Art Under Attack

Let's not even bring in Richard Gere and Shilpa Shetty here, and stay withmore serious issues: the sordid controversy over MF Husain, the arson and mayhemin the Dinakaran's Madurai offices, and now, before you can celebrate theoverturning the ban on James Laine's book on Shivaji, the bizarre and outrageoushappenings in Vadodara.

The trouble apparently began at around 3.30 pm on May 9 when Niraj Jain, an advocate and a local VHP leader,followed by other VHP "activists" reportedly barged into the Fine Artsfaculty of the Maharaja Sayajirao University (MS University) in Vadodara where Chandramohan, a student from AndhraPradesh, was displaying his paintings at the annual appraisal show for the finalyear students.

It should also be noted that the student, Chandramohan Srilamantula,originally from Hyderabad, is the only student in his batch to have received aLalit Kala National Akademi award -- his wood cut work titled, ironically,'Remorse" was one of the 15 works selected from a total of 6858 workssubmitted by 2678 artists througout the country. Let's also note that this wasan annual appraisal show and was not an exhibition at a gallery even which wasopen to the public.

But that didn't stop the goons who had obviously been tipped off about theannual appraisal show. They proceeded to allegedly manhandle Chandramohan andhurl abuses at the faculty members and other students. Their preparation seemedcomplete, for they were accompanied by local press photographers and police from Sayajiganjpolice station followed soon in their wake, and instead of taking Niraj Jain andhis "activist associates" to task for unlawful entry into theUniversity, they were quick to take Chandramohan Srilamantula and Venkat Raointo custody and charge them for "hurting the religious sentiments of Christians and Hindus in thedistrict" under section 295 A and 153 B of IPC, calling them a "threat to the secular atmosphere ofBaroda".

But it seems it was not just the local Hindutava mobocracy at work, against Chandramohan'spaintings of Shiv Linga and Goddess Durga. Some Christian religious leaders hadalso been roped in to "protest" his paintings of Jesus Christwhich also were described as "highly vulgar and objectionable".

Ironically, one Rev Immanuel Kant, of the Methodist Church has been quoted insome media reports as saying, "Our religion is all about forgiving but there is a limit. I have passed on the word to the Roman Catholic associations and the Parish Association also. Their representatives and 20 other pastors will be here soon. We are also planning to take out a protest rally in the city to voice our concern."

When asked why and how paintings meant for an internal appraisal couldpossibly have offended anyone's religious sensibilities and how Niraj Jain --or, indeed, his Christian counterparts' -- sensibilities could ever haveconceivably been offended, Niraj Jain maintained that he had been disturbed by"reports about the exhibition in local papers ...I just walked and pointedout the pictures to the police and that was it." (It should of course benoted that advocate Niraj Jain of the VHP is known for such"protests", and has been known to brandish a revolver and was last insuch prominent news when "protesting" a scheme to provide eggs toprimary school children, he had chosen to register his "anguish" byhurl eggs at the Gujarat education minister )

But, Shivji Paniker, Dean (In-charge) of MS University, pointed out that thepolice are not supposed to enter a college campus unless called by the authorities.Since there had been no complaint from the university authorities, why did thepolice rush in and arrest the students?

The Commissioner of Police, PC Thakur, maintained that the police acted on information"that the situation could spiral out of control and turn violent oncampus" and that they were not obliged to wait for college authorities'permission or request in such special situations. He also maintained that no onehad been manhandled and that the university authorities were not keen to pressany charges against Niraj Jain. The Commissioner also described Chandramohan'spaintings as "extremely graphic and vulgar" and insisted that thepolice had been very cordial with him and that the Dean Shivji Paniker and otheruniversity authorities were present when the panchnama was done.

Whatever be the police version or the nature of the paintings, the concernedstudents, faculty and artists point out that there was just no reason for thepolice to have gotten involved at that stage. But Niraj Jain was unapologetic: "The students should be thrown out of the university and the Dean also. This is something which isunacceptable". The two students were produced before a magistrate today, forthe second time, and their bail-application will now be heard on Monday, May14.

What is even more inexplicable is why the magistrate would not grant bail tothe student when the law on such matters is very clear -- it has been held inmore cases than one that the "intent" is very important as is the factthat even in the case of exhibitions of art, it has been held that those are forprivate viewing, as against a public display -- since people have a choice whetherthey wish to see such works or not. As against all this, and this bearsrepeating, these impugned paintings were part of an annual appraisal in a finearts institution! There clearly was no intent to create any religious enmity,and if anything, it was the intervention of the VHP goons which seems to havetried to give it those political colours. It is something very basic: an encroachment in the private domain of the University itself. If the police feels free toenter a University today and take cognizance of someone's subjective"outraged sensibility", what is to prevent that happening in homes andoffices tomorrow?

For updates, please see the blogof the Fine Arts Faculty of MS University.