The Hindu : National : End harassment of artists, says Maneka

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 13, 2007
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National

End harassment of artists, says Maneka

Neena Vyas

The BJP MP writes to Advani

Maneka Gandhi

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party MP Maneka Gandhi has urged Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani to ask the Gujarat and Maharashtra party units to call off their campaign against artists whose works they do not like.

"We offend the entire cultural and thinking world" when an artist of the stature of M.F. Husain is forced into self-exile as a result of "continuous and unwarranted harassment" at the hands of activists of the party and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, she wrote in a two-page letter dated May 12.

The Pilibhit MP pointed out that Mr. Husain had been virtually hounded out of India — forced to shuttle between London and Dubai — while he should be living here and the country should have a museum displaying his works, instead of protesters considering which one of his paintings should be destroyed. He had done more than anyone else to bring Indian art to international notice. "It is a matter of disgrace to India that Shri Husain should be sitting in Dubai because of our persecution."

Vadodara attack

Ms. Gandhi also said that recently two students of the Fine Arts Faculty of M.S. University in Vadodara were arrested in Gujarat as some VHP and BJP activists claimed that their paintings, which were part of a private college project, hurt their sentiments. The activists attacked and damaged the paintings.

Why was the BJP quick to condemn Muslim fatwas against Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, when its activists were doing the same, she wondered. It was "unacceptable behaviour."

Cow slaughter

Ms. Gandhi said she had written to the Gujarat Chief Minister and Home Minister several times on the continued slaughter of cows in the State. "Gujarat is the State where the maximum number of cows have been going for slaughter," she wrote, adding the police who were supposed to check this trend were hand in glove with cattle smugglers. "Stop this killing" and concentrate on "your core beliefs, "instead of hitting out at artists without any reason," Ms. Gandhi said.

Ms. Gandhi, who was an independent MP and Minister in the National Democratic Alliance government before joinjing the BJP, has requested Mr. Advani to intervene and stop the campaign against artists.

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