[Reader-list] Absence of Husain at Art Summit

[A.K. Malik]

Dear Mr Salim and Mr Murali,
                               I am putting a simple question to answer: Had a similar nudity shown for other faiths,would the person so doing have survived till today with our governance system?
Regards,

(A.K.MALIK)


--- On Fri, 8/14/09, Murali V <murali.chalam at gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Murali V <murali.chalam at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Absence of Husain at Art Summit
> To: "Inder Salim" <indersalim at gmail.com>
> Cc: "reader-list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
> Date: Friday, August 14, 2009, 10:34 PM
> Well who is the next hindu godess to
> be depicted nude by M F Hussain.
> 
> Regards,
> V Murali
> 
> On Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 7:01 PM, Inder Salim<indersalim at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > Dear all
> >
> > please click to see
> >
> > http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pllHvmNB5GI/Sn7kVWsGT2I/AAAAAAAAAPE/lF_BbjckUgg/s1600-h/sraswati+with+text1.jpg
> >
> > image in solidarity with MF Hussain
> >
> > with love
> > inder salim
> >
> >
> > On Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 2:36 PM, ashok kumari<sahmat8 at yahoo.com>
> wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >> we are submitting a memo to the home minister on
> Husain not being included
> >> in the Art Summit. Please send your endorsement as
> soon as possible.
> >>
> >> Minister of Home Affairs
> >> Government of India
> >> North Block
> >> New Delhi
> >>
> >> Dear Shri Chidambaram,
> >>
> >> We - artists, gallerists and critics, are
> approaching you on behalf of the
> >> artists community on the long standing issue of
> attempts by Hindu right-wing
> >> groups to effectively impose a ban on exhibiting
> any work by our greatest
> >> living artist, 94 year old MF Husain, through
> threats of assault and
> >> violence. These groups, including the BJP, Bajrang
> Dal, Sri Ram Sena, the
> >> VHP, and the Shiv Sena have led a concerted
> communal campaign against Husain
> >> accusing him of blasphemy since 1996. This
> campaign has taken a violent form
> >> on many occasions and has also led to cases being
> filed against the artist
> >> in courts across India, and has led to Husain's
> self-imposed exile.
> >>
> >> In a landmark judgement dismissing three such
> cases in the Delhi High Court
> >> in 2007, Justice Sanjay Kishen Kaul defended the
> right of freedom of
> >> expression under the Constitution of India. The
> Union Ministry of Culture,
> >> during the previous Art Summit held in 2008 had
> categorically stated “Shri
> >> M. F. Husain is one of the most prominent artist
> of the country and the
> >> absence of his works at the India Art Summit will
> not reflect the true art
> >> scenario of India.”
> >>
> >> We are very disturbed by reports that the upcoming
> International India Art
> >> Summit taking place at Pragati Maidan from August
> 19-24th has asked
> >> participating galleries for the second year
> running to not display the work
> >> of Husain citing fear of attacks. We enclose a
> report from the Telegraph
> >> which quotes them as saying that the Home Ministry
> has offered no assurance
> >> of security.
> >>
> >> We find it shocking that the work of the most
> famous artist cannot be shown
> >> in the country of his birth, even though he is not
> a criminal, nor is his
> >> work proscribed or banned. The Art Summit is being
> attended by luminaries
> >> from around the world, and it is a sad state of
> affairs that we, who
> >> justifiably pride ourselves as a great democracy,
> cannot resist threats from
> >> these groups who we see as no less than other
> terrorists who threaten our
> >> daily lives.
> >>
> >> We request a meeting with you to apprise you of
> the art community's anguish
> >> and concern.
> >>
> >> Yours Sincerely,
> >>
> >> Vivan Sundaram, Ram Rahman, Parthiv Shah, Shireen
> Gandhi, Dadiba Pundole,
> >> Geetha Mehra, Gayatri Sinha, Arun Vadhera, Renu
> Modi, Ashish Anand, Devika
> >> Daulet Singh, Geeta Kapur, Peter Nagy
> >>
> >> ________________________________
> >> See the Web's breaking stories, chosen by people
> like you. Check out Yahoo!
> >> Buzz.
> >
> >
> >
> > --
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