National

Artists elated at Husain acquittal

NEW DELHI: The artist community on Friday welcomed the Delhi High Court’s quashing of criminal proceedings against eminent painter M.F. Husain in three cases of alleged obscenity.

“The court has, in our perception, upheld the right to artistic creation and decisively quashed efforts at censorship through street violence and orchestrated legal action by politically motivated groups. The court has, importantly, held that there was no intent on the part of the artist to cause offence,” the Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (SAHMAT) noted in a statement. SAHMAT observed that four cases were still pending against the artist in the sessions court at Patiala House on “virtually identical charges.”

Artist Ram Rahman said: “We note that despite an earlier ruling from the higher judiciary holding the criminal charges against India’s greatest living painter thoroughly unfounded, the campaign of victimisation against him for artistic productions dating back a quarter century or more has shown no signs of abating. This has compelled the 92-year-old artist to seek refuge in a distant country, rather than risk the possibility of arrest on the orders of some over-zealous police officials.”

“We call upon the judicial authorities concerned to recognise the value of the precedent set in the Delhi High Court ruling and to deal with all pending complaints against Husain accordingly,” he added.

“Having been active in the defence of Mr. Husain for many years through public meetings, petitions, symposia and appeals to the President and the Home Minister, we feel our stand that Mr. Husain’s art is a part of a longstanding evolving tradition of Indian iconography has been vindicated,” Mr. Rahman said.

SAHMAT has also urged the Union Home Ministry “to heed the principles laid down in the Delhi High Court ruling, that differences in perspective cannot be the basis of criminal complaints” and to intervene accordingly in the remaining cases.

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