Contacts to protest:

New York Office:
Ganieve Grewal: +1 917 297 1385

Sale center (New York)- +1 212 636 2000
Promotion Office (New York)- +1 212 636 2680
Email: [email protected]

HINDU JANAJAGRUTI SAMITI

Reg No: 1540/1-634, 12-11-2002, Ponda Goa

||Sree||

Date: 19-March-2008

To,
CHRISTIE ART GALLERY, New York,
Kind Attn.Ms.Sara Fox, Spokesperson

Sub: Protest to stop auction of M.F. Husain’s paintings by Christie art gallery

This refers to news regarding your decision regarding not withdrawing of  Husains paintings from auction on 20th March 2008. We once again request you not to auction M.F .Huasin’s paintings due to following reasons.

The whole world is aware that M.F. Husain has drawn nude and obscene paintings of Indian Deities and Bharatmata. Thus he has hurt religious and National sentiments of crores of all Indians. More than 1,250 police complaints have been lodged against him and lot of court cases are going on against him throughout India. He is absconding from India and not facing Court Trials. He has been accused of outraging relious sentiments, promoting enemity between different religious groups, selling obscene material and disturbing National integrity, thereby committing offences under several sections of the Indian Penal Code. He has also been accused of committing offenses under section 2 of the prevention of Insults to National Honour Act on account of certain paintings of Hindu Deities and naked Bharatmata.Nowhere in India we allow Husains paintins exhibitions/auction..

At this stage you are glorifying an accused person by auctioning his painting and hurting national and religious sentiments. No proud Indian  throughout world will tolerate your support to antiHindu and antiNational painter M.F.Husain. By doing this you are starting enemity and hatred amongs various religious groups and may lead to Law and order situation for which you will be responsible.

We are taking up this issue with American Embassy in India and Indian Government.

We have full faith in American Democracy but at the same time your democratic system will not gloryfy such a accused person who has no courage and respect to comeback to his motherland and jusify his act of  creating indecent Art ,which can be equated only with that of infamous Denmark cartoonist who is also hiding himself.

There has been news that  infamous Denmark cartoonist is looking for someone to arrange auction of infamous cartoons. Your expression and love for artistic freedom can only be justified if you arrange this auction too.

Please acknowledge and inform action taken.

For Hindu Janajagruti Samiti,
Mumbai

S.G.Vatkar

 > Protest Letter 1

From: ramgopal gupta
To: [email protected]
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:53:47 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Exhibition of impuned paintings of MF Husain

Dear Madame,

I believe that you very well know that there are about 900 criminal complaints against MF Husain for his obnoxious paintings of Hindu gods, goddesses and icons. He is a fugitive, living out of India, and is not coming to India, to avoid criminal proceedings. Holding exhibition of his objectionable paintings will amount to be an act of complicity and conspiracy with MF Husain (IPC 120-B) in his criminal act of outraging religious feelings of Hindus (IPC 295-A) and punishable with imprisonment upto three years or so..

I, therefore, request you to remove all objectionable paintings of MF Husain from your exhibition to be held in New York on March 20. This will be in your interest too, in addition to respecting the religious feelings of Hindus.

Yours sincerely,
Ram Gopal

> Protest Letter 2

From: HHShah
To: [email protected],
Date Thu, Mar 20, 2008 at 8:43 AM
Subject: Please stop Christies auction of paintings by the MF Hussein

Dear Nawaz;

Just as you feel offended by Prophet Muhammad’s cartoons in the Western press, we Hindus are offended by the MF Hussein. His derogatory description of Hindu gods goddesses and now even the rivers, has hurt the feelings of Hindus throughout the world.

I hope you understand and act to help our cause.

thank you.

…hemant shah

 > Protest Letter 3

From: Vijayalakshmi G
Date: Mon, Mar 3, 2008 at 12:12 PM
Subject: Stop display/auction of paintings by M.F.Husain who denigrated Hindu Deities
To: [email protected]

Dear Ms.Ingrid Dudek,

This is to convey our protests to your display/auction of the demeaning paintings by M.F.Husain of Hindu Deities, which are scheduled to be auctioned by Christie’s on 20th March,2008.

We,the thousands of devout Hindus,have been outraged and humiliated by the nude and demeaning portrayals of our Deities by the pervert of an artist called M.F.Husain.
We had participated in a signature campaign to take legal action against this man for hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus. Thousands of cases have been registered against him in various courts of India. Arrest warrants had been issued against him. He is now a fugitive from the law of the land.

Some anti-nationals are supporting him, but as a responsible and civilized person, you and your firm Christie’s, should honour the sentiments of devout and peaceful Hindus and remove the paintings of the perverted painter M.F.Husain. Please do not help this lecher to make money by auctioning the demeaning paintings of our revered Deities. You are aware of the intolerance of muslims to even the slightest disrespect to their religion. Then how can such brazen disrespect to our religion be tolerated, and how can you be a party to it?

We are deeply hurt by this insensitivity shown by Christie’s, despite previous protests. We hope you will honour our sentiments at least now and remove his paintings from your galleries, because this despicable man has made a mockery of our peaceful religion. Please remember that exhibiting his paintings itself amounts to felicitating a pervert.

Thanking You,

Yours truly,

G.Vijayalakshmi,
T.C.Govindan
Kavitha Menon
S.Rajanandam
Sujatha Rajanandam
Rajath
Krishna Kumar
Adithi
Sasidharan
Vimala
Rajanish
Smita
Ravi
Vatsala
Vikram
Rajamma
Lakshmi and others.

We thank all protesters for prompt support. Let us offer gratitude to God for the success given by Him in this campaign and thus strengthening our faith about His blessings in our activities! – Editor

Senders have notified us about these protest letters.

Please send the mail to all these email addresses –

[email protected] , [email protected] , [email protected] ,
[email protected], [email protected] ,
[email protected] , [email protected] , [email protected]

> Protest Letter 1

From: A HJS Visitor (Name is kept confidential)

Subject: Blessings of God to your organisation for your noble work

To Honorable member of  Bhoruka Charitable Trust

Namaskar

First of all I would like to commend you for all the work that you have been selflessly doing.

It has come to our attention that you will be felicitating M.F. Hussain. In a speech of yours you have requested people to see the true spirit behind this. We also request responsible people like you to see that the spirit of millions of Hindus are hurt all over the world. Please visit the website link to see the denigrating paintings done by Husain yourselfhttps://www.hindujagruti.org/activities/campaigns/national/mfhussain-campaign/#christie and the protest registered by Hindus’s all over the world. You must be knowing that he is been held guilty by the courts in India, and there are more than thousands of cases against him.

Every endeavour is successful with Gods grace, but no endeaour is truly successful without God’s grace and if there is a sin committed directly in denigrating God, then one can expect only wrath. Your cause is noble, but by supporting M.F. Husain you will entering the realm of committing a sin now, especially since you are aware of what he has done.

Will this move of yours will be worth the effort of getting the wrath of deities?

Do thing carefully about it.

A devotee

(Name is kept confidential)

NJ, USA

HINDU JANAJAGRUTI SAMITI

Reg No: 1540/1-634, 12-11-2002, Ponda Goa

||Sree||

Date: 13-March-2008

To,
Bhoruka Charitable Trust,
Jaipur, Rajasthan,

Dear Sirs,

Sub: Protest to cancel life time achievement award to M.F. Husain.

This refers to news appeared in Khaleej Times Dubai that Bhoruka Charitable Trust ,Rajasthan India is initiating feliciation of M.F.Husain at Dubai.Trust is planning to give him life time achievement award on 15th March 2008 at Jumeira Hotel Dubai. This event is organised by Shri.Ashok Agarwal, Secretary of Bhoruka Charitable Trust.

