Protest Credit Card with Hussain’s Art
By HJS team
Mumbai: A new credit card was recently launched by the Dutch bank, ABN AMRO in Singapore, showcasing the art of the Hindu hater MF Hussain, as the "Picasso of India".
This news item was posted on the HJS website recently. In response several Hindu protagonists had signed a protest petition which was forwarded to the bank. Despite repeated protests since the bank did not take any action, as a last resort the HJS was compelled to send a delegation to its Mumbai branch.
The HJS sought an appointment with the bank one day prior, which was fixed from 11.30 to noon the next morning. However since some Hindu protagonists received a tip-off from the police that the bank had sought police protection for the meeting, the Mumbai co-ordinator of the HJS, Shri. Shivaji Vatkar sought formal permission to submit the protest memorandum to the bank from the Azad Maidan police station. Thereafter the police sent a wireless message to all the police stations in the city and the bank about the same. The HJS delegation proceeded to the bank at Nariman point with police protection. The Marine Lines police inspector Shri. Sonawane and constable Shri. Jagtap were already present in the bank premises.
The delegation was received by the Vice-Chairman of the western sector of the bank Shri. Soumitra Sen, the Vice-Chairman of the Mumbai branch,Smt Sharoni Pal, the legal counsel to the bank and other officials, in the main lobby of the branch. The delegation of the HJS included besides Shri. Vatkar, Shri Madhav Deshpande, Shri. Milind Peshe, Shri. Prasad Manka from HJS, Shri. Dharmendra Mudaliyar an active member of Hindu Manavadhikar manch and Shri. Makarand Mahadik of the Hindu Manavadhikar Manch, Shri. Sandeep of the Bajarang Dal, Shri. Satish Sonar of the Shiva Sena, the Karnataka Sangh co-ordinator Shri. Ramesh Sanil, Shri. Shashi Bhosale of the Sree Yoga Vedanta Samiti and Shri. Ramesh Dewle of the RSS .
Shri. Vatkar explained the entire protest campaign against Hussain for his paintings denigrating Hindu deities, using newspaper cuttings, the Mumbai and Haridwar High Court orders, the worldwide campaign of the HJS from its website, the protest petitions, etc. and expressed disgust that despite all this the bank had displayed a callous attitude towards this. Further he requested them to withdraw it within a week as this was a very serious issue for Hindus the world over and threatened that if they did not comply they would have to face their wrath. Upon this Shri. Sen assured that this card was restricted to Singapore and that he would ensure that it would not be released in India. Shri. Vatkar further explained that if the bank failed to comply despite Hindus resorting to peaceful protests then they would be compelled to strengthen their agitation using the media and newspapers and would not hesitate even from taking legal action against the bank. This would obviously lead to defamation of their bank.
If protests by Muslims against a cartoon of Paigambar in Denmark can spark off an agitation in Mumbai, Delhi and other parts of the world then why can Hindus not protest against Hussain’s glorification done in Singapore was the question posed by Shri. Vatkar to the bank officials. It was only thereafter that Shri. Sen realised the seriousness of the situation and assured to follow up the matter himself within a fortnight.
