People's Democracy

VANDALISM AT ART EXHIBITION

CPI(M) Demands Action Against Culprits

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), while in session at Hyderabad, issued the following statement on January 30, 2004.

THE Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly condemns the ransacking of an exhibition of paintings by world renowned painter M F Hussein by VHP and Bajrang Dal activists at Surat yesterday. This is not the fist time that Mr M F Hussein and his work have been targetted by the RSS led communal outfits.

The cultural policing by the RSS led organisations are reaching a feverish pitch in the run-up to the elections. They seek to use these tactics to sharpen communal polarisation for their electoral benefits. This time the target was on an exhibition inaugurated on the Republic Day by artists including prominent artists like Bhupen Khakkar and Ghulam Sheikh set up in defence of the Indian republic. With the Gujarat police, as usual, remaining a silent spectator in such communal attacks, the VHP-Bajrang Dal brazenly ransacked the exhibition.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) demands immediate action against the perpetrators of this crime. It also demands that adequate protection be given to M F Hussein who is constantly being subjected to such attacks.