As you are aware M.F. Husain has drawn nude and obscene paintings of Hindu Deities and Bharatmata. Thus he has hurted religious and National sentiments of crores of Hindus and Indians. More than 1,250 police complaints have been lodged against him and lot of court cases are going on against him throughout India. He has been accused of outraging relious sentiments, promoting enemity between different religious groups, selling obscene material and disturbing National integrity, thereby committing offences under several sections of the Indian Penal Code. He has also been accused of committing offenses under section 2 of the prevention of Insults to National Honour Act on account of certain paintings of

Hindu Deities and naked Bharatmata. At this stage you are glorifying an accused person by give him life time achievement award and hurting our religious and National sentiments. Your action of glorifying M.F.Husain for your Noble cause i.e.trust trying to involve in educational charity work and nurturing Indian art among children is not justified as Noble cause cannot be fulfilled at the cost of National honour. No proud Indian and Hindu will tolerate your support to antiHindu and antiNational painter M.F.Husain.

For your information we had protested and were successful to cancell Rupdhar award 2006 which was supposed to begiven by Bombay Art Society on their centanary celebration at the hands of Hon.Governer of Maharashtra Shri.S.M.Krishna to M.F.Husain. For further details of protests and successful campaigns (e.g.cancellation of ABN Amro Bank’s credit card with husain’s painting , cancellation of auction of Husain’s painting by NGO Khushi costing 6 crore rupees in Mumbai, removing Husain’s painting from Tao Art Gallery etc.) against M.F.Husain, please visit website www.hindujagruti.org .

In view of aforesaid you are requested not to give him life time achievement award on 15th March 2008 at Jumeira Hotel Dubai failing which we along with other patriotic and proHindutva groups will have to start strong protest-campaign against you.

Please acknowledge and confirm the action taken in this matter.

Yours Truly,
(For Hindu Janajagruti Samiti)

C.C.

1. Hon.Balsaheb Thakre,
Shivsenapramukh,
Fax No: 22883535
E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

2. Hon.Chief Minister of Rajasthan

3. Respected PoliceCommissioner

With a request not to allow Bhoruka Charitable Trust to honour Anti-National painter M.F.Husain as explained above.

HINDU JANAJAGRUTI SAMITI

Reg No: 1540/1-634, 12-11-2002, Ponda Goa

||Sree||

Date: 03-May-2007

To,
ABN AMRO Banking Centre,

Dear Sir,

Subject: Non response to our Request to withdraw the paintings of M.F.Husain on ABN AMRO Banking Credit

We had requested you to withdraw the paintings of M.F.Husain on ABN AMRO Banking Credit, by our mail to you at [email protected] e mail id. (see mail below*) on 01-May 2007.It is two days and we have not received any reply nor acknowledgment from you.So also we have received protest letters sent by hundreds of individuals to you at the same address, some of which have been posted on our site www.hindujagruti.org. indicating closing of their account with you and boycott the bank if you do not withdraw Husain’s paintings on your credit card.You can call for these protest letters from us. This non response is very much surprising on the part of bank authorities who are silent to such vehement protests against the bank by your clients.This lapse could prove very costly in terms of losing of bank clientale and creation of ill will and losing support of Hindu clientale.

We hereby request you to urgently look into this matter and do the needful.We would welcome propt action in this matter and your favourable response in order to avoid further inconvience to you and further action on our part.

Sincerely,

Dr. Manoj Solanki
Spokesperson
Hindu Janajagruti Samiti
(Hindu Awareness Forum)
Goa, India

cc: To Singapore Home Department – for information and action

||Sree||

Date: 01-May-2007

To,

ABN AMRO Banking Centre
63, Market Street, Level 5,
Singapore- 048942
Telephone: 1800 226 2676, +65 6518 8686
E-mail: [email protected]

Subject: Request to withdraw the paintings of M.F.Husain on ABN AMRO Banking Credit

Dear Sir/ Madam,

On behalf of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, a Committee working for religious awakening and unity of Hindus (more details at www.hidujagruti.org) we take this opportunity to communicate to you. We recently came to know that you have decided to place the images of paintings by the Indian painter M. F. Hussain on ABN AMRO Banking Credit card and have also branded him as ‘Picasso’ of India, as reported by the Times of India:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/TOIonline/Indians_Overseas/
A_credit_card_with_M_F_Hussains_art/articleshow/1981521.cms

We were shocked to know about it, as Husain has been wanted by Indian police and the Courts, as per the various news been reported in the media. Few of the latest developments are

1. USA Hindus strongly protest M.F. Husain:
https://www.hindujagruti.org/news/article/mf-husain-campaign/protests/usa-hindus-strongly-protest-mfh.html

2. Husain’s exhibition cancelled; Exhibitor booked! Painting Confiscated!
(https://www.hindujagruti.org/news/article/hindu-janajagruti-samiti/general/hjs-protest-uti-bank-cancels-hussain-s-exhibition.html)

3. Delhi court has ordered Crime Branch of Delhi Police to probe in a complaint against noted painter M F Husain for allegedly portraying Hindu gods and goddesses in an indecent manner.
(http://www.newkerala.com/news4.php?action=fullnews&id=107616)

4. As per news
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/hussain-painting-faces-controversy-again/9574-8.html
the Central Home Ministry has directed the Police Commissioners of Mumbai and Delhi to initiate appropriate action against the anti-Hindu painter M F Husain. His Bharatmata painting is under scrutiny by the UPA government. And bureaucrats are also unwilling to give a go-ahead to any public exhibition of this artwork.

It appears that you are not fully aware of the nature of Husain’s paintings and the worldwide ongoing protests against them. We invite you to take a look at some of the denigrating paintings by Husain and the worldwide protest campaign, spearheaded by our organization in alliance with Sanatan.org, at

www.sanatan.org/hussaincampaign and

https://www.hindujagruti.org/activities/campaigns/national/mfhussain-campaign

Here you will see that Mr. Husain has a history of repeatedly and callously hurting Hindu sentiments by depicting Hindu Deities in lewd, compromising positions and is currently under Indian Government scrutiny for treason for depicting the Indian Motherland (Bharatmata) as a nude woman. You can see that over 29,000 people around the world have registered their protest against M. F. Husain, demanding a stop to all public display and auction of his works.

Since the inception of this protest campaign in November 2005, India and various parts of the world are witnessing intense agitations against M. F. Husain. Agitations that include over 1250 formal police complaints, 7 court cases, burning of Husain effigies, citywide strikes, rasta bunds (road blocking), as well as several protest demonstrations in the US and UK. At times, the inaction and passivity of the Indian media and government forced the agitators to lose patience and take a violent turn, as in the case of an attack on the Husain-Doshi art gallery, mob destruction of public property in some cities in India, and public announcements of rewards for maiming or killing M. F. Husain, as well as the closing of the Husain paintings exhibition in Asia House gallery in Oxford Street London after protest demonstrations and a vandal attack.

Husain has also invited the displeasure of Muslim leaders and various Government officials from around the world. For example, Ruth Bennett, Acting Public Affairs Officer of the US State Government responded to our protests outside Christie’s in NY: ‘Thank you for alerting us to your concerns over the auction of paintings by artist M. F. Husain in New York. I appreciate that his work is controversial and has angered many.’ Ms. Bennett advised us to make our views known to auction houses perpetrating Husain’s paintings. Muslim religious leaders, too, have condemned Husain (a so-called Muslim) and put up prize money for maiming him, for his denigrating paintings, which are considered as essentially against Islamic principles. The honorable courts of India have already summoned and issued warrants against Mr. Husain in various cities like Indore, Delhi, etc., since mid-March 2006, for hurting religious sentiments and creating communal disharmony. That is why; M. F. Husain has been cited as absconding to UK. The details of all these news can be seen at

www.sanatan.org/hussaincampaign/#news

If there is anything that the worldwide violence over Prophet Mohammed’s caricatures has taught us, it is that religious sentiments are the most sacred of all to those who follow any religion. Denigrating them as the likes of Husain and the Danish cartoonists have done, or disregarding them as the likes of the Danish press and or art galleries perpetrating Husain’s paintings have done, can incite communal disharmony if not widespread violence. That is why, the UN ex-Secretary General, Kofi Annan in view of the crisis over caricatures of Prophet Mohammad has advocated that, “We must stress that rights carry with them an inherent responsibility, and should not be used to degrade, humiliate or insult any group or individual.”

