Pseudo–secular Dhimmis abuse artistic freedom

Bhadrapad Shukla Ashtami, Kaliyug Varsha 5111

Know more about Dr Kerkar issue

I had referred to the crude and offensive paintings of Lord Ganesa done by Dr Subodh Kerkar in Goa. Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS), Goa had given a complaint to the Police stating that these paintings were hurting the religious feelings, emotions and sentiments of the Hindus in Goa.

Now I understand that the Goa Police gave permission to this anti Hindu ‘painter’ to conduct the exhibition of his vulgar paintings for two days, completely brushing aside the reasonable request of HJS for Police intervention to stop the exhibition. I am presenting below two of the crude and derogatory paintings done by this pseudo-secular anti-Hindu painter. 

Abominable paintings by Dr Subodh Kerkar, a treacherous dhimmi painter

I have been a District Collector and Magistrate in the unbifurcated Thirunelveli district. I can distinctly recall my taking action under Sections 153A and 295A of the Indian Penal Code against certain individuals who, through their deliberate actions, had hurt the religious feelings of Catholic Christians in Tuticorin. The Goa Police ought to have initiated action against Dr Subodh Kerkar following the complaint made by the HJS. One thing is very clear. The Congress-UPA Government in New Delhi and all Congress State Governments in India seem to be united in their political commitment to be patently evangelical, Islamic and anti-Hindu.

The Hindus of Goa feel let down and seem to be in an agitated mood. Many of them have written to me saying that the Congress Government of Goa is treating all the Hindus of Goa as third-class citizens. They have also said that as a matter of high state policy, the legal protection under Sections 153A and 295A of the Indian Penal Code is made available only to the Christians and Muslims in Goa and totally denied to the Hindus.

The Goa police seem to have forgotten the basic fact that illegal denial of justice lawfully sought by the HJS on behalf of the victimized Hindus of Goa can lead to the unintended disastrous consequences of a section of frustrated Hindu youth attempting to take the law into their own hands to settle their legitimate grievances.

Front page of Goan Observer Issue depicting Mr. Jayesh Thali as ‘Talibani’

I am also shocked to see from the front page of one of the local newspapers in Goa, ‘Goa Observer’ in its issue ‘22nd to 28th August 2009’, that Jayesh Thali, the spokesperson of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS), has been shown in a computer-designed (tampered) photograph as a TALIBANI fighter. The Hindus of Goa are asking these questions:

1. What are the Talibani atrocities committed by Jayesh Thali on the non-Hindus of Goa?

2. How can a legal complaint to the duly constituted police authority against certain crude and vulgar paintings of Dr Subodh Kerkar be viewed as an act of Talibani fighting by any responsible newspaper?

Many responsible political observers seem to be of the view that there is perhaps a tacit subterranean understanding between the pseudo-secular police and the anti-Hindu press in Goa. Some of them are even exclaiming that the Goa press which is crying wolf about fighting ‘Hindu Talibansation’ without any foundation today through its needlessly mindless and provocative photograph feature relating to Jayesh Thali may itself become responsible for giving birth to a new class of future Hindu Talibans in Goa and in the rest of India.

In my view, the tampered photograph of Jayesh Thali, depicting him as a Talibani fighter, is nothing but a gross abuse of Freedom of the Press, which merits attention and immediate suo moto intervention by the Press Council of India. HJS has sought expert legal advice in this matter, not only to defend the constitutional rights of HJS and Jayesh Thali but also the larger fundamental rights of the defamed Hindus of Goa.

In this context the brilliant words of Swami Jyotirmayananda in his recent book, ‘India’s Gift to the World is the Light Spiritual ’ are very relevant: ‘There are many people in India who strongly feel that the so-called ‘secular’ print and electronic media, at least a dominant section among them, knowingly or unknowingly, is playing a very adverse and prejudiced role, when it comes to the reporting of the Hindu point of view. Suppressing or misrepresenting tactics are being liberally used along with admonitions and ridicules of the Hindus, ‘Hindutva’, and the Hindu Dharma. At the same time, this ‘secular’ section appears to support the anti-Hindu forces in the country, which are active with their alien and subversive ideologies. In essence, it has come to mean that ‘secularism’ is nothing but opposition to Hindus, Hindustan, Hindutva nd Hindu Dharma. This is quite ridiculous in a country that is predominantly Hindu in its composition and character.’ Through his great website ‘VivekaJyoti’, Swami Jyotirmayananda has launched a one-man international army to defend Hinduism and Sanatana Dharma against the combined onslaught of Global Islam, Global Christianity, International Marxism and India-specific Nehruvian anti-Hindu pseudo-secularism.

