Now, artists condemn attacks on rationalists, minorities

Leading artists including Vivan Sundaram, Anjolie Ela Menon and Subodh Gupta on Tuesday expressed solidarity with writers who relinquished state awards and criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not categorically condemning the recent attacks on rationalists and minorities.

“The scale of social violence and fatal assaults on ordinary citizens (as in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh; Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir; Faridabad, Haryana) is escalating,” said a statement signed by over 400 artists released here by Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (SAHMAT).

The artists, also including the likes of London-based Anish Kapoor, KG Subramanyan, Nilima Sheikh and Krishen Khanna, called for a “challenge to the divisive forces through varied forms of appeal and protest, articulation and refusal”.

“The contemptuous comments about the religious minorities and Dalits made by those within the government confirm that there is little difference between RSS-BJP mainstream and supposed ‘fringe’ elements,” it said.

Meanwhile, Voicing concern over incidents of intolerance, including the killing of Kannada thinker M M Kalburgi, a group of scientists has petitioned President Pranab Mukherjee, urging him to initiate “suitable actions”.

Holding that a highly polarised community is like a nuclear bomb close to criticality, they also appealed to the Centre and state governments to act against “anti-human, anti-civilisational act.”