As one can plainly see, M. F. Husain has abused his freedom of expression. Allowing his paintings on your credit card would be as good as disregarding religious sentiments, thus abetting the perpetration of communal disharmony and violence. Should he be allowed to enjoy elite status and fortune, when even the Indian courts and the government are holding him guilty for hurting Hindus’ religious sentiments?

We urge you to follow in the footsteps of the esteemed ‘Bombay Art Gallery’, in Mumbai (India) that, in response to the protests of Hindus, cancelled the Lifetime Achievement (Roopdhar) felicitation of M. F. Husain at the hands of the Maharashtra Governor, who too, declined to felicitate Husain. Withdrawing the paintings of M. F. Husain in light of the above will go a long way in setting yourself as an organization that upholds ethics in art and not just art for the sake of commercial gain. It would also help prevent ill will and agitations of Indians and Hindus and against not only Husain, but also your esteemed institution that must have a substantial patronage from Indians and Hindus.

We expect your prompt reply and action in this regard.

Sincerely,

Dr. Manoj Solanki
Spokesperson
Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (Hindu Awareness Forum)
Goa, India

Senders have notified us about these protest letters.

Please send the mail to all these email addresses –

[email protected], [email protected] ,
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected]

> Protest Letter 1

From: A HJS Visitor (Name is kept confidential)
To: [email protected]
Date: May 1, 2007 8:13 PM EST

Subject: Hussain Paintings on Credit Card

Dear ABN Amro Officials,

I write this in disgust, hearing the news that you have decided to place the images of paintings by M F Hussain, and have also branded him as ‘Picasso’ of India, as reported by the Times of India:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/TOIonline/Indians_Overseas/A_credit_card_with_M_F_Hussains_art/articleshow/1981521.cms

Are you serious? Are you even aware of how insulting this particular painter has been to the respected and revered figures of Hindus? He has painted Gods and Godesses in very bad taste, including in naked postures, in sexual union, in decapitated shapes and so on? Please dont start the “freedom of artistic expression” arguement – since he has singled out only Hindu figures for such treatment, while he has painted figures of Islam, Christian and his own family well clothed and respectfully. So he has utilized this freedom only to treat Hindu figures selectively.

Also this person has been wanted in several cases by at least 3 different High Courts of India and has been since living abroad and has avoided coming to India.

Unfortunately, he is the painter you want to put “in every pocket” as your press statement said.

I had been a customer of ABN Amro Bank in Holland, and even had an ABN Amro card a couple of years back in India. As a consumer of yours, I write this e-mail to protest your selection of him. I do believe your act is only born out of innocent ignorance and not a deliberate insult. I earnestly request, pray and appeal, please dont promote and encourage this insult to Hindus, and remove his paintings. Why do you not care to put Raja Ravi Verma – the “Rambrandt of India” in every pocket, if I may suggest.

Thank you.

Similar protest letters have been sent by Shri. Yashvant Singh, Vinay Joshi, Debasis Mishra .

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

> Protest Letter 2

From: Gulab Singh
To: [email protected]
Date: May 1, 2007 9:19 PM EST

Subject: Hussain Paintings on Credit Card

A new credit card issued by Dutch bank ABN Amro is enticing art lovers by showcasing the art of M F Hussain.

Regarded as the “Picasso of India,” the bank said on Monday that M F Hussain will feature on its platinum card that is available for local Singaporeans and expatriate Indians.

Suhail Chandra, head of consumer clients, said Singapore representatives explained to the artist that they wanted to put “Hussain in everyone’s pocket and make sure we can get people to wake up to a Hussain image every time they use” the card.

===

I strongly protest this anti-hindu trend of encouraging such stupid people like M F Hussain being sponsoring such credit cards. I am the holder of the ATM card of ABN Amro and I am closing my account within next 7 days time. You must think about continuing your advertisement with the anti-social element like M F Hussain.]

Hope you shall take this into consideration.

Thanking you.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

> Protest Letter 3

From: Uma
To: [email protected]
CC: [email protected]
Date: May 1, 2007 11:51 PM EST

Subject: Hussain Paintings on your Credit Card

Dear ABN AMRO Officials,

I came to know that you have decided to put Hussain’s picture on your credit card. Are you serious? Do you know how Hussain in the name of ART has painted disgusting pictures of Hindu Gods? When he is that Artistic, why couldn’t he draw naked pictures of people from Islam or Christianity? No, he drew them fully clothed and Hindu Gods naked. This is an insult to Hindu sentiments. I have atleat 25 friends who are Hindus and who are your customers. They are willing to close account with your bank for this reason. Please stop using Hussain’s pictures. He is a coward who can’t return to India as there are cases pending against him. He is not an artist. All he promotes is hateful and pronographic content in the name of Art.

Hope you will do the needful!
—
Regards,

Uma

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

> Protest Letter 4

From: Ashish
To: [email protected]
Date: May 2, 2007 1:19 PM

Subject: Hussain Paintings on your Credit Card

Dear ABN AMRO Officials,

Are you sure that you can lure Non-resident indian customers by putting MF Hussain’s painting on the credit card, i bet this can never be possible and there would surely be a negative impact. Fyi, iam a permanent resident in singapore, i will surely think twice before using ABN AMRO services in the future and will surely advice my friends/colleagues against this.

Please regard this as customer feedback and in the future pls do a proper research before showcasing paintings so that i doesn’t hurts any community feelings.

Thanks & Regards,
Ashish

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

> Protest Letter 5

From: Hetal Dave
To: [email protected]
CC: [email protected]
Date: May 2, 2007 9:39 AM

Subject: Credit card with M F Hussain’s art

To ABN AMRO Bank,

I would like to strongly protest against this type of card as Mr.Hussain has hurt our sentiments by this paintings.

I have referred to the letter send to you by Hindi Jagruti Samiti and I support their cause.

I am a Hindu staying in Singapore and I request the bank to discourge people who hurt our sentiments by degrading our religion.

Thanks.
Hetal

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

> Protest Letter 6

From: Vijayalakshmi G
Date: May 2, 2007 5:53 PM
Subject: ‘Promotion’ of M.F.Husain by ABN AMRO
To: [email protected]

We are shocked to know that you are trying to promote the pervert of a painter,M.F.Husain, who has made it his vocation to caricature Hindu Gods and Godesses and make millions by painting them in an obscene manner and auctioninh them in the world market. To call the pervert ‘the Piccaso of India’ is a terrible insult to not only Piccaso, but also to all self-respecting Hindus and Indians in general, as he has painted even Mother India (Bharat Mata) in the nude! He has painted Mahatma Gandhi, without his head.

This man M.F.Husain is a fugitive from the law of the land. There are arrest warrants against him. Hundreds of FIRs have been filed with the police. The matter is in the law courts now and M.F.Husain is hiding in the UK. It is a crying shame that you have chosen this scoundrel to ‘promote’ your business prospects. Believe me, it will only be counter-productive for you. No self-respecting Hindu and Indian would have any business dealings with you if you go ahead with your plans to promote this man.

I therefore urge you to give up your self-destructive plan. Leave the perverted painter to his fate for his wicked actions. There are so many other uncontroversial artists in the world, who would be glad to help you. Do respect the sentiments of religious Hindus, who always have respect for people of other religions. Hope you will respond positively to our request.

With regards,

Dr.Vijayalakshmi,family and friends.
Chennai, Tamilnadu

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

> Protest Letter 7

From: Magesh Chandramouli
To: [email protected]
CC: [email protected]
Date: May 2, 2007 5:29 PM
Subject: Protest ABN AMRO Bank for this insult to Hindu community.

Dear ABN AMRO Officials,

We strongly protest against this type of card and request/pray/suggest to immediately take actions against making of such cards with M.F.Hussain who is an anti Hindu and all his work depicts his hatred to Mother India and he has been insulting our hindu deities and mother India in most of his paintings.

Please stop this. I would suggest you can rather choose to put Shri. Vivekananda, Raja Shivaji, Shree Lokamanya Tilak or Dr. Radhakrishanan.

