Deepak feels ‘the Baroda outrage raises serious questions about the State’s ability,or even desire, to protect the cultural freedoms of individuals’:
An intolerable violation of cultural and academic freedom by communal forces took place in Baroda on Wednesday, 9 May 2007, when a group of Vishwa Hindu Parishad goons led by local BJP leader Niraj Jain stormed into the campus of the Faculty of Fine Arts, M S University, Baroda.Breaking into the annual display of the final year students, the goonsabused and attacked a student, Chandramohan, claiming that they found his works obscene and offensive to religious sentiments.
Anarchytect asks:
in the rarified and gradually isolated spaces we inscribe for the production of resistances and alternative imaginations, the increasingly privatized spaces, we are asked to produce discourse that does not threaten or question the status quo. is the only alternative becoming militant and rigid, mirrors to the forces we are trying to resist?
A comment at fineartsfacultymsu tells you::
www.artconcerns.com brings you the latest happenings from the ground zero, Fine Arts Faculty, Baroda. Please log on to www.artconcerns.com to know the latest news and developments in Baroda. We update our site daily in order to cover the artists’ protests happening all over India. We take it up as our moral responsibility.
Anju Pawar at ‘The Artist Community’ posts an appeal:
I request all the artist and the supporters all over India to come and join to mark the protest on 14th May 2007, afternoon at 2pm at Faculty of Fine Arts, Baroda.
Parry Hotter asks- ‘who has given them the right to interfere?’
Some acts which they carry out, but are definitely Moral
- Riots
- Rape & Violence during Riots and Mob attacks
- Human trafficking
- Eve teasing
- Banning movies which don’t align with their so called ideologies (Victims: Parzania and Fanaa)
Inder Salim demands- ‘Free art, Free Chandramohan’
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.
Screen Sifar asks- ‘whose morality are you guarding’?
I would have said all this in more provocative language but I chose to restrain myself because I want to be able to say things clearly. Because my mind is equipped with an automatic censor that restricts every turn of phrase that could let out any evidence of sexuality. Because I want to be fair and true and because I’m working out of this harrowed,frustrated,carved tiny niche a language that will appease all of Us. Especially men. You guys are the first audience. It’s your appreciative twinkle of the eye I imagine as I write this. The rest of Us comes later, after I dealt with and stifled and commodified myself for You. Sorry my fellow women folk, but we haven’t got any say in this.
Vivek ‘is sick and tired of people being arrested for the wrong reasons’:
Linked by kuffir. Join Blogbharti facebook group.THE FACULTY OF FINE ARTS HAS PLANNED A LARGE DEMONSTRATION FOR 14TH MAY 2007, MONDAY WHERE ARTISTS, LAWYERS, DOCTORS, ORDINARY CITIZENS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY WILL GET TOGETHER IN PROTEST AGAINST SUCH GAGGING OF EXPRESSION AND VIOLATION OF DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS. PLEASE DO COME FOR THE DEMONSTRATION, AND MOTIVATE OTHERS TO JOIN IT. THE TIME TO ACT IS UPON US, WE CANNOT ABDICATE OUR RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS SOCIETY, OURSELVES AND THE YOUNGER GENERATIONS.
Simultaneous all-India public protest (More at Indian Art News)
Date and time for all: 14th May, 6p.m .
New Delhi - Rabindra Bhavan
Mumbai - Jehangir Gallery
Vishakhapatinam - Faculty of Fine Arts, Andhra University
Cochin - Kashi Art Café
Hyderabad - Fine Arts, S N School, University of Hyderabad
Bangalore - M G Road, opposite Gandhi statue
Santiniketan - Kala Bhavan
Guwahati - Press Club
Those attending are requested to wear black and/or white.
This is for today. Would be good if y’all could put this up as a separate post, so people could see it fresh.
(more comprehensive details at http://indianartnews01.blogspot.com/2007/05/artists-from-all-over-india-come.html)
Space Bar (http://spaniardintheworks.blogspot.com)
THE DEATH THROES OF MSU?
Once a reputed centre of tertiary education with countless number of alumni from all faculties strewn across the world, is now a pariah. It is on the verge of being disowned not only by the UGC, but shunned by past students and teachers who are shocked and shamed at the latest debacle unfolding globally, unfortunately for university administrators, across the internet. It is bad enough to witness the academic demise of one’s alma mater over the last two decades, but watching political fanaticism mocking the very tenets of democracy, of which all Indians are supposedly proud of, is positively blood curdling.
