'Today Intolerance Is Increasing and has Crossed Criminal Limits': Statements Pour in From Scientists, Artists, Writers and More

NEW DELHI: “I have noted with growing alarm the taking over by the government of nine cultural institutions so far, including the replacement of the heads of all these nine institutions such as National Museum, IGNCA, FTII and Nehru Memorial Library. The quite hijacking of the Lalit Kala Akademi and its five branches is ominous. I presume that collectively these institutions will now provide the necessary infrastructure to enable the spread of a new divisive ideology. Our voices have to be heard loud and clear to preserve the freedom of expression that has been the greatest gist of our republic,” said reputed artist Anjolie Ela Menon joining 400 artists, academics, writers who have come out in strong protest against growing intolerance and violence in the county.

An “Artist Alert: 2015” has been issued by the Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust against the growing intolerance, and increasing violence in the states with the government remaining a mute spectator. A statement bringing out the dangers inherent in the current situation, and condemning those responsible was signed and released at a special meeting organised by SAHMAT.

“I am not against any development, but if in the name and guise of development, our fundamental freedoms of speech and expression and the basic rights of the people are threatened—this is a more worrying development and a bigger threat. I have never felt something like this before, although a few years ago M F Hussain had to go in exile from our country; but today, this intolerance is increasing and has crossed criminal limits” said artist Subodh Gupta.

“Recent happenings are harrowing and a threat to our freedom of expression. Dream seems to have usurped Vision. Our culture is the unifying factor in our country and any irresponsible action, or imposing values inimical to many who inhabit our country, will create great unhappiness and turmoil. This fear is looming large and it is incumbent on our government to show that it is acting in accordance with the spirit and letter of the Constitution and, further, that it is not acting on behest of any other body,” said artist Krishen Khanna.

“I condemn this intolerance as any proud Indian who cherishes its long history of open-mindedness and tolerance would. I do not feel relinquishing an award given by public agency is the needed response; it only demonstrates their feeling of helplessness in the face of reaction on the part of the general public and the government. More people should speak against this sectarian intolerance openly and the media should carry this message. And motivate the general public to ensure that the present government does not tolerate such intolerance, and its cultural policy does not decide on any measure that restricts our cultural vision and broadmindedness” was the view of artist K. G. Subramanyan.

The statement signed by the artists stated:

“… Arun Jaitley has mocked the actions of respected writers as a manufactured ‘paper rebellion’. He asks for the scrutiny of the political and ideological affiliations of those who are protesting. To these and other such provocations there is a clear answer: while the actual affiliations of the protesting writers and artists, scholars and journalists may be many and varied, their individual and collective voices are gaining cumulative strength. It is this that the ruling party will have to reckon with: the protesters’ declared disaffiliation from a government that encourages marauding outfits to enforce a series of regressive commands in this culturally diverse country.

The contemptuous comments about the religious minorities and Dalits made by those within the government confirm that there is little difference between the BJP-RSS mainstream and supposed ‘fringe’ elements. The perfunctory warnings and regrets issued by ruling party ideologues—to defend the agendas of ‘development’ and ‘governance’ advanced by Mr Narendra Modi—are merely expedient. The Sangh Parivar and its Hindutva forces operating through their goon brigades form the support base of this government; they are all complicit in the attempts to impose conformity of thought, belief and practice.

A government that does not tolerate difference, that does not safeguard the lives and interests of its marginalized and vulnerable citizens, loses its legitimacy in a democratic polity. We are facing this situation one, already.”