Thank you
Vaishali

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

> Protest Letter 8

From: trichur balasubramaniam
To: [email protected]
CC: [email protected]
Date: May 2, 2007 12:49 PM
Subject: M.F.Hussain’s painting on your Credit Cards – Complaint reg

Dear Sirs:

I am extremely pained to note that your credit cards carry a painting by MF Hussain. This painter has caused extreme hurt to the Hindu community all over the world by painting images of our Gods in a most insulting fashion. He has thus denigrated our Gods and as far as the Hindu community is concerned, he is a first-rate villain. You must, therefore, withdraw these cards. I am sure, you are aware that there are criminal cases filed and pending against this man. A Bank of your repute should not indulge in such acts which will cause much pain and anguish to a major community.

If you still persist with the cards, I suspect you may lose the valuable patronage of most of the Hindus.

Thank you.
Yours truly,
T.S. Balasubramaniam

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

> Protest Letter 9

From: David Robertson
To: [email protected]
CC: [email protected]
Date: May 3, 2007 11:05 AM
Subject: M.F Hussain Paintings

Dear Officials

This is to protest the paintings of M.F Hussain as used on your credit card. I am not even an Hindu and I find this paintings obscene and in very bad taste. It is appalling that your bank should endorse these views.

Hussain has exceeded his limits in every way. My request to you would be to withdraw these images from your cards.

Kind Regards
David Robertson

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> Protest Letter 10

From: Rajat Bijur
To: [email protected]
CC: [email protected]
Date: May 3, 2007 10:44 AM
Subject: Hussain Paintings on Credit Card

Dear ABN Officials

I am writing with regards to the following link

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/TOIonline/Indians_Overseas/A_credit_card_with_M_F_Hussains_art/articleshow/1981521.cms

How can a bank that is purported to be sensitive to all communities and nationalities be so insensitive so as to publish the paintings of a criminal on its credit card? Have you even thought what this could lead to? Dont forget that you have branches in India…….!

A few months ago, a Danish newspaper published cartoons on Islam and the prophet and you must have seen the reaction to it. Did you think that Hindus will sit back and keep quiet when their gods are being denigrated?

I am not only a retail customer of ABN, but also a corporate customer of ABN in the Netherlands, since my organisation has heavy dealings with your bank. I intend to bring this to the notice of the concerned people within my company in order to bring all financial dealings and accounts with your bank to a close.

Hussain is a sex maniac painter who loved to ogle and paint at women who are 40-50 years younger to him. In plain English, its also called paedophilia. I am surprised that to boost your sales you are resorting to patting this criminal on the back.

I am very surprised and rather shocked at your support for MF Hussain. I have already spread word regarding this in my circles. As for me and my company, you can consider that banking relation a historical chapter. There are better European banks to bank with if I am opening accounts in the EU.

With this letter, I once again strongly protest the inclusion of these painting on your credit card and urge you to withdraw the same immediately.

Thanks
Yours truly
RAJAT BIJUR

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> Protest Letter 11

From: gopal mahajan
To: [email protected],
CC: [email protected]
Date: May 3, 2007 10:34 AM
Subject: Protest against M. F. Hussains Painting on your Credit Card

Dear ABN AMRO Officials,
It is evident that painter with narrow mindset can be termed as great painter or so.

M. F. Hussains painting have hurt sentiments of millions Hindus.

Any one associated with M. F. Hussain will not be tolerated by Hindus in any part of the world.

We try our best to protest it.

I request you not to associate H. F. Hussain and India.

“Jai Hind”

Gopal S. Mahajan

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

> Protest Letter 12

From: “Reema”
To: [email protected] , [email protected]
CC: [email protected], [email protected] ,
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected],
[email protected], [email protected]
Subject: Concern: Husain on ABN Amro Card
Date: Sat, 05 May 2007 12:04:15 -0400

Hello all,

I am a practicing Hindu woman of Indian origin. I read this (*) article on ABN’s plan to issue platinum credit cards with Husain’s painting on it. You know, in as much as I appreciate ABN’s quest to do something different and cool for their platinum credit card branding, I think this is a disastrous idea. And I mean no ill respect to your Marketing folks in saying this.

I am sure you have to be aware of Husain’s involvement in drawing Hindu deities, revered by a billion Hindus around the World, in extremely tasteless and compromising postures. In our understanding, Husain deliberately engaged in such acts in order to a) sell his paintings at huge premium (as you know, controversy makes one famous), and b) malign Hindu feelings at large.

To me and millions of other Hindus, Husain is no Picasso. He is simply a man who destiny chose to torment our religious beliefs time and again. ABN giving him business will only make us, practicing Hindus, think that it hardly cares about religious feelings of a billion potential consumers. I must tell you that you are not going to win the respect of Hindu community by soliciting Husain’s services. Just as you would not win any points by hiring the journalists of Jyllands-Posten (of Mohammad Cartoon fame) to
paint for your cards.

I hereby urge you to reconsider your plans of using Husain’s paintings on millions of your credit cards. It doesn’t get you anything other than mistrust of Hindus, and mostly indifference from your Platinum card holders who hardly care to understand what Husain’s receding intellect was thinking while wielding that brush.

Hopefully,
Reema.

(*) –
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/273227/1/.html

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

> Protest Letter 13

From: Pallavi
Date: May 5, 2007 12:39 AM
Subject: Attention from a Hindu

Hello everyone,

I am really feeling cheated that the bank of so much repute can do this type of shameful act by promoting & encouraging a sex maniac who in the name of art keep on insulting womanhood & most important religion. If he is a artist and a nationalist then why he left India reason being simple as he has cases pending in different courts in India. He is a sadist & takes initiative in porn materials.
I suggest if you want to celebrate your Platinum jubilee then you better depict any important nationalist or leader who had done good for the country not a biased fellow who in the name of art hurting Hindu sentiments.

And one more thing I will add in this context that Mr. Suhail Chandra, head customer clients, ABN Amro that he is an Indian & Hindu can do such thing. I really feel pity for him. However, on behalf of all the Hindus I warn that stop hurting religious sentiments as this will not be benefited for your organization or any one doing such type of work.

Hope you will take the corrective measures & let us inform.

Regards
Pallavi

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

> Protest Letter 14

From: Maanoj Rakhit

Dear Sir/Madam:

Please withdraw this Credit Card. He has painted Hindu gods and godesses in nude and showing them having sexual intercourse with animals. Our goddesses are our mother figures. If you are agreeable to honour someone who paints (1) Jesus (2) Mohammed (3) Jesus’s mother, (4) Mohammed’s mother and (5) YOUR OWN mother in nude and showing them in sexual intercourse with animals, then by all means, please go ahead and honor M F Hussain, or else, please refrain from doing it. If you don’t act now then someone will paint your own mother in that position and then you will not be able to do anything about it, for you have today honored a social and communal criminal.

A new credit card issued by Dutch bank ABN AMRO is showcasing the art of M F Hussain. Bank said that “Picasso of India” M F Hussain will feature on its platinum card that is available for local Singaporeans and expatriate Indians.
Hussain has abused Hindu Gods and Goddesses showing them naked and in compromising positions. The Central Home Ministry has directed the Police Commissioners of Mumbai and Delhi to initiate action against the painter M F Hussain. Hussain is wanted in several cases by at least 3 different High Courts of India and has been since living abroad and has avoided coming to India.

For details refer to https://www.hindujagruti.org/activities/campaigns/national/mfhussain-campaign/

Sincerely,
Maanoj Rakhit
Yashodharman’s “Arise Arjun – Awaken my Hindu Nation” series
www.yashodharman.org also .com, .net, .info
www.maanojrakhit.com also .org, .net, .info
http://maanojrakhit.blogspot.com

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

> Protest Letter 15

From: Rajeev Paripurnan

Subject: Picasso Of India Ha ha

Dear ABN AMRO

I understand that you have put up MF Hussain as your mascot on your new Platinum Card for Singaporeans and Indian expats.