I have just received the latest factual report titled ‘State administration extends total support to Anti-Hindu artist Dr Subodh Kerkar’s exhibition, proves its anti-Hindu nature” from Shri. Jayesh Thali regarding the latest situation in Goa. I am summarising his report:

“Panaji, August 22 – As per the Indian Constitution, it is a grave offence to hurt anybody’s religious sentiments; yet Dr. Subodh Kerkar’s exhibition consisting of denigrating paintings of Lord “Ganesha was held at the Kerkar Art Complex, Calangute on the 20 and 21 August. It has been revealed that the Congress government of Goa had extended full support to hold this exhibition. It has also been revealed that Congress CM Shri. Digambar Kamat assured Dr. Kerkar that police protection shall be provided to hold the exhibition.

The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) filed a police complaint against Dr. Kerkar on 14th ugust. The police forwarded the case to the Director of Prosecution to ascertain as to under which Section can legal action be initiated against Dr. Kerkar. The irony is that the judgement of the Director of Prosecution has not yet been made public although the duration of Dr. Kerkar’s exhibition is over. With whose permission did Dr. Kerkar hold his exhibition when the judgement was awaited? What action will be taken against the official who granted this permission? The police who served Dr. Kerkar with a notice under Section 149 of the Criminal Procedure Code 3 days before the exhibition provided armed protection for holding the exhibition and made an attempt to foil HJS’ constitutional agitation! A day before the exhibition, the police ordered the HJS not to conduct demonstrations outside the exhibition venue through a notice under Section 149 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Likewise, on the day of the exhibition, at 2.30 pm, the Panaji police served Shri. Jayesh Thali of the HJS a notice under the above section to be present at the police station, failing which, he was warned of legal action under Section 174 of the Indian Penal Code. Shri Jayesh Thali who appeared at the police station accordingly was kept waiting for 3 hours during which not even a single police official paid heed to him. On the contrary, the state administration banned the screening of the movie ‘The Da Vinci Code’ in July 2006 as it would hurt the religious sentiments of Christians! Likewise, the cartoon of Prophet Mohammed drawn by an artist in Denmark was publicly condemned by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

I have just finished reading a brilliant essay on the controversial subject of art and artistic expression by Kishore Asthana. Let me quote his brilliant and appropriate words in this context: ‘An artist creates art from three primary sources. The first, of course, is the heart. What emerges from an Artists heart can indeed be called ART. The second is the brain. Sometimes an artist creates art, like a student who writes an essay. This is essentially poster-art and is deliberately crafted. This should be called SmArt. Then there is the third source the organs of procreation. When the primary motivating factor for art arises out of the artist’s genitalia, then it can be termed FArt. Of course, in any work of art, there may be different proportions of Art, SmArt and Fart’.

All responsible intellectuals and citizens would always be champions of artistic freedom, but within reasonable and civilized limits and not divorced from the accepted tradition of social, spiritual and cultural values. So long as these limits are respected, I am all for Artistic freedom. Whatever Art arises out of the heart of the artist must be inviolate for he has no discretion in it. We may criticize it but we do not have the freedom to ban it. SmArt–work is deliberately created. SmArtistic freedom should not be defended as vehemently, because, unlike Art, the artist has discretion in creating SmArt. If it makes us think, we should appreciate it. If it succeeds in raising our aesthetic sensibility, we should applaud it. However, if it goes against the grain, we should condemn it.

FArtistic freedom is like telling us that everyone is free to keep letting out either odoriferous or foul smelling farts in a crowded room and no one should object to these because every artist must have freedom to create FArt. In my view Dr. Subodh Kerkar’s paintings are in the nature of foul smelling noisy farts in a crowded room and that is why thousands of Hindus in Goa have expressed themselves so violently against the so called artistic FArts of Dr Kerkar.

By: V SUNDARAM (The writer is a retired IAS officer)

Source: Newstodaynet

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