An art exhibition which is scheduled to be held in Bengaluru this week has caused huge controversy after sections of the society objected to the theme of the art show, which portrays Hindu women in gross positions adorning a ‘mangalsutra’, reported Times Now.
According to reports, this controversial art exhibition titled ‘Nude with Mangalsutra’ was scheduled to be held from March 22-31 at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath in Bengaluru. The exhibition which has been organised by an artist named Sujith Kumar GS Mandya has upset the art lovers in the city as this exhibition had a theme which disrespected Mangalsutra wearing Hindu women by portraying them in despicable positions, bringing disrepute to Hindu customs and traditional symbols.
Meanwhile, a complaint against the organisers of the exhibition has been lodged by Bhavya Gowda, the Ranaragini convener of the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, who has written to the Bengaluru Commissioner of Police stating that action should be taken for “disgracing the modesty of womanhood by misusing the freedom of expression”.
“The very title ‘Nude With Mangalasutra’ is nothing but hurting the Hindu sentiment (as ‘mangalsutra’ is an ornament used only by Hindu women from ancient times) in general and disgracing the modesty of womanhood in particular by misusing the freedom of expression, that too at a prominent place like Chitrakala Parishat,” she said in her complaint.
Bhavya Gowda, in her complainant further stated that despite artist having the right to express his art, he has “no authority or right or reason to defame the age-old rites of the Hindu custom or to outrage the modesty of a woman in public”.
Demanding severe action against the artist, Bhavya Gowda claimed that the timing of the exhibition could “induce, influence voters by outraging the Indian womanhood” as 2019 Lok Sabha elections are around the corner.
“Women in India are considered as ‘mother’ and any disgrace to that name is not tolerated by a common Hindu… It appears that the organisers and Chitrakala Parishat also, deliberately and maliciously, intend hurting the Hindus in general and women in particular. The intended exhibition, it goes on as scheduled, may create violence and disharmony,” the complaint read.
The woman complainant claimed that the artwork is a violation of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986, an act that prohibits “indecent representation of women through advertisements or in publications, writings, paintings, figures or in any other manner”.
She demanded concerned authorities to take strict action and book the organisers for “defaming the age-old Hindu practice by using indecent, vulgar, filthy pictures in the name of art and disgracing the modesty of woman and religion”, and for “willfully causing hatred by encouraging such programs”.
Recently, a similar complaint was raised by several social media users regarding this art exhibition, which intended to degrade the modesty of Hindu women. They questioned the motive behind such deplorable art exhibitions and asked whether the promoters of the exhibition would depict symbols of other religion in a similar way.
A painting exhibition named ‘Nude With Mangalsutra’ is being held in Karnataka.
Will they ever come up with paintings like ‘Nude With Hijab’ or ‘Nude With Cross’? Oh Secularism will come in Danger in this case
But Nude With Mangalsutra is Freedom of Expression in Secular India
— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) March 19, 2019
After a severe protest, the exhibitor Sujith Kumar GS Mandya, may now change the name of the exhibition.
This the reply of Sujith Kumar on my post, who was going to hold an exhibition named ‘Nude With Mangalsutra’ in Karnataka.
I told him to change the name of his exhibition.
Thank you everyone who protested against it on Social Media. pic.twitter.com/VHH74vah93
— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) March 19, 2019
Replying to Anshul Saxena, Sujith Kumar said that his intentions were not to hurt our culture. He further said that he has deleted all the post related to the exhibition and hinted at changing the name and theme of the art exhibition.
