[Reader-list] SC refuses to take action against M F Husain

Wed Sep 10 21:59:15 IST 2008

Dear Alaxendra

Thanks for reporting the sad news  of Manjit Singh. The artist needs a
full support from all of us.  Here, by 'us' I means the saner part of
the society, because those who vandalize shows in galleries on this
pretext or that are finally possessing a sick mind. And those who
support, or are silent about such actions are equally to be blamed.

 Now I visualize  Bharat Mata ( untitled by artist ) Painting by MF
Hussain, with a seal and stamp of Supreme Court.  It is indeed an
occasion to celebrate  the product which has now ISI ( Indian
standards institution ) mark on it.  It is like a mosquito-repellent
which is injurious to our lungs but it kills those insects who spread
deadly disease like dengue and malaria.

So, in short we need to support a Hussain, a Taslima, a Manjit Singh,
a Chander Mohan  in India. That is the need of hour. But how to keep
the population of  these right winged insects in check. Is our
('stagnant') way of living finally responsible for the growth of this
fundamentalism?   Or are we really stuck in some sort of rut?

While voting, we, those who celebrate on SC judgment on Hussain, would
vote either a congress or a Left.  But isn't it  true that not a
single Congresswalla has ever come out boldly in support of Hussain .
And we know how the The Left went terribly wrong with Taslima
Nasreen's  issue. Narender Modi kind of politicians are doing their
business on expected lines. Now, who are these 'we' who love to call
themselves 'saner' part of the society and want to be protected by
Law? Are  we really unwanted ?

This time it is clear that the Judiciary is divided on the issue of
Hussain. People in general will laugh, and the Hon arable  Judges will
issue orders to arrest me, if I publicly demand  the immediate
resignation of those High Court Judges who found 'Hussain' dangerous
for our society. Because if they don't have an understanding of Art (
even if it is not art )  why do we expect some justice from them in
some other cases even.  Or, am  I unnecessarily too worried about the
rot in our Administration.  We know how corrupt can be a Judge.  And
do we finally need a Judge to Judge a painting or a work of art ?

The attack on Manjit Singh explains one thing very clearly that there
are enough people in India who don't respect the Law of the Land. It
is a paradox .

On the list, regarding discussion on Kashmir, those who vehemently
oppose the just cause of Kashmiri freedom struggle, often talk about
the disrespect to the Law of Land by Kashmiri Muslims.

It is interesting to note that those who strongly oppose  ' Law of the
Land' here criticize the other...

So in this case, SC judgement on Hussain, do they have a comment on that ?

With love

Inder salim

p.s. enjoyed to see  your JUGAADOO.COM

On Wed, Sep 10, 2008 at 11:22 AM, Alexander Keefe
<alexanderaugust at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Meanwhile, the "miscreants" are at it again, this time with a rather less
> exalted target.  The public discourse on contemporary art in this country
> seems to oscillate between two equally mythological black-box entities: "the
> market" and "sentiment".  I'm waiting for the article that brings them
> together: "The Economics of Having Your Art Show Trashed by Hooligans".
> Until then:
>
> http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/10/stories/2008091061950300.htm
>
> *Paintings exhibition vandalised *
>
> NEW DELHI: A group of hooligans vandalised a paintings exhibition titled
> "Kamayani" by Manjit Singh at India Habitat Centre here on Tuesday.
>
> Over half-a-dozen persons donning saffron scarves stormed into the
> exhibition hall and smashed the paintings and raised slogans. They also
> manhandled Manjit Singh who had to be taken to the All-India Institute of
> Medical Sciences. The miscreants fled before the private security guards at
> India Habitat Centre could reach the spot.
>
> A senior police officer said: "It is difficult to say which organisation was
> behind the attack."
>
> According to Manjit Singh's son Jasvinder, a couple of visitors had made
> some adverse comments on the paintings in the visitors' book on Monday,
> saying the paintings were against Hindu culture.
>
> The four-day exhibition was to end on Tuesday.
>
>
> On Mon, Sep 8, 2008 at 10:54 PM, Yousuf <ysaeed7 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > SC refuses to take action against M F Husain
> >
> > NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court refused to initiate criminal proceedings
> > against noted painter M F Husain for allegedly hurting public sentiments
> > through some of his paintings that were dubbed as obscene.
> >
> > "There are many such pictures, paintings and sculptures and some of them
> > are in temples also," a bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan said,
> > dismissing one such petition.
> >
> > The bench, also comprising Justices P Sathasivam and J M Panchal, was not
> > impressed with the argument that Hussain was taking advantage of his age and
> > reputation to get away with the law by painting obscene pictures.
> >
> > One such creation of the painter, titled Bharat Mata, was brought before
> > the apex court for its scrutiny.
> >
> > Maharashtra-based Dwaipayan Venkateshacharya Varkhedkar had challenged a
> > Delhi High Court verdict quashing the criminal proceedings initiated against
> > the eminent painter in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
> >
> > Husain's paintings,depicting Bharat Mata and Hindu gods and goddesses, had
> > created a furore. Husain had started receiving threats from right-wing
> > groups like the VHP and the Bajrang Dal. Husain is living in a self-imposed
> > exile in Dubai now.
> >
> > The proceedings against the painter were initiated on the basis of
> > complaints filed in Panderpur (Maharastra), Rajkot (Gujarat) and Indore
> > (Madhya Pradesh) claiming that his paintings were obscene and that they hurt
> > public sentiments.
> >
> > The criminal complaints filed in various places were shifted to the Patiala
> > House district courts in the Capital after the artist had approached the
> > apex court.
> >
> > After the transfer of cases, Husain, 90, had filed a petition in the Delhi
> > High Court for quashing the complaints which was allowed on May 8 this year.
> >
> >
> > http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/SC_refuses_to_take_action_against_M_F_Husain/articleshow/3459623.cms
> >
> >
> >
> >
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