ganesha.
Confirming this, Calangute PI Nolasco Raposo told Herald that an offence had been registered against an unknown person for allegedly threatening Dr Kerkar.
When contacted, some members of the Shantadurga temple committee in Calangute claimed they did not find anything offensive with the paintings of Dr Kerkar. “The issue has been blown out of proportion by a few disgruntled elements,” they added.
Speaking to Herald, Chandrakant Chodankar, one of the committee members, said they went to confirm the veracity of the drawings by Dr Kerkar on Monday, but did not find anything offensive with the paintings.
Dr Kerkar reportedly told the committee members that since he too is a Hindu, he would never disrespect his own God and religion.
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HJS threatens demo outside Kerkar’s gallery
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, AUG 17
The series of sketches of Lord Ganesh by renowned artist Dr Subodh Kerkar have earned him ire of Hindu organisations in the state and Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) has planned to hold a demonstration at the venue of the exhibition of the painter on August 20.
HJS has filed a police complaint against Kerkar for hurting religious sentiments. “What Kerkar has indulged is an obvious violation of section 149 of CrPC. If he does not cancel his scheduled exhibition of these indecent pictures, we will protest outside his gallery,” HJS convenor Jayesh Thali told reporters.
Kerkar, a famous artist has drawn pictures showing Lord Ganesh doing somersaults, Oscar trophy and other actions, which are taken as disrespect by right wing organizations, Thali said.
These drawings will be exhibited in the Kerkar art gallery at Calangute from August 20 to August 31.
“This is an insult to Hindu religion. We have an emotional attachment towards Lord Ganesh,” Sadashiv Dhond, an activist from Dharma Shakti Sena, said.
Kerkar has also denigrated Samarth Ramdas Swami by showing him wearing a coat in Lokmat, Thali said adding that like M F Hussain, Kerkar too has not done cartoons or sketches on other religious gods. “Kerkar is denigrating Lord Ganesh for commercial benefits”, he said.
However, there is no mention of how Sanatan Prabhat has published the phone number of Kerkar and Raju Nayak urging its readers to protest the sketches.
Meanwhile, Kerkar has said that he has been receiving threatening calls from as far as Pune wherein they warn him to chop off his fingers for drawing Lord Ganesh in indecent manner.
Apparently, Dr Kerkar began to get phone calls after Sanathan Prabhat newspaper published the phone numbers of the cartoonist and the editor of the newspaper Lokmat Raju Nayak urging its followers to call up the two for the “blasphemous” cartoons.
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‘It is assault on freedom of expression’
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, AUG 17
Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Patrakar Parishad, Mumbai, has termed the threats to kill issued to Lokmat Editor Raju Nayak for publishing cartoons of noted painter Subodh Kerkar, as assault on freedom of expression.
The Parishad has condemned the attack on Nayak in the strongest terms, at a meeting held today. It was attended by Vijay Patil (President), P D Patil (Secretary), Madhav Ambore (working president), Kiran Naik (Treasurer) and former president S M Deshmukh.
Nayak is the president of Goa Marathi Patrakar Sangh which is a branch of Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Patrakar Parishad. Nayak has been a victim of the Hindu fundamentalists, according to a police complaint, for publishing a cartoon of Kerkar. The meeting also urged the local administration to act promptly if there is any attempt to take law in their hands.
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Times of India, Panjim, 18 Aug
Police bow to pressure, ask Kerkar to stop show
Preetu Nair, TNN 18 August 2009, 06:21am IST
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PANAJI: Cowing under pressure from the Hindu Janjagruti Samiti (HJS), the police on Monday served notice on reputed Goan artist Subodh Kerkar to
“desist from getting involved in such activities which may insult religious feelings or religious beliefs”. SP (North) Bosco George said Kerkar “should keep in mind the sentiments of the community and avoid creating a law and order problem”. “We will soon take a decision on whether or not the artist’s graphics hurt sentiments.
If it is found to hurt religious sentiments, we will initiate legal action against him,” he said. HJS had petitioned the police last week alleging that Kerkar had published “drawings of Lord Ganesh in various positions”, thereby insulting religious beliefs. It also wanted that the artist’s exhibition of Ganesha drawings be stopped. Earlier this month, HJS had demanded that the Goa State Museum remove M F Husain’s ‘Standing Buddha’ from its gallery. Officials said the matter would be taken up with higher authorities.
Even as the Calangute police issued notice to Kerkar under section 149 CrPC (police powers to prevent cognizable offence), the artist said he would go ahead with his exhibition. He also sought police protection apprehending that some organisations might try to disrupt his show scheduled from August 20 to 31, 2009 at the Kerkar Art Gallery in Calangute. Kerkar also alleged that on Monday he received calls from unknown persons, abusing him and threatening to murder him.
On receiving his complaint, the police have registered an offence under section 507 IPC (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication) against unknown persons. “There is absolutely no intention of hurting anybody’s religious feelings. My drawings are my offerings to Shri Ganapati and no kind of insult is intended,” he said. “If some people’s feelings have been hurt by these drawings, it only shows their narrow-mindedness and fanaticism.
May Lord Ganesh help them clear their minds,” he said. “You (police) are most welcome to my gallery any time to view my drawings and judge for yourself,” Kerkar said in his reply to the police.
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