The university is an institution, which needs to be properly administered and protected by those empowered to do so, including the Vice Chancellor, Syndicate/Senate Members, etc. Instead we are witnessing a debacle where the highest authority turns on his institute, sanctioning the violation of free expression and education on the flimsy excuse of immorality, that too in a land steeped and proud of its heritage such as Khajurao, Kama Sutra and the likes. Vibrant Gujarat indeed!!! The Mahatma and Sardar Patel would most certainly cringe wherever they in their heavenly abodes in their own state. Vibrant Gujarat indeed!!! The question begs to be asked whether the institute should shelter and tolerate these people. Therein lies the root of evil that has been plaguing MSU over the last few decades. Instead of a focus on academic excellence, mediocrity in all spheres has ruled the roost. Academic excellence dipped, national grants disappeared, dependence on the state government increased, thus allowing any ruling party to exert extraordinary influence on the university’s governance, including the appointment of vice chancellors of their choice, irrespective of their credentials and standing, and most importantly their ability to enhance the organisation’s stature. We have a situation where syndicate/senate members are either political stooges or have been muzzled to rubber-stamp critical decisions that could undermine the university’s credibility and standing. There used to be a time when academic luminaries were syndicate/senate members, but not any more, as political inclination is a preferable prerequisite.
More disturbing is the rise in religious political fanaticism in what should be the tranquil surroundings of a flourishing university. Ishwar, Allah, Ram, does it really matter where education is concerned. One suspects that there is something more sinister rather than immorality that meets the eye about the current fracas.
Students, teachers, deans of faculties, syndicate/senate members, the PVC and VC are all party for the above debacle which represents some of the murkiest depths an educational organization can dip to. MSU is now a laughing stock. One used to take pride in being a MSU degree holder. Not any more, thanks to a crescendo of mediocrity, breeding acceptance of all that is anathema to true democracy, freedom of expression and education. The manner in which this incident has unfolded reminds us of the Taleban in Afghanistan. Are we fostering and encouraging our own “talebans’ who run amuck protecting the society’s ‘morals’, while flagrantly thumbing their noses at fundamental societal rights and law? If this is so, are we encouraging a ‘superior race’ (shades of Nazism) who are irreproachable and not answerable to common law and societal norms. The last time one looked, India was the largest democracy in the world, where extreme freedom was experienced by its citizens. Is urinating publicly, or ogling and leering at women, or burning females for dowry, or annihilating small villages by upper castes, or desecrating shrines from any religion acceptable either socially or legally? No, is the obvious answer, but do we adhere to the norms for these issues, No is the answer again. Do the ‘moral’ police who played out the political farce at the Fine Arts Faculty crack down on this? No is the answer, as most, probably quite a few of them, would be culprits. What gives a certain section of the society, with a definite political bent, the God given right to decide on behalf of the masses, on what is right or wrong? How can the judicial system also be part of this farce? We boast of exponential fiscal growth, but in reality we live in the dark ages socially, morally and legally. Shame on both levels of Government- State as well as Central, on remaining aloof and allow this erosion of moral fibre. One can attribute this to a shocking decline in the quality of our educational systems, where it seems that the best is reserved for only those who can afford it. Education is meant for all, especially those who deserve it, and not meant to be an elitist means of progressing in life.
Citizens of Baroda, students and teachers of MSU, show some spine and courage and stand up for all that is fair, truthful, legal and most importantly, what is necessary to reverse this downward vortex of destruction the organization is speeding through. March through the streets, express your feelings to the VC, syndicate/senate members, harangue the State Education Minister and Chief Minister, clog the internet and daily press. Remember, state elections are approaching and in 1974, MSU students were at the forefront of overthrowing the then state government. We are a proud state and have been prosperous too, but this needs to be bolstered by a robust educational system. While MSU is in the news, other universities in Gujarat will certainly have their own horror stories to tell. Mediocrity is like a delicate exotic fruit, one does pay dearly for scarcity. Why should Gujarat put up with mediocrity, as it breeds all sorts of evils.
From: P Patel- A concerned past graduate of MSU who is ashamed of his academic legacy