The Santiniketan protest

In this brief report, Anshuman Dasgupta talks about the protest meet held at Shantiniketan for condemning the BJP atrocities at Faculty of Fine Arts, Baroda.

The art community of Santiniketan, which comprised of a variety of artists and art thinkers associated with Kala Bhavan in some form or other gathered in the campus at 6 pm on Monday, 14 th May, 2007.

The event that occurred on the 9th of May in the campus of MSU Baroda was described and condemned. It was resolved that it was one of those deliberate attacks on the foundation of artistic freedom and free expression in general. In his opening speech Professor Sivakumar explained why and how there can be debates over the merits and differences with the works of arts, and art institutions have always engaged in with such debates!

The teachers of Kala Bhavan stated this form of intolerance as condemnable.
It was also said that the intruders should be punished instead of the defenders of the artworks, and their makers.

The art community also demanded that the student be released immediately and the Dean be reinstated.

It was also resolved that an appeal letter will be signed and sent to various organizational heads- such as the Vice Chancellor of Visva Bharati, Prime minister of India and the minister of HRD (Human Resources Development).

Subsequently a letter was composed and signatures taken from all those present on that occasion.

Around that time news of Chandramohan’s release on bail came in to much relief of all those present there.