I fail to understand why a bank of great fidelity and impeccable record would want a blemish on someone who has abused the Hindu religion using the veil of artistic freedom.

Would you dare put the “Satanic Verses” cover on your card.

We request you to take his paintings off your cards in Singapore and everywhere else you plan to put it as he is a man who has hurt our religious sentiments.

Regards

Rajeev

Other Protestors notified us –

1. Sarita Patel
2. Praveen
3. Milind Poshe
4. Nishikant Patwardhan
5. Onkar Vatharkar
6. Bhupendra Raichura
7. Radhacharan Patel

HINDU JANAJAGRUTI SAMITI

Reg No: 1540/1-634, 12-11-2002, Ponda Goa

B G-3, Ground floor, Marvil Apartments, Phase II St. Cruz, Ponda, Goa. 403401 INDIA

email: [email protected]; [email protected]

||Sree||

Date: 04-March-2007

To,

1×1, Art Space,
Al Wasl Road,
opposite Umm Suqeim Choithram,
Al Hamara, Villa No. 1023
Dubai
Tel: +971 04 348 3873
Fax: +971 04 348 3827
Email: [email protected]

Subject: Request to withdraw the paintings of M.F.Husain at 1×1, Art Space, Dubai exhibition held from 28th Feb to 28th March 2007.

Dear Sir/ Madam,

We recently came to know about the display of paintings of M.F.Husain at the 1×1, Art Space, Dubai exhibition held from 28th Feb to 28th March 2007. We were shocked to know about it, as Husain has been wanted by Indian police and the Courts as per the various news reported in the media. Few of the latest developments are

1. Husain’s exhibition cancelled; Exhibitor booked! Painting Confiscated!
https://www.hindujagruti.org/news/article/hindu-janajagruti-samiti/general/hjs-protest-uti-bank-cancels-hussain-s-exhibition.html

2. Delhi court has ordered Crime Branch of Delhi Police to probe in a complaint against noted painter M F Husain for allegedly portraying Hindu gods and goddesses in an indecent manner.
http://www.newkerala.com/news4.php?action=fullnews&id=107616

3. As per news
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/hussain-painting-faces-controversy-again/9574-8.html
the Central Home Ministry has directed the Police Commissioners of Mumbai and Delhi to initiate appropriate action against the anti-Hindu painter M F Husain. His Bharatmata painting is under scrutiny by the UPA government. And bureaucrats are also unwilling to give a go-ahead to any public exhibition of this artwork.

It appears that you are not fully aware of the nature of Husain’s paintings and the worldwide ongoing protests against them. We invite you to take a look at some of the denigrating paintings by Husain and the worldwide protest campaign, spearheaded by our organization in alliance with Sanatan.org, at
www.sanatan.org/hussaincampaign and at
https://www.hindujagruti.org/activities/campaigns/national/mfhussain-campaign
Here you will see that Mr. Husain has a history of repeatedly and callously hurting Hindu sentiments by depicting Hindu Deities in lewd, compromising positions and is currently under Indian Government scrutiny for treason for depicting the Indian Motherland (Bharatmata) as a nude woman. You can see that over 29,000 people around the world have registered their protest against M. F. Husain, demanding a stop to all public display and auction of his works.

Since the inception of this protest campaign in November 2005, India and various parts of the world are witnessing intense agitations against M. F. Husain. Agitations that include over 1250 formal police complaints, 7 court cases, burning of Husain effigies, citywide strikes, rasta bunds (road blocking), as well as several protest demonstrations in the US and UK. At times, the inaction and passivity of the Indian media and government forced the agitators to lose patience and take a violent turn, as in the case of an attack on the Husain-Doshi art gallery, mob destruction of public property in some cities in India, and public announcements of rewards for maiming or killing M. F. Husain, as well as the closing of the Husain paintings exhibition in Asia House gallery in Oxford Street London after protest demonstrations and a vandal attack .

Husain has also invited the displeasure of Muslim leaders and various Government officials from around the world. For example, Ruth Bennett, Acting Public Affairs Officer of the US State Government responded to our protests outside Christie’s in NY: ‘Thank you for alerting us to your concerns over the auction of paintings by artist M. F. Husain in New York. I appreciate that his work is controversial and has angered many.’ Ms. Bennett advised us to make our views known to auction houses perpetrating Husain’s paintings. Muslim religious leaders, too, have condemned Husain (a so-called Muslim) and put up prize money for maiming him, for his denigrating paintings, which are considered as essentially against Islamic principles. The honorable courts of India have already summoned and issued warrants against Mr. Husain in various cities like Indore, Delhi, etc., since mid-March 2006, for hurting religious sentiments and creating communal disharmony. That is why, M. F. Husain has been cited as absconding to UK. The details of all these news can be seen at www.sanatan.org/hussaincampaign/#news.

If there is anything that the worldwide violence over Prophet Mohammed’s caricatures has taught us, it is that religious sentiments are the most sacred of all to those who follow any religion. Denigrating them as the likes of Husain and the Danish cartoonists have done, or disregarding them as the likes of the Danish press and or art galleries perpetrating Husain’s paintings have done, can incite communal disharmony if not widespread violence. That is why, the UN ex-Secretary General, Kofi Annan in view of the crisis over caricatures of Prophet Mohammad has advocated that, “We must stress that rights carry with them an inherent responsibility, and should not be used to degrade, humiliate or insult any group or individual.”

As one can plainly see, M. F. Husain has abused his freedom of expression. Allowing his paintings on display and sale at your esteemed auction would be as good as disregarding religious sentiments, thus abetting the perpetration of communal disharmony and violence. Should he be allowed to enjoy elite status and fortune, when even the Indian courts and the government are holding him guilty for hurting Hindus’ religious sentiments?

We urge you to follow in the footsteps of the esteemed ‘Bombay Art Gallery’, in Mumbai (India) that, in response to the protests of Hindus, cancelled the Lifetime Achievement (Roopdhar) felicitation of M. F. Husain at the hands of the Maharashtra Governor, who too, declined to felicitate Husain. Withdrawing the paintings of M. F. Husain in light of the above will go a long way in setting yourself as an organization that upholds ethics in art and not just art for the sake of commercial gain. It would also help prevent ill will and agitations of Indians and Hindus and against not only Husain, but also your esteemed institution that must have a substantial patronage from Indians and Hindus.

We expect your prompt reply and action in this regard.

Sincerely,
Dr. Manoj Solanki
Spokesperson
Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (Hindu Awareness Forum)
Goa, India

CC to:

1. Consulate General of India, (For immediate intervention)
P.O.Box 737,
Al Hamaria Diplomatic Enclave,
Dubai
Tel: 02-4492700;
Fax: 02-4444685;
E-mail: [email protected] .

2. Indian Embassy (For immediate intervention)
Address: Villa No. 9, Street No.
Enclave, Dubai
Tel: + 971 4 519666 Fax: + 971 4 524453
E mail: [email protected]

3. Dubai Embassy in India (For immediate intervention)
Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021,
India Tel + 91 11 6872822 Fax 6873272
Email: [email protected]

HINDU JANAJAGRUTI SAMITI

||Sree||

Date: 23-December-2006

To,
Dear Shri Shashi Tharoor ji,

Subject: Request to withdraw your support to confer Bharat Ratna to M. F. Husain.

We recently came across your article in the online edition of India’s national Newspaper, the Hindu’s Sunday, Nov 26, 2006. Among other things, the article states, that Husain has been hounded from his own country by the threats of Hindutva chauvinists, did not escape me. So I was all the more sorry to miss this opportunity to pay him tribute, and show him solidarity. Husain has paid a fundamental tribute to his own civilisation, one which he has, through his reinvention of the past and his reimagining of the present, immeasurably enriched. He deserves the Bharat Ratna,’ and supports the petition to confer the Bharat Ratna award on M. F. Husain.

