People's Democracy

Resist Attacks On Freedom of Expression

Joint Convention To Chalk Out Action

VARIOUS organisations of writers, artists and cultural activists have decided to organise a joint resistance convention on February 21 to chalk out a programme to fight the growing attacks on culture and freedom of expression.

The Janwadi Lekhak Sangh, Progressive Writers Association, Jan Sanskriti Manch, Sahmat, Janam, Act One, Communalism Combat, Jan Sanskriti, Udbhavana, and others are organising this convention in New Delhi. They held a meeting on February 6 to discuss concrete forms of protest against these growing attacks. The meeting took place in the backdrop of the witch hunt launched by the Uma Bharati government against key functionaries of the Sahitya Academy and Bharat Bhavan for permitting sale of books critical of the RSS. The government blatantly targeted select literature and works that were critical of the RSS.

The Janwadi Lekhak Sangh  and Sahmat in separate statements condemned the suspensions of Madhya Pradesh Sahitya Academy secretary Puran Chand and Madan Soni of Bharat Bhavan, on the ground that they permitted for sale of books critical of  RSS. They called for unity against the attacks on progressive literature and against all such moves aimed at stifling the freedom of expression. Sahmat wondered whether the prime minister too was for banning works commissioned during the previous Congress governments. The Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) too reacted sharply to the attacks on the freedom of expression, whether it be against the artists in MP.

Following is the list of the recent attacks on culture and freedom of expression:

•   Aug-September 2003: Habib Tanvir and his troupe Naya Theatre were attacked in several cities in Madhya Pradesh (Hoshangabad, Seoni, Balaghat, Mandla) by the Bajrang Dal for staging a 40-year-old play Ponga Pandit. The goons were openly led and supported by BJP legislators and leaders.

•   January 5, 2004: At Bhandarkar Institute ‘Sambhaji Brigade’ destroyed thousands of rare manuscripts, sculptures, paintings and other priceless articles, ransacked the cupboards, tore thousands of books, took away several rare books and damaged ancient palm leaf manuscripts. Earlier the face of renowned Sanskrit scholar Dr Srikant Bahulkar was blackened.

•    January 29, 2004: a mob of VHP, Bajrang Dal, BJP vandals attacked a newly opened art museum in Surat and tore down, broke burnt artworks on display including paintings by N S Bendre, Chitravanu Majumadar and M F Husain.

•   January 30, 2004: Officers of the Sahitya Parishad and Bharat Bhawan in Bhopal, Madan Soni and Purnachandra Rath, both well-known writers, were suspended on the specious charge that literary magazines containing critical references to the RSS were being sold in an exhibition of books and magazines at Bharat Bhawan. This is yet another intimidatory tactic to throttle all free speech and democratic functioning.

•   February 2004: In a despicable move the Madhya Pradesh government refuses to names its Academy building after Ustad Allauddin Khan on the communal plea that the Ustad was a Bangladeshi.

•  February 3, 2004: Gujarat government bans the play Suno Nadi Kya Kahati Hai by Samvedan in Ahmedabad.

• February 10, 2004: Police action against Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal over a set of posters by artist Shail Choyal in Udaipur on a complaint from Bajrang Dal.