ASIA HOUSE CANCELS 'ANTI-HINDU' M F HUSAIN EXHIBITION
(24 May 2006)

The Hindu Human Rights (HHR) campaign is claiming victory after arts organistion Asia House announced that it was to cancel the M F Husain exhibition which the HHR campaign claims contained offensive erotic imagery of Hindu Deities. "The controversial Indian artist Maqbool Fida Husain has become infamous over the years for his offensive erotic paintings of Hindu Gods and Goddesses in sexual poses which have caused outrage to Hindus around the world. We also find it extremely distasteful that Asia House Gallery have used Husain's explicit images of Goddess Durga (who many Hindus regard as their Mother) in their flyer to advertise the exhibition which includes this and other offensive images" the HHR campaign stated.

Earlier this year, M F Husain was forced to apologise for a painting in which he represented India as a nude goddess and following complaints withdrew it from a charity auction to raise money for the victims of the South Asia earthquake. In 1996, three of his paintings depicting Hindu goddesses in the nude began attracting the ire of Hindu groups in India. Complaints against the paintings of Saraswati, Draupadi and Sita have been investigated before but have not resulted in criminal charges.

"At this point we wish to reiterate that as Hindus we are certainly not anti-Art and do not believe in blanket censorship of all Hindu imagery. Indeed, as we have said time and again, we are against the abuse of Hindu images especially when done in an offensive way and for commercial gain and sensationalism with complete disregard for the feelings of Hindu Society" the HHR added.

"While Asia House's advertising pamphlet claims that Husain draws 'upon traditional and western artistic conventions, myths and history', we should note that he only sees fit to use Hindu sacred images for sexual poses but his artist licence conveniently expires when it comes to other religions. To us, this seems blatant double-standards with Hindus once again as the victims."

"Despite the fact that Hindu Human Rights have organised many successful awareness campaigns and protests against the inappropriate use (or misuse) of sacred Hindu imagery, it is a great shame that Asia House Gallery and companies such as Hitachi (their sponsors) continue to abuse Hindus and Hinduism in a such a manner."

"The lack of consultation with the very large Hindu community here in the UK shows at best a blissful ignorance at the feelings and sentiments of Hindus or worse a wilful disregard. It is this degrading and defamation of Hindu culture which provides the atmosphere for the ongoing abuses and persecution of Hindus across the world and particularly in Husain's homeland of India and neighbouring countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh."

Umbrella body, The Hindu Forum of Britain also asked Asia House to withdraw the exhibition and backed the efforts of the Hindu Human Rights campaign who had planned a protest outside Asia House in London on Saturday 27 May 2006.

Ramesh Kallidai, secretary general of the Hindu Forum of Britain, said: "Asia House claims to be the premier pan Asian organisation in Britain, to promote greater understanding of the rich and varied Asian cultures and economies but instead, by displaying these works, they are causing distress and hurt amongst the 700,000 Hindus across Britain"

"Hindu groups felt dismayed that the High Commissioner of India chose to inaugurate the exhibition despite the history of hurt and offence felt by the worldwide Indian community."

The cancellation of the exhibition and the planned protest has not been amicably recieved. The HHR released a statement saying "We note that they (Asia House) have cancelled the exhibition for 'security reasons' and as yet have offered no apology to the Hindu community nor shown that they have taken into account the wider issues surrounding our campaign.

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