It appears that you are not fully aware of the nature of M. F. Husain’s paintings and the worldwide ongoing protests against them. We invite you to take a look at some of the denigrating paintings by M. F. Husain and the worldwide protest campaign, spearheaded by our organization in alliance with Sanatan.org, at www.sanatan.org/hussaincampaign and at www.hindujagruti.org/petition. Here you will see that Husain has a history of repeatedly and callously hurting Hindu sentiments by depicting Hindu Deities in lewd, compromising positions and is currently under Indian Government scrutiny for treason for depicting the Indian Motherland (Bharatmata) as a nude woman. You can see that over 29,000 people around the world have registered their protest against M. F. Husain, demanding a stop to all public display and auction of his works.

Since the inception of this protest campaign in November 2005, India and various parts of the world are witnessing intense agitations against M. F. Husain. Agitations that include over 1250 formal police complaints, 7 court cases, burning of Husain effigies, citywide strikes, rasta bunds (road blocking), as well as several protest demonstrations in the US and UK. At times, the inaction and passivity of the Indian media and government forced the agitators to lose patience and take a violent turn, as in the case of an attack on the Husain-Doshi art gallery, mob destruction of public property in some cities in India, and public announcements of rewards for maiming or killing M. F. Husain, as well as the closing of the Husain paintings exhibition in Asia House gallery in Oxford Street London after protest demonstrations and a vandal attack.

M. F. Husain has also invited the displeasure of Muslim leaders and various Government officials from around the world. For example, Ruth Bennett, Acting Public Affairs Officer of the US State Government responded to our protests outside Christie’s in NY: ‘Thank you for alerting us to your concerns over the auction of paintings by artist M. F. Husain in New York. I appreciate that his work is controversial and has angered many.’ Ms. Bennett advised us to make our views known to auction houses perpetrating Husain’s paintings. Muslim religious leaders, too, have condemned Husain (a so-called Muslim) and put up prize money for maiming him, for his denigrating paintings, which are considered as essentially against Islamic principles. The honorable courts of India have already summoned and issued warrants against Husain in various cities like Indore, Delhi, etc., since mid-March 2006 for hurting religious sentiments and creating communal disharmony. That is why M. F. Husain has been cited as absconding to UK. The details of all these news can be seen at www.sanatan.org/hussaincampaign/#news.
If there is anything that the worldwide violence over Prophet Mohammed’s caricatures has taught us, it is that religious sentiments are the most sacred of all to those who follow any religion. Denigrating them as the likes of Husain and the Danish cartoonists have done, or disregarding them as the likes of the Danish press and art galleries perpetrating Husain’s paintings have done, can incite communal disharmony, if not widespread violence. That is why, the UN ex-Secretary General, Kofi Annan in view of the crisis over caricatures of Prophet Mohammad has advocated that, ‘We must stress that rights carry with them an inherent responsibility, and should not be used to degrade, humiliate or insult any group or individual.

As one can plainly see, M. F. Husain has abused his freedom of expression. Supporting the conferring of Bharat Ratna Award to Husain would be as good as disregarding religious sentiments, thus abetting the perpetration of communal disharmony and violence. Should he be allowed to enjoy elite status and fortune, when even the Indian courts and the government are holding him guilty for deliberately hurting Hindus’ religious sentiments?

We would like to bring to your notice that the esteemed ‘Bombay Art Gallery’ in Mumbai (India), in response to the protests of Hindus, cancelled the Lifetime Achievement (Roopdhar) felicitation of M. F. Husain at the hands of the Maharashtra Governor, who too, declined to felicitate Husain.

Tharoor ji, you are originally an Indian and Hindu, and you have done the Indians and Hindus proud by your excellence in your field, so as to occupy such an honorable and prestigious post at the international level. We are at a loss to understand your backing to a person like M. F. Husain, who has insulted our Nation and the sentiments of Hindus. Would your Muslim or Christian contemporaries do the same in similar situations, such as the Danish cartoons of the Prophet or the movie ‘Da Vinci Code’ denigrating Jesus Christ? Withdrawing your support of M. F. Husain in light of the above will go a long way in setting yourself as a person, who upholds ethics in art and not just art for the sake of entertainment or commercial gain. It would also help prevent ill will and agitations of millions of Hindus worldwide against not only M. F. Husain, but also your esteemed image among the Indians and the Hindus.

We look forward to your prompt reply and action in this regard.

Sincerely,
Dr. Manoj Solanki
Spokesperson
Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (Hindu Awareness Forum)
Goa, India

HINDU JANAJAGRUTI SAMITI

Reg No: 1540/1-634, 12-11-2002, Ponda Goa

B G-3, Ground floor, Marvil Apartments, Phase II St. Cruz, Ponda, Goa. 403401 INDIA

email: [email protected]; [email protected]

||Sree||

Date: 04-Marchr-2007

To,

Dear Shri Shashi Tharoor ji,

Subject: Request to cancel the programme of praising M. F. Husain.

            We recently came to know that you are going to praise the notorius, criminal and absconding Indian painter M.F Hussain painter in a lecture on Saturday, March 10, 2007, 4 pm at the ‘Peabody Essex Museum’ US, titled ‘Shashi Tharoor Presents: Mining the Mahabharata: How Hussain and Others Have Reinvented the Epic’. We were shocked to know about it, as Husain has been wanted by Indian police and the Courts as per the various news reported in the media. Few of the latest developments are

1. Husain’s exhibition cancelled; Exhibitor booked! Painting Confiscated!
https://www.hindujagruti.org/news/article/hindu-janajagruti-samiti/general/hjs-protest-uti-bank-cancels-hussain-s-exhibition.html

2. Delhi court has ordered Crime Branch of Delhi Police to probe in a complaint against noted painter M F Husain for allegedly portraying Hindu gods and goddesses in an indecent manner.
http://www.newkerala.com/news4.php?action=fullnews&id=107616

3. As per news
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/hussain-painting-faces-controversy-again/9574-8.html
The Central Home Ministry has directed the Police Commissioners of Mumbai and Delhi to initiate appropriate action against the anti-Hindu painter M F Husain. His Bharatmata painting is under scrutiny by the UPA government. And bureaucrats are also unwilling to give a go-ahead to any public exhibition of this artwork.

It was quite understandable as to in view of such a situation how appropriate is it for you to glorify Husain? This act of yours is cutting a very sorry figure of your self and tarnishing your image by association with criminal wanted by Indian Police and the courts. Would you also glorify the Danish Cartoonist who drew the Prophet’s cartoons?

In the past you have also lent support to confer Bharat Ratna to M.F Husain. By our mail dated 23-12-2006 (*see below) we had appealed to you to withdraw support. There was no reply or any response to this from you.

We hereby appeal to you to cancel this inexplicable programme of praising Husain and hope that you do so at the earliest.

We look forward to your prompt reply and action in this regard.

Sincerely,

Dr. Manoj Solanki

Spokesperson

Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (Hindu Awareness Forum)

Article in Question: Times of India, July 29, 2007

It’s time to stop harassing M F Husain

Shashi Tharoor

The emails and messages still haven’t stopped coming in on the Husain paintings of unclad Hindu goddesses, but I think it’s time to draw a line under that debate with one last foray. First, though, i’d like to deal with those who’ve questioned my own record: many have written to ask whether I have spoken out in favour of freedom of expression elsewhere (i have, for decades, and continue to do so); whether I have publicly defended Salman Rushdie over The Satanic Verses (i have, widely, and in writing as well as in person); and whether I have spoken in favour of the Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed (I have not, because I consider them a needless provocation). The last line of questioning, I must say, irritated me; those who draw a parallel between Husain’s art and a bunch of cartoons have not begun to understand the first thing about either.

But it’s time to acknowledge that one category of objection cannot be lightly dismissed. I wrote a few weeks ago about those readers who, while fully respecting Husain as an artist, and without expressing any of the communal bigotry that I found particularly distasteful about this affair, nonetheless expressed anguish at seeing representations of goddesses in the nude. They wrote of their hurt that images they worshipped should have been so depicted; many asked why Husain has not depicted figures of other faiths, including his own, undressed. Several added that this was because Hindus are a pushover; other faiths are more robust in their self-defence, whereas Hindus like me are all too willing to accept being insulted.

