Dr. Manoj Solanki, Spokesperson Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (Hindu Awareness Forum), Goa, has written a letter to Mr. M A Baby, Education and Culture minister of Kerala. In this letter Hindu Janajagruti Samiti has demanded cancellation of Raja Ravi Varma Award to M F Husain.
‘Sree’
Dated: 13-May-2007
To,
M A Baby,
Education and Culture minister
Government of State of Kerala
Subject: Appeal to withdraw the Raja Ravi Varma Award to M.F Husain
Dear Sir,
On behalf of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, a Committee working for religious awakening and unity of Hindus (more details at www.hindujagruti.org) we take this opportunity to communicate to you. We recently came to know that M F Hussain has been selected for Kerala government’s prestigious ‘Raja Ravi Varma Award’ as announced by yourself the education and culture minister, comprising Rs.1.25 lakh in cash prize, a citation and a plaque and would be presented to Hussain on his birthday on September 17.
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. M.F. Husain loses home over nude ‘Mother India’ http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=86099
2. Police attach M.F. Husain’s property in Mumbai
http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=86099
3. USA Hindus strongly protest M.F. Husain: https://www.hindujagruti.org/news/article/mf-husain-campaign/protests/usa-hindus-strongly-protest-mfh.html
4. 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)
5. 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. So also you can see the paintings of Goddess Laxmi, Goddess Saraswati and Sita by Raja Ravi Varma and Husain. You can yourself very well compare the same and understand the pervert ness of Husain. 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. Selecting him for Kerala government’s prestigious ‘Raja Ravi Varma Award’ 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 Ravi Varma Award to M.F Husain will go a long way in not only preventing insult of Hindus but also the great Raja himself who’s aesthetically beautiful and ethereal paintings of Goddess Lakshmi and Saraswati adorn the ‘Puja’ room of almost every religious Hindu in Kerala.
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.President of India- for information and intervention
2.Prime Minister of -India for information and intervention
3.Chief Minister of -Kerala for information and intervention
Comparison of Paintings of Raja Ravi Varma and MF Hussain ! and Protest Details
