BJP offending cultural world

BJP offending cultural world, says Maneka

AgenciesPosted online: Saturday, May 12, 2007 at 1554 hours IST

New Delhi, May 12: In a stinging attack on the saffron opposition to painter
M F Hussain's works and to an arts exhibition in a Gujarat university, BJP
MP Maneka Gandhi said the party and VHP activists have gone ‘too far’ in
their protests.
Bride Groom 18 - 24 25 - 30 31 - 35 36 - 45 46 - 50 50+India USA United Kingdom UAE Canada Australia Pakistan Saudi Arabia Kuwait
South Africa She also opposed the arrest of two arts students of M S University in
Vadodra in BJP-ruled Gujarat.
"VHP and BJP activists attacked and damaged their paintings. This is
unacceptable behaviour and I am sure, as a reasonable and open-minded
person, you will realise that we offend the entire cultural world and
thinking when we do this," she said in a letter to senior party leader L K
Advani.
The Pilibhit MP, who praised Hussain for his charity, alleged that his
paintings had been misread deliberately and suggested that they were worthy
of being displayed in a museum.
"Even if they have been interpreted correctly, and objected to, that is the
purpose of good art: to arouse debate, to create emotion and passion, to be
a means of communicating the artist's own thoughts.
"Otherwise, all art would be a mediocre representation of the real world and
would have no value except as a photograph imitative record of the world,"
Gandhi wrote.
She regretted that Hussain was living in a self-imposed exile in Dubai and
London apparently for fears he could be attacked because of his paintings.
"He should be here in India and we should have a museum of his works on
public display, instead of considering which ones to ban and destroy,"
Gandhi said as she requested Advani to advise the party in Gujarat and
Maharashtra to call off their campaign against Hussain.