The Hindu : New Delhi News : “Government has failed to protect artists, writers”

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Friday, Mar 21, 2008
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“Government has failed to protect artists, writers”

Staff Reporter

Its stance vis-À-vis ensuring freedom of expression questioned

NEW DELHI: Recent instances of violence and hooliganism against writer Taslima Nasreen and painter M. F. Husain manifest the diminished threshold of tolerance in the country, said artists and writers at a panel discussion here on Wednesday. They lamented that the Government had failed to protect freedom of expression and provide safety for individuals.

Participating in a panel discussion on “Beyond isms: The right to individual freedom” at Indian Women’s Press Corps, English poet Keki Daruwalla rued that the Government, which talks about the country as a great civilisation, had failed to protect Taslima.

“Artists are now doing well because the market says they should be doing well. Writers, playwrights…are shabbily treated. Roads are named after lousy or good politicians, but there are no roads named after Nirmal Verma or other litterateurs,” he said.

He was critical of the lack of voice in the country against the junta in Burma and the aggression against Tibetans for fear of offending the Chinese and the recent violence in Maharashtra.

Urging people to question religion, Mr. Daruwala said: “All religions must be questioned. We need to question our own religions.”

Noted Hindi author Krishna Sobti also criticised the Government for failing to provide security to Taslima and compared her to Salman Rushdie who has been living in Britain.

Nuclear physicist Dr. Raja Ramanna said even science and scientific works need scrutiny and there is a need to ask questions. Other panellists including Hindi poet Giridhar Rathi and theatre personality Bhanu Bharti questioned the Government’s stance vis-À-vis ensuring freedom of expression.

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