Protest Meetings

PROTEST; 6 PM 14TH OF MAY, LALIT KALA ACADEMY, MANDI HOUSE NEW DELHI

Artists from New Delhi, Bangalore, Cochin, Mumbai, Vishakapatnam, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Kolkata and Santiniketan will come together on May 14 at 6 pm to register their protest against the highhanded action taken by the police under the instigation of a local politician against Chandramohan, a student from the Arts Faculty of Baroda University. 23-year-old Chandramohan, a final year MVA student, has been in police custody since May 9 when outside elements forced their way into the premises of the Faculty of Fine Arts, M S University, Baroda, without permission from the Faculty or University and prevailed upon the police to arrest him. Charging him under non-bailable Sections, they also imposed immediate closure of the examination work that was underway.
As a mark of protest, artists from the different cities will congregate to raise their collective voice against this violation of freedom of expression and autonomy of educational institutions. They will extend solidarity to the staff and students of Faculty of Fine Arts, Baroda, who have not only stood steadfast with the incarcerated student Chandramohan, but have over many decades painstakingly built an academic institution of great repute and distinction. The Art History Department of M S University of Baroda is recognized all over the world as a center of excellence.

http://indersalim.livejournal.com

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Condemning the arrest of Chandramohan, art student, on 9th May 2007 and the suspension of Shivaji Panikkar, Dean of Faculty of Fine Arts on 10th May 2007 at Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda.


Issued by Anveshi Research Centre for Women’s Studies
And
Vidyasagar’s Art Centre
Hyderabad

Released at a protest meeting supported by Shrishti Art Gallery, Hyderabad
On Sunday, 13th May 2007
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Dear Friends,

Even as we were holding a press conference in solidarity with M.F. Husain at the Press Club in Delhi on Tuesday, 9 May, another assault on artistic freedom took place in Baroda. A BJP leader, accompanied by the local police, entered the Faculty of Fine Arts at MS University, and attacked the work of an art student, Chandramohan, exhibited as part of the internal review process of the university. Chandramohan was arrested and is yet to be granted bail. Further, on 11 May, the
university authorities closed down an exhibition of classical Indian art put up by the students and
suspended the acting Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, Professor Shivaji Panikkar.

We are holding a large protest meeting on the lawns of Rabindra Bhavan, Mandi House, New Delhi on Monday, 14th May, at 6 pm.

We have also urged the leaders of all secular political parties to send their representatives/MPs to the protest meeting.

Please join us and extend your solidarity.


Ram Rahman & Vivan Sundaram

for SAHMAT
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