British academics flay Husain exhibition closure : International

By Prasun Sonwalkar

London, June 1 - Leading British academics have condemned the forced closure of noted Indian artist M.F. Husain's exhibition and criticised Hindu groups in Britain for putting pressure on the organisers. The exhibition, called M.F. Husain: Early Masterpieces 1950-70s, was to run at Asia House until Aug 5 but was cancelled following protests by the Hindu Forum of Britain against some paintings that allegedly violated Hindu sentiments. Moreover, two of Husain's paintings depicting Hindu goddesses were defaced by three men with black spray paint in what is being called the first act of Hindu extremism in Britain. The damage to the paintings was reported to be to the tune of 200,000 pounds. Officially, Asia House cancelled the exhibition for 'for security reasons'. In a letter to The Guardian, 43 academics and researchers, most of them of Indian origin, alleged that groups such as the Hindu Forum of Britain and Hindu Human Rights 'are wielding the same tactics used by organisations in India'. 'These groups are known for repeatedly attacking the works of artists and intellectuals, undermining India's constitutional right to freedom of thought and expression...As scholars of South Asia and its rich traditions of artistic, social, religious and political expression, we condemn the forced closure of the exhibition,' the letter stated. The academics, led by Chetan Bhatt of Goldsmiths College, London, said: 'The Hindu Forum of Britain and Hindu Human Rights accuse Asia House of not 'consulting' with them before putting on the exhibition. 'Consultation should not be a requirement for artistic expression. These are unelected groups, not known for consulting democratically with the community before putting pressure on others in the name of Hinduism. 'Their actions would not be sanctioned by most Hindus. Hindu traditions have an extensive history of diverse representations of deities, include nude and erotic images of gods and goddesses. Hinduism has never possessed a concept of censorship of the kind that these authoritarian groups wish to promote.' The academics said they urged Asia House to reopen the exhibition - by doing so it would honour the rich and diverse traditions of expression arising from Hinduism and from India. In a separate communication to The Guardian, Lord Meghnad Desai wrote: 'Hindu goddesses can be seen in a variety of poses which many may find erotic in the temples of Khajuraho and Tirupati and many others. 'Hindu society and religion are remarkably relaxed and tolerant about sexual practices of human beings as well as of their gods and goddesses. What we are witnessing is the import into the UK of a group which under the guise of Hindu human rights is practising censorship for which there is no sanction in Hindu religion. 'In my view the objection to Husain is not the so-called obscenity of his paintings. It is because he is a Muslim and hence the desire of some Hindu groups to deny his artistic freedom to take Hindu gods and goddesses as his theme. 'This is an outrageous attack on artistic freedom in the British context. Would the media have ignored such an event had the protesters been Muslims and not Hindus?'