India: Art student arrested for 'obscene' depiction of Hindu gods

Chandra Mohan Srilamantula (22), final year student in the Faculty of Fine Arts at Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU) in Vadodara (Gujarat), has been arrested on 12th May 2007 from the premises of the university for painting what Hindu radicals considered obscene. Under the pressure of public protest, he has been released on bail after four days imprisonment. But at MSU, one of India`s best known art colleges, freedom of expression and freedom of art are still under siege.

Chandra Mohan is a bachelor in fine arts from the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University and received the Lalit Kala National Akademi Award for his work. As part of his final examination, along with other students, he exhibited his graphics in the faculty building. Though the exhibition was not public, but meant for internal assesment of the art students only, Hindu fundamentalists barged into the Fine Arts faculty and vandalised art exhibits of gods and goddesses. The artist was personally attacked and beaten up.

Chandra Mohan Srilamantula on a protest poster

Called by the university authorities, police entered the campus. However, they did not stop the attackers, but arrested the victim. Chandra Mohan is being charged under sections 153A, 114, and 295 of the Penal Code for “promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race etc, commiting acts prejudicial to the harmony of the public” He was denied bail and transferred to Central Jail. Emboldened by this, BJP is demanding that all faculty and students in the department be suspended or expelled. The pro- radical Hindu Hindu Vice-Chancellor has suspended Dean Shivji Panikker who publicly backed Chandra Mohan and refused to close the controversial exhibition.

Students and teachers of MSU are agitating since the arrest of their colleague. The University Teachers Association accuses the Vice Chancellor of allowing the fundamentalist mob to enter the campus and suspending the Dean. They also demand the arrest of VHP goon Neeraj Jain, who was captured on camera roughing up Chandra Mohan during his arrest. Jain, who later openly threatened “action” against the university, if the art student and the Dean were not thrown out, is still at large, and no FIR has been registered against him.

Indian Rationalist Association and the Rationalist Renaissance Forum "Navodhan Vedi" condemned the attack on the artist and strongly defended freedom of expression. In a meeting held at New Delhi on 13th May with Sanal Edamaruku on the chair, a resolution moved by poet Sachidanandan against the arrest of Chandra Mohan and the scandalous events in the MSU was passed unanimously. In Mumbai, veteran painter Tyeb Mehta joined in a protest outside Jehangir Art Gallery. At Delhi, actress Nandita Das spoke at a protest demonstration.

This is not the first attempt of fundamentalists in Gujarat to strangulate freedom of art. Internationally renowned artist M F Hussain and his works has been suffering several physical and legal attacks for allegedly “obscene” presentation of Hindu gods.

[Bulletin # 166]