There’s a lot to be said about all this that one can’t fit into a single Sunday column. But some points must be made. First: I don’t feel insulted by the paintings because (unlike the Danish cartoons) no insult was intended. As i’ve explained before, Husain is no Johnny-come-lately; he is a major artist, a national treasure, one with a long record of being inspired by Hindu mythology as a major source of inspiration for his work. His paintings of goddesses are consistent with 50 years of his paintings of other iconic Hindu images, clad and unclad. I saw the paintings in that context; his critics saw them out of context (and judging by some emails I received, grossly exaggerated what the paintings depicted: a Hindutva website falsely alleges that Husain shows Durga in sexual relations with a tiger, something it would take a perfervid imagination to see in his picture!) Husain saw his paintings as being within a millennial Indian tradition in which nudity has been widely used in art, including on temple walls. So did i. But I accept that’s not enough.

Husain as an artist has long used form to suggest ideas beyond form; images in his works are both less and more than realistic depictions of what they portray. His paintings are full of metaphors and allusions; the body, he has often said, is a representation of something formless, illusory (maya). As a Hindu, I did not see his goddesses as literal depictions of the images I worship. I believe in the Upanishadic view that the Divine is essentially unknowable, and that all worship consists of human beings stretching out their hands to that which they cannot touch. But since we humans, with our limited minds, need something more specific to aid our imaginations, we visualise God in forms that we find more easily recognisable. Hinduism, in accepting that need, also gives its adherents an infinite variety of choices about how to imagine God. That’s why there are 333,000 names and depictions of the Divine in Hinduism; each Hindu may pick the ones he wishes to venerate, and the form in which he wishes to venerate them. There’s nothing more ‘authentic’ about a Raja Ravi Varma image of Saraswati than that of a calendar artist; each is imagining the goddess according to his own sensibility. As a Hindu, I had no difficulty in according Husain the same right.

The question of why Husain doesn’t paint Muslim figures in the nude is a red herring. The Islamic tradition is a different one from either the Hindu or the Western; what causes offence in one is different from what causes offence in another. Islam, after all, prohibits any visual depiction of the Prophet, whereas visualising our gods and goddesses is central to the practice of Hinduism.

But having said that, one has to accept that people of good faith may well have been offended — and if so, it’s not enough to tell them they shouldn’t be. Husain himself accepts that if you hurt people unintentionally, the right thing to do is to apologise. And he has done so, more than once. Since when have Hindus become so ungracious that we refuse to accept apologies?

On his current visit to the United States, Husain was asked by a radio interviewer how he felt about the controversy “as a Muslim”. The 92-year-old Master bridled. “I’m an Indian and a painter, that’s all,” he said. As an Indian and a painter he has brought immense honour to our country and our civilisation. Is it right that, in the tenth decade of his illustrious life, he should live abroad, fearful of being hounded and harassed if he sets foot in his native land? I appeal to the very sense of decency that some readers claim Husain has violated. Let us put this matter beyond us, accept his apology, and withdraw the multiple cases that have been filed against him and which have destroyed his peace of mind. The persecution of Husain does not show Hindus acting in robust self-defence; it shows us as petty and small-minded. What does it say about us as a society if, instead of offering our greatest living artist an honoured place, we tell him he is not welcome in his own homeland? It is time to end this harassment — not just for Husain, but for our own sake as a civilisation.

(Dr. Shashi Tharoor was the official candidate of India for the succession to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2006.)

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Reply to Shashi Tharoor related to an article

From: SHYAMSUNDER AGRAWAL
To: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Date: Aug 7, 2007 6:01 AM
Subject: YOUR SUPPORT TO THE INFAMOUS PAINTER HUSSAIN

Sir,

I refer to your support of the infamous painter Hussain who has been painting vulgar pictures of Hindu Gods and Goddesses and Bharat Mata, hurting the feelings of one billion Hindus the world over; no doubt you are not one of them.

If I may ask you if you would like to have similar paintings made of your wife, mother or sister?

It would appear that you are doing this for keeping your job  under the i pressure of the present Government Of India.  In U.P. there is a saying that ARRE PAIT TO KUTTE BHI BHAR LETE HEIN, i.e. even the dogs fill up their belly and you have to stoop so low for earning your livelihood.  Perhaps each one of us has a duty to ourselves, our pride, our family and our religion and not to encourage those who hurt the feelings of so many, especially that you are sitting at the UN seat, you have an international duty and not to tow the line of the GOI.

Your reply would be much appreciated.

May God bless you,

Yours truly,

SHYAMSUNDER AGRAWAL
WASHINGTON

Boston News, April 7, 2007

His epic works have brought him praise and protest

By Cate McQuaid, Globe Correspondent | April 7, 2007

SALEM — To the eyes of most visitors to “Epic India: M. F. Husain’s Mahabharata Project,” on view at the Peabody Essex Museum through June 3, the lithograph “Draupadi With Dice” is innocent enough: A ghostly white woman, her hips and breasts draped in a long scarf, tumbles amid colorful dice.

The print is just one of several works that have brought the popular Indian artist a heap of trouble. Since November 2005, right-wing Hindu organizations have spearheaded protests in the streets, in art galleries, and online against Maqbool Fida Husain, who is Muslim, and his depiction of Hindu deities.

One such group, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (Hindu Awareness Forum), wrote to the museum before “Epic India” opened in November, urging museum officials to cancel the exhibition.

“Mr. Husain has a history of repeatedly and callously hurting Hindu sentiments by depicting Hindu Deities in lewd, compromising positions,” the letter read.

Although no threats were made, the museum staff had reason to be apprehensive. They have received more than 200 e-mails protesting the exhibit, mostly sent from India and Great Britain.

Last June, protesters defaced two paintings with spray paint at a Husain exhibition at Asia House in London. That show was shut down. That same month, Hindu nationalists protested against Husain outside the Indian embassy in Washington, D.C. In India, several criminal complaints have been filed against him for “hurting religious sentiments.” “Many people [made complaints], maybe in the hundreds,” says Susan Bean , curator of South Asian and Korean Art at the PEM. “It was impossible for him to be there. He could be snapped up by a police officer.”

Husain, 91, has left India and taken up residence in Dubai.

In January, the Indian Supreme Court directed that a single hearing be held to deal with all of the cases against the artist. That hearing has yet to take place.

Meanwhile, Husain remains an art star in India, as beloved by many as he is reviled by a few. In 2004, Husain was commissioned to paint a hundred paintings for more than $21 million for an Indian businessman — believed to be the biggest art deal in India.

In America, where the market for contemporary Indian art has been red hot, the value of Husain’s work has risen with it. Last month Sotheby’s in New York auctioned off works by Husain, and one untitled painting fetched $432,000. Protesters claim to have sent e-mails to Sotheby’s before the auction; a Sotheby’s spokesperson would not comment.

The painter, printmaker, and filmmaker, known for his snow-white thatch of hair and beard and his penchant for going barefoot, has made a career out of exploring Indian iconography and consciousness in his art.

“As an artist, he has delved into Indian culture further than [into] his own faith,” says Shashi Tharoor , the under- secretary- general for communications and public information of the United Nations, over the phone from New York. Tharoor, who is also a novelist and newspaper columnist, wrote a catalog essay for “Epic India.” He collaborated with Husain on a coffee-table book, “Kerala: God’s Own Country.”

Page 2 of 2 —

“His inspirations cut across Indian culture. Mother Teresa, myths, legends, all sources of Indian culture are equal to him,” Tharoor adds. “Hindus like myself applaud that.”

Tharoor is one of more than 100 prominent Indians who have signed a letter urging the president of India to award that country’s highest honor, the Bharat Ratna , or “Gem of India,” to Husain.

The Mahabharata project poetically illustrates scenes from the Indian epic, written in Sanskrit between 300 and 500 C.E. Husain was inspired to honor the Mahabharata in 1971, when he and Pablo Picasso were each given special exhibition space at the Bienal de São Paulo . Sharing such attention with the master inspired Husain to tackle an ambitious project.