Some of the names from among the signatories to the protest statement are:K G Subramanyan, Artist, Baroda,Krishen Khanna, Artist, Delhi,Arpita Singh, Artist, Delhi,Anjolie Ela Menon, Artist, Delhi, Gulmohammad Sheikh, artist, Baroda,Anish Kapoor, Artist, London,Vivan Sundaram, Artist, Delhi,V Vishwanadhan, Artist, Paris, Jatin Das, Artist, Delhi, Jyotindra Jain, Art Historian, Delhi,Balan Nambiar, Artist, Banglore,Geeta Kapur, Art critic, Delhi,Nalini Malini, Artists, Mumbai,Sudhir Patwardhan, Artist, Mumbai,Sadanand Menon, photographer, Critic, Chennai,Ram Rehman, Photographer, Delhi,R sivakumar, Art Historian, Shantiniketan,Pushpmala N, Artist, Bangalore,Vasudha Thozur, Artist, Delhi,Sheetal Gowda, Artist, Bangalore,Atul Dodiya, Artist, Mumbai,Anita Dube, Artist, Delhi,Ranjit Hoskote, Art Critic, Mumbai,Subodh Gupta, Artist, Delhi,Jahangir Jani, Artist, Mumbai,Shireen Gandhi, Gallerist, Mumbai,Kirtana Thangavelu, Art Historian, Hyderabad.

A large number of scientists have also issued a statement expressing concern about the fast deteriorating conditions in the country. The statement reads:

“The scientific community is deeply concerned with the climate of intolerance, and the ways in which science and reason are being eroded in the country.

It is the same climate of intolerance, and rejection of reason that has led to the lynching in Dadri of Mohammad Akhlaq Saifi and the assassinations of Prof. Kalburgi, Dr Narendra Dabholkar and Shri Govind Pansare. All three fought against superstition and obscurantism to build a scientific temper in our society. Prof. Kalburgi was a renowned scholar and an authority on the Vachana literature associated with the 12th-century reformer Basava, who opposed institutionalised religion, caste and gender discrimination. Similarly, Dr Dabholkar and Shri Pansare promoted scientific temper through their fight against superstition and blind faith.

The Indian Constitution in Article 51 A (h) demands, as a part of the fundamental duties of the citizens, that we ‘…develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform’. Unfortunately, what we are witnessing instead is the active promotion of irrational and sectarian thought by important functionaries of the government.

The Indian civilization is a truly plural one. We have always had many practices and communities that have allowed space for each other; we celebrate the festivals and anniversaries of all faiths. This unity and peace has now been disturbed by a rash of bigoted acts, attacks on minorities and Dalits, which show no signs of abating.

The writers have shown the way with their protests. We scientists now join our voices to theirs, to assert that the Indian people will not accept such attacks on reason, science and our plural culture. We reject the destructive narrow view of India that seeks to dictate what people will wear, think, eat and who they will love.

We appeal to all other sections of society to raise their voice against the assault on reason and scientific temper we are witnessing in India today.

(The views expressed in the statement are individual and do not reflect views of the institution a signatory is affiliated to.)”

The signatories include:

Dr Ashoke Sen, Padma Bhushan, Fellow of Royal Society (FRS), Distinguished Professor, Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Allahabad

Dr Alladi Sitaram, Visiting Professor Chennai Mathematical Institute; Professor Emeritus, Indian Statistical Institute, Bengaluru (2005-2010)

Dr Ashok Jain, Former Director, National Institute of Science Technology and Development Studies (NISTADS), New Delhi

Dr A Gopalakrishnan, Former Chairman, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, Government of India

Dr Chandrasekhar Khare, Fellow of Royal Society (FRS), Professor of Mathematics, University of California-Los Angeles, USA, and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research

Dr D. Balasubramanian, Padma Shri, Research Director, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, & former Director Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad

Dr Madabusi Raghunathan, Padma Bhushan, Fellow of Royal Society (FRS), Professor and Head, National Centre for Mathematics, Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai

Dr P.Balaram, Padma Bhushan, Former Director, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru

Dr P M Bhargava, Padma Bhushan, Former Director, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad (one of the original signatories to the 1981 Scientific Temper Statement)

Dr Rama Govindarajan, Professor, TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Hyderabad

Dr Satyajit Mayor, Foreign Associate US National Science Academy, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru

Dr Sharada Srinivasan, Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru

Dr Sriram Ramaswamy, Director, TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Hyderabad

Dr Spenta R. Wadia, Founding Director and Emeritus Professor, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru

Dr.Vineeta Bal, National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi.

Dr Vivek Borkar, Institute Chair Professor, Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai