Artists protect culture policing in Chennai

March 8, 2008

By VP Raghu, Chennai

Artists in the city who are up in arms against the policeexhibiton organisers showdown at the Lalit Kala Academy on Thursday night, have said nobody had the right to interfere in artistic freedom.

Though the police team, led by assistant commissioner K.N. Murali, took away all the paintings from the exhibi tion hall on Thursday night, no case had been registered against the artist or organisers at the Thousand Light police station till Friday evening.

Reacting to the incident, noted artist Achuthan Kudalur, said artists’ freedom of expression was fast disappearing in India. "We are all concerned about it," he said.

According to Prof. G. Chandrasekharan, principal, Government college of fine arts, Chennai, the incident showed that artist freedom had been curtailed. "What is wrong in expressing certain things through paintings?" he asked.

Another artist P. Gopinath pointed out that it was a clear case of dragging art into politics. "Every artist should have the freedom to express his views. Art should be seen as art only," said Mr. Gopinath Yet another artist from Chennai, Mr Manoharan, noted that nobody has the right to interfere in artistic freedom. "Police should not yield to groups trying for cheap publicity," he added.

On Thursday night, the police had taken Saraswathi (65), D .Vijayalakshmi (62) and Malathi (47), belonging to Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism, to the Thousand Lights station for ‘enquiry’ after they assisted the conduct of an exhibition by French journalist Francois Gautier at Lalit Kala Academy’s regional centre on Greams Road.

The police initially suggested the removal of two pictures depicting demolition of Keshava Rai temple in Mathura and that of Somnath temple by the armies of Aurangzeb.

However, the organisers of the exhibition told police that they would not remove the pictures as it violated their artistic freedom.

While Nawab Mohamed Abdul Ali, the prince of Arcot, had condemned the motive behind the painting exhibition, Hindu Munnani leader Rama Gopalan said the exhibition must go on as it merely reflected history.

Lights station for ‘enquiry’ after they assisted the conduct of an exhibition by French journalist Francois Gautier at Lalit Kala Academy’s regional centre on Greams Road. The police initially suggested the removal of two pictures depicting demolition of Keshava Rai temple in Mathura and that of Somnath temple by the armies of Aurangzeb. However, the organisers of the exhibition told police that they would not remove the pictures as it violated their artistic free- dom. While Nawab Mohamed Abdul Ali, the prince of Arcot, had con- demned the motive behind the painting exhibition, Hindu Munnani leader Rama Gopalan said the exhibition must go on as it merely reflected history.

Source: www.dc-epaper.com