“I thought, I must do the epic Mahabharata,” Husain explains over the phone from Dubai. He’s cheerful and chatty, but says he can’t talk about the protests against his work or the charges against him, given that his case is pending in court.

It’s no small irony that the paintings and prints in “Epic India” have fueled the fire of religious outrage against Husain. The Mahabharata tells the story of a legendary family split apart and ravaged by war. In the tale, intrigue, greed, and deception are pitted against honor and righteousness. It’s timeless, as pertinent now as it was when Husain started the project, when the conflict between India and Pakistan was at a boiling point.

“I relate this work to our time,” Husain says. “The whole world and its conflicts.”

The 20 works in the show offer only tidbits from the epic, and it helps to have a working knowledge of the narrative. But even if you know nothing of the Mahabharata, the grace, strength, and generosity of Husain’s art sweeps through the gallery, conveying the story’s power.

The paintings are a fierce group, starkly composed. “Kauravas (Mahabharata 17)” depicts the Kauravas, 100 brothers who turned against the epic’s heroic Pandavas brothers. Husain paints these enemies as one wretched figure, split in half. Both halves are fractured and jagged; one is red, the other black. The two halves struggle against each other over a lurid orange ground.

Locally, the Indian community has been supportive of the exhibition. Anju Nanda of Concord took her 6-year-old twins to see it. “It was fabulous,” she says. “To see the Mahabharata on a grand scale was inspiring. Our son is an admirer of the Mahabharata, and for him to see this after the figurative stuff he sees in books — it blew his mind.

“If people understand Husain’s importance to India, and how as an artist he’s raised our community,” she continued, “they know he’s not trying to use religion to make a point.”

The Mahabharata is a national epic. “It belongs not to any particular community,” Husain says. “It belongs to all of India.”

It’s not the first time Husain’s work has caused public outcry.

“He ran into political hot water in the mid – ’90s,” says Bean. “He had an image, ‘Goddess of Learning,’ shown, in some people’s estimation, without sufficient covering. Ruffians broke into Husain’s flat and trashed it. A gallery was broken into and burned.”

In March 2006, Husain offered a painting of Mother India to auction at a benefit for victims of the Kashmir earthquake. That, too, raised the ire of right-wing Hindus because the figure showed some flesh.

Neither Draupadi , a prominent character in the Mahabharata , nor Mother India, who, Bean says, was invented during the 19th-century nationalist movement in India, are technically deities. Yet they are symbols of Indian womanhood.

Goddess or symbol, it’s not unusual, in Indian art history, to see nude or erotic work.

“In Hindu religious art the body is an important conveyor of sacred messages,” Bean says. “There’s plenty of nudity and scanty clothing in the history of Indian art. The bodies of deities are a very important part of how they’re depicted.”

“It’s far more authentic to display in art Hindu goddesses without clothes than to impose a post-Victorian morality,” Tharoor said.

The problem, Bean suggests, isn’t what’s being depicted so much as who is depicting it.

“Husain is a Muslim. He’s very famous, a household name. . . . He likes being in the limelight,” Bean says. “So if you object to him, you have a way of getting your issues out in front of people.”

Source: http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/04/07/his_epic_works_have_brought_him_praise_and_protest/

Protest Letters from alert Hindus to PEM

Senders have notified us about these protest letters.

Similar protest letters have been sent by Shri. Sanjeev Khajuria, Shri. Ganesh Nayak U, Keerti Joshi, Vijayalakshmi G, Abhay Vartak, K.S. Shyam Karthickeyan.

> Protest Letter 1

From: Mrs. Aarti Nadkarni
To: [email protected]
Date: Oct 28, 2006 11:16 PM

Subject: Protest against M.F. Hussain’s proposed exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) (MA, USA)

To,

Ms. Donna Desrochers,

Sub. – Solo exhibition of M. F. Hussain’ paintings on the Hindu Holy Epic ‘Mahabharata’

I would like to introduce myself as a proud Hindu citizen of India. With reference to the aforementioned subject, I learnt that Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) (MA, USA) has arranged a solo exhibition of M.F. Hussain’s paintings from 4th November 2006 to 3rd June 2007. It will exhibit Hussain’s paintings on the Hindu Holy Epic, Mahabharata.

I would like to bring to your notice that this series includes blasphemous paintings of Hindu deities. I have myself seen these paintings on the internet. M.F. Hussain has painted pictures of Hindu deities in the nude. He has hurt the religious sentiments of every Hindu. This act of his is so immoral and ridiculous that a person of sound mind, irrespective of any religion he belongs to, will condemn. You can yourself see these denigrating paintings at the following links:

http://www.artswithoutborders.com/artsnet/Artartswork.aspx?prodid=5493&gs=L&title=DRAUPADI%20WITH%20DICE

http://www.artswithoutborders.com/artsnet/Artartswork.aspx?prodid=5489&gs=L&title=SATYAVATI,FISHERMAN%27SDAUGHTER

http://www.artswithoutborders.com/ArtsNet/Artartswork.aspx?title=Ganga%20and%20Yamuna&prodid=5496&gs=O

http://www.artswithoutborders.com/artsnet/Artartswork.aspx?prodid=6431&gs=L&title=VYASA%20&%20GANESHA

In the Mahabharata, Draupadi, the wife of Pandavas is a depiction of a great devotee of Lord Krishna, the Supreme God of Hindus. Ganga and Yamuna are holy rivers that we Hindus worship and treasure. Sage Vyas is an evolved holy man (a Saint) and is considered by Hindus as the Master of all learned men, who wrote the great epic, Mahabharata, thousand years before it actually took place. Lord Ganesh, is a deity worshipped by each and every Hindu as a bestower of happiness and good intellect, as one who wards off all evil. Satyavati, a pious woman, is an ancestor of the great Pandavas. Hussain has denigrated all of these through his degradable, filthy paintings.

These paintings are just the tip of the iceberg. M.F. Hussain has drawn numerous such paintings, thus trampling down upon the faith of Hindus. I have myself lodged a police complaint against Hussain for hurting my religious sentiments. There are several other Hindus like me in India and abroad who have filed polce complaints against Hussain in this regard. Moreover, the honorable courts of India have already summoned and issued warrants against M.F. Hussain in various cities like Indore, Delhi, etc., since mid-March 2006, for hurting religious sentiments and creating communal disharmony. That is why; M. F. Hussain has been cited as absconding to the UK!

In this context, I appeal to you not to hold this proposed exhibition displaying our deities of worship in the nude. You must be a follower of a certain faith. You must also be worshipping some deity. How would you feel if Hussain were to paint your deity of worship in the nude? Would you spare him? I bet not.

Hussain shall be punished by divine intervention at the right time. However, it is in our hands to do whatever little we can to restrict denigration of our seat of worship. Hence, this effort.

I once again request to you to take kind notice of this email and verify the facts yourself. Hope you will do the needful. If you do, then God and every Hindu will bless you from the bottom of his heart. Awaiting your response in this regard.

Thanking you in anticipation.

Best Regards,

Mrs. Aarti Nadkarni

Proud to be born in Hindustan (India) as a Hindu

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> Protest Letter 2

FOR THE ATTENTION OF

MS DONNA DOROCHERS, Public Relations Officer, PEABOY Essex Museum, MA, USA

Respected lady,

I refer to my conversation with you on your cell phone while you were travelling in your car to work and I am sending you hereunder the information about Mr. Hussein, an infamous Indian painter, who has a court order against him for his arrest. Please also advise us his whereabouts if you know so that the court orders can be carried out.

Please do discuss this matter with your concerned authorities, which is a very serious matter and very blasfamous to one billion Hindus all over the world, who are a peace-loving people but would not accept insult of their Gods and Goddesses by making their nude paintings. If Mr. Hussein is so fond of making nude and vulgar paintings and making name and money on this type of work, then why does he not start with his own family and religion.

I would urge you to stop this exhibition in the interest of all concerned.

Thank you and with my best wishes, I remain,

Yours truly,

SHER S. AGRAWAL
SEATTLE/WA