M S University's faculty of fine arts mired in controversy over a painting hurting religious sentiment

Updated on: Saturday, December 29, 2012

An obscenity row broke out at M S University's faculty of fine arts on Friday after saffron groups strongly objected to a Jammu artist's paintings which they said depicted Lord Shiva in bad light and hurt religious sentiments. However, a major escalation was averted after the artist-cum-lecturer Surpal Singh Slathia offered a public apology and decided to call off his exhibition titled "Painted Fiction."

The fine arts faculty had witnessed a major month-long showdown in 2007 over "obscene" paintings by a student Chandra Mohan.

VHP leader Niraj Jain on Friday filed an application with Sayajigunj police alleging that Slathia's paintings hurt religious sentiments. Slathia, however, maintained that his works depicted life of 'bahurupiya' artists (impressionist) who often move around in disguise as Hindu deities.

But Jain refused to relent. In fact, youth Congress and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad leaders started staging protests at the faculty.

Sensing trouble, police whisked away Slathia from the campus before Jain and other protestors reached the faculty. Later in the day, MSU vice-chancellor professor Yogesh Singh convened a press conference with both Slathia and Jain on either sides in presence of police officials. After Slathia apologized, Jain declared that he too will withdraw the case.

"I had no intention to hurt anybody's religious sentiments. I don't want to be part of any controversy. I am closing down the exhibition," the 34-year-old artist, who is presently serving as a lecturer at the Institute of Music and Fine Arts at Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir said.

Jain insisted that MSU administration should take action against all the members of the screening committee who are responsible for checking the art works before putting it up on display.

Singh has assured that hence worth all art works will be screened 100 per cent by a committee comprising of faculty dean, four head of departments, two senate members and one dean nominated by vice-chancellor, two artists nominated by syndicate and two representatives form society nominated by syndicate of which one will be women.

M S University's faculty of fine arts mired in controversy over a painting hurting religious sentiment

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