Right-wing group Rashtriya Hindu Ekta Manch vandalised Jaipur Art Summit
Highlights
- 1 Bajrang Dal, VHP activists ransacked Garden Gallery of Arts and Textiles in Surat.
- 2 Rashtriya Hindu Ekta Manch had earlier taken offence to Raju Hirani’s movie PK.
- 3 Sri Ram Sene members destroyed several MF Husain paintings in a Delhi exhibition in August 2008.
The culprits have been identified. A police investigation is on.
Someone by the name Hemlata Sharma, president of an outfit called Lal Sena, can be seen in a video gesturing, shouting and trying to justify her vandalism with the chant “does freedom of expression allow you to call this art�?
Also read | Semi-nude paintings vandalised at Jaipur art summit, painter thrashed
The other group responsible for vandalism at this art festival was Rashtriya Hindu Ekta Manch, a Hindu right-wing outfit, that had earlier taken offence to Raju Hirani’s movie PK.
LIST OF PREVIOUS INSTANCES
Many such incidents have been reported in the past. Various paintings and art galleries have been attacked by right-wing groups and related fringe elements.
On May 1, 1998, Bajrang Dal activists forced their way into acclaimed artist MF Husain’s south Mumbai home and created mayhem. They were apparently provoked by one of his works exhibited in New Delhi. They interpreted that the painting depicted Sita perched on the tail of a flying Hanuman, both in the nude. Husain had never given a caption to this painting, and the Hindutvavadis gave a free rein to their imagination.
On October 11, 1996, a group of Bajrang Dal activists forced their way into the Herwitz Gallery in Ahmedabad's Husain-Doshi gufa, a well-known art complex. Armed with tridents and wearing saffron scarves, they intimidated the only guard on duty there and destroyed about 23 tapestry items and 28 paintings, which were on display there. The work destroyed included Husain's series on Hanuman, a depiction of the Last Supper and the famous Madhuri Dixit series.
It was on January 30, 2004 that the activists of the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) ransacked the Garden Gallery of Arts and Textiles inside the premises of the Garden Silk Mills (GSM) in Gujarat's Surat.
M F HUSAIN AT THE RECEIVING END
In 2006, Husain was accused of painting a 'Naked Bharat Mata' (nude Mother India). The painting was put up for auction by Apparao Galleries of Chennai. The title Bharat Mata was given by the auctioneer without referring to Husain. Husain again apologised and withdrew the painting from the charity auction.
On December 27, 2007, Shiv Sena activists attacked an exhibition of paintings by M F Husain in New Delhi, damaging two of his works on display. The activists managed to enter the art gallery at the famous India International Centre, despite a heavy police presence at the venue and prior information of Shiv Sainiks planning to attack the exhibition. The pamphlet released by Mangat Ram Munde, Delhi unit president of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarti Sena, Shiv Sena's students wing, alleged that Husain had made many obscene paintings of Hindu gods and goddesses. So we would not allow him to exhibit his paintings anywhere in the country", the pamphlet said.
In Delhi on August 24, 2008, Sri Ram Sene members barged into an art exhibition organised by NGO SAHMAT and destroyed several MF Husain paintings, leaving behind some pamphlets denouncing Husain’s attempts to hurt Hindu pride.
On August 16, 2013, an art gallery exhibiting works by Pakistani artists at Amdavad-ni-Gufa in Ahmedabad was vandalised by alleged VHP activists, who tore all the paintings and ransacked furniture. Amdavad-ni-Gufa is an art gallery established jointly by the late MF Husain and noted architect BV Doshi.
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Semi-nude paintings vandalised at Jaipur art summit, painter thrashed
The miscreants also took away one of the paintings displayed at the high-profile art fair.
Highlights
- 1Miscreants belong to Lal Shakti, a fringe group that claims 90 per cent of its members are women.
- 2Founder of the Jaipur Art Summit calls it an attack on the freedom of expression.
- 3Jaipur Art Summit is being held from Dec 7-11. 500 artists from 25 nations are taking part.
A group of miscreants entered the venue of the ongoing Jaipur Art Summit today, vandalised the paintings and beat up one of the painters.
They also took away one of the paintings displayed at the high-profile art fair.
The painting titled Änubhav, was made by London-based painter Radha Binod Sharma. According to Shailendra Bhatt, Founder Director of the Summit, the painter also got injured in the scuffle.
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It looks like the miscreants took away the painting to protest against the display of a semi-nude painting at the summit.
The culprits have been identified. A police investigation is on.
WHAT IS LAL SHAKTI
The miscreants are said to be activists of Lal Shakti, a fringe group which claims that 90 per cent of its members are women. They reached Ravindra Manch, where the 4th edition of the high-profile art fair is being held, and had a tiff with the artists.
Also read | Tyeb Mehta's painting sold for Rs 15 crore
"We wanted artists to remove the controversial paintings from there, but they refused to do so. We for some time had a heated argument with the artists present there for depicting women in an indecent way and finally we deposited the paintings at the nearby Lal Kothi police station," said Hemlata Sharma of Lal Shakti."It is an attack on freedom of expression. How can anyone become a judge and give orders. You should have knowledge about art before you decide what is right or wrong", Shailendra Bhatt said.
ACT HAS MALIGNED IMAGE OF SUMMIT
The event's organisers strongly condemned such acts of vandalism on the creative freedom of the artists. "It really is an attack on freedom of expression. The artists from 25 countries who are participating at the Summit were dismayed by today's incident. What impression will foreign artists attending the summit take back from here", Bhatt said.
Bhatt added, "We went to the police station and got the painting back. Since the painting has now been put back where it originally was, the artists are now relieved."
Jaipur Art Summit is being held from December 7-11 and around 500 artists from 25 countries are participating in the summit.
The summit had yesterday kicked up a row by displaying a partly-nude painting. In its previous editions, the summit has triggered similar controversies when Ganesha was painted inside a toilet seat and the sculpture of a cow was shown hanging mid-air with the help of a balloon resulting in detention of 2 artists by the police. The artists were later let off and officials responsible for the detention removed.
(WITH INPUTS FROM IANS)
source URL: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/jaipur-art-summit-paintings-vandalism-art-fair-police-investigation